Pca or not PCa ? That is the question

User

Posted 08 Jun 2014 at 11:41

Hello everyone,

Christopher and I have been married for 37 years, recently Chris has had a few problems and it all seemed to point to a prostate thing.

Chris has along with the recognised symptoms also been having back and hip pain for well over a year, something the GP put down to arthritis because he was a really active sportsman when he was younger, and he prescribed Diclofenac. Now we suspect something more sinister.

We recognised a few of the symptoms because Chris's dad had PCa diagnosed when he was 72.It was a slow growing one and the doctors said his PCa would almost certainly not shorten his life. They were correct, Chris's dad lived to a ripe old age of 85. The worry for us is Chris is only 57.

A DRE test showed that Chris had a large nodule on his prostrate so our GP sent off a blood sample for a PSA test.This came back at 5.8.

Within a week we had our consult with a Urologist and he requested an MRI and TRUS.Chris had his MRI last week and the TRUS is to be done tomorrow.

This has all happened within 4 weeks which is a fantastic service from the NHS but we are both really scared. It looks very much like he has PCa. I know that whilst the test all happened uba fast we now have no choice but to wait the 14 /21 days for the results.

My heart is breaking for my sole mate, how can I best support him.

User

Posted 08 Jun 2014 at 12:51

Hello there. I'm sure that others will be along shortly to reassure and advise you but knowing that anxious feeling I'm sure you are probably checking the site frequently to see if there is a response. Firstly, what you are experiencing is perfectly normal under the circumstances, everyone on here has probably gone through some form of panic. I'm not offering any medical advice since I'm not qualified. I can only give you an indication of what is was like for us to maybe reassure you a little. We too have been married a long time - 45 years this year. I too have a soul mate and have done my best to support him. Mine, unfortunately, would not look at any information regarding PC since he preferred to assume it wasn't cancer . His original PSA was 5.7 Gleeson 3+3 so John opted for Active Surveillance which he was on for a year with no problems - just regular checks. He has now had Brachytherapy seeds implanted as his treatment. There may be other causes of your husband's symptoms but it can't do any harm to obtain as much information from Prostate Cancer UK as you can. I scoured their literature list and ordered everything I thought would be relevant. The paperwork contains a breakdown of each treatment, including Active Surveillance and is a tremendous help in eventually showing you which road you can take regarding treatment. If it isn't indeed cancer, then you've wasted a little time and done a lot of reading! They are very prompt at delivery and the booklets are free, although I expect they appreciate a little donation. Please please try not to panic too much. Easier said than done I know. The only really strong advice I would give is that in the eventuality that your husband does get the diagnosis you take time to weigh up all the pros and cons of the various routes available. Don't be rushed into something because of panic. Scour these conversations before you make a decision. Good luck both of you. I 'm sure you are both supporting each other. Keep us informed of the result and ask here ANY questions you have. Somebody will have had that experience and will share theirs with you. Chin up. Sandra

Edited by member 08 Jun 2014 at 12:54 | Reason: Not specified

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 08 Jun 2014 at 21:53

Hello and welcome to this forum.

You are not alone with your situation, most people here have had the same worries and fears and well understand what those early days of not knowing are like. It seems an interminable wait between tests and results and looking back, I wonder how on earth we got through them. In our case the news was not good at all and the final result took many weeks of tests and hospital visits but it did give us time to begin to assimilate the news. This was all three and a half years ago and even with worst case, my husband is still with us and alright.

Please let us know how you get on, we will be having our fingers crossed for the best news.

Kindest regards

Allison xxx

User

Posted 08 Jun 2014 at 21:57

Hi,

Sorry that you are here, but if there is a problem this is a great source of very good information from many of us who have been where your partner is right now, and their partners.

Good advice from Sandra above, get as much reading and learning as you can asap, without getting terrified of "what may be". Until you have some sort of result from tests and know more precisely what you are dealing with, it is all a bit of a guessing game as no two cases are the same, although there are always similarities.

Although you can not know what will be your best course of action until diagnosis, you can start to prepare for worst case scenario so that when and if the time comes you can make an informed decision regarding treatment asap. And, being informed can give you some comfort. A good idea to take a notebook with you and make notes about what is said and discuses at any meetings. A common mention from people here is that at meetings, a lot of the content is forgotten particularly if the diagnosis is not good.

Let us know how you get on, update with results, signs symptoms etc. And remember, you are not alone.

ATB

Dave

User

Posted 08 Jun 2014 at 23:06

Your way forward depends entirely on the results of the tests Christopher is undergoing. It may not be prostate cancer after all because the test isn't fool proof. But if he does have prostate cancer then it is either a 'pussy cat' or a 'tiger' - the Gleason score following biopsy will determine this'.

If it is a 'pussy cat' he has more time and can choose from a number of different treatments all of which will prolong life and provide a way forward. Everyone is different and we respond differently to the treatments currently available. Thus, your personal choice of treatment is for you alone to decide upon based upon what you are willing to undertake and the data from previous patients with similar scores to your own. Life expectancy may well be prolonged and a sufferer may expect to die with the disease rather than as a result of it.

If it is a 'Tiger' then your options become more limited because time is of the essence. If the cancer is discovered early enough you can opt to have it removed by surgery, if it is still possible, and then, if necessary, undertake further treatment to hopefully catch and kill whatever has already escaped into other parts of your body. Many opt for external beam radiotherapy others for surgery. You may then have a reasonable chance of a prolonged life. If the cancer is discovered too late and is in an advanced state your options become more limited still and decisions predicate upon extending life expectancy and enhancing the quality of life remaining to you.

Cancer doesn't respect the efforts expended to eliminate it. It will cheat and take short cuts and it may well come back later.

My advice therefore is if you have a 'tiger' cancer to fight it with everything you have. Don't mess about or wait unnecessarily. Get the best treatment you can and live as long as possible. There are already many effective treatments and many more are in the pipline

Sooner or later we all die from something.

Steve

User

Posted 09 Jun 2014 at 09:35

Hi as others have said it is early days and by far the worst time as you don't really know anything. Knowledge is power ( although some people would rather leave everything to the medics). It helps to read up on the various treatments and to jot down potential questions in readiness to meet the consultants ( if it is cancer).

The aching back etc could be due to prostatitis which is basically an inflamed prostate and is not malignant.

Hopefully it's nothing sinister but if it is there are lots of treatments out there. Life does return to a 'normal' state once you know what is happening.

Keep us updated

Bri

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