Ever Decreasing Circles part three

Now fruit cake or diet bitter cranberry? I'll leave the fruitcake to Fiona and the cranberry juice to Mandy but thanks for your messages! Now where's that chocolate!

I am now about 18 weeks from my last UTI and I wondered about that but it seems too coincidental and such a big swing it must be the casodex!

Thanks Ray

I was looking at a medscape summary of a discussion which shows that:

"Men with a history of testicular cancer not only have a greater risk of developing prostate cancer, the disease is more likely to be of intermediate to high risk when it does develop, a registry analysis shows.

The study was presented during a press conference ahead of the Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (GUCS) 2015, in Orlando, Florida.

"Further validation studies are needed to confirm these findings based on other cohorts to determine if men with testicular cancer should have closer [than usual] screening for prostate cancer," Mohummad Minhaj SIddiqui, MD, University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore, told the press conference.

"But based on these findings, we believe that men with a history of testicular cancer should consider a discussion regarding the risks and benefits of prostate cancer screening with their physician," he added."

It can be found here: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/840285?src=wnl_edit_tpal&uac=201270MR

Although too late for me it is interesting that I had testicular Cancer in 1982 and now have PCa with bone mets yet no medic had any discussion with me about PCa. Sometimes prevention can be deceptively easy but often medical discovery focuses on high end high cost treatments and the simple stuff gets ignored. I get that this research is recent but surely given the proximity of the two cancers I might have at least been given intelligence about PSA etc. C'est la vie I guess.

Edited by member 25 Feb 2015 at 20:26  | Reason: Not specified

Both interesting posts...is there some genetic link or are some people unlucky or a mixture of both...

I'm still a little concerned that my GP is sending me for an endoscopy with the words "I don't think it will be stomach cancer" ringing in my ears....is he aware of possible links. ...unlikely but hey ho...

Thanks for sharing Paul

Bri

Thanks Mo appreciate your thoughts. I am as you suggest not fazed by this. I can see no useful purpose in imagining What if in my own circumstances. I am where I am and need to focus on that rather than thinking back to what might have been.

Lyn, it's interesting that the first conversation I had about testosterone was in 2011, just 29 years after my right orchidectomy. Even though I had conversations about ED for about ten years testosterone never featured in the conversation until I got a referral to my diabetes consultant. So I certainly wasn't,t offered any supplemental treatment and thus I probably had a low testosterone level for many years, contributing to ED and loss of libido but maybe also impacting positively on the cancer in the prostate. I do think that my reactions to HT have been manageable in ways it does not seem to happen for many others as I have not felt an extreme change as a result of complete testosterone blockage even with casodex over the past few weeks. My T level was about 3 when tested in mid 2011 so was already very low and although causing me problems was maybe a protective factor too.

I remember being discharged after ten years from my testicular cancer oversight, so around 1992/3, and at that time I think testicle removal was probably a key treatment for Prostate cancer but there was no pep talk about testosterone, PCa or anything else. In fact I was told only one thing that my chances of getting Cancer again was no greater or no less than anyone else!

Interesting stuff Julie!

On another note I have succumbed to my first UTI for nearly six months which is a bit disappointing. I have been taking a prophylactic dose of an anti biotic which has been keeping the UTIs at bay. On Thursday of last week I noticed my urine was a little cloudy and thought a UTI was on its way. For the next two days it seems to have battled with the anti biotics in my body and it stayed peripheral. My dip stick test revealed no nitrates. Suddenly in the night on Saturday the infection won this little battle with a vengeance. Painfully I was up at 2 am with pain and the urge to pee and a very poorly looking urine colour and plenty of nitrates. I started medicating immediately and painkillers and continued yesterday and it has beaten it back somewhat but I shall continue for a few days before reverting to the prophylactic dose.

On Friday I had my blood test for my check up next Monday. I do hope this incipient infection will not have distorted the results. At least the timing of the consultation means we can discuss the re-emergence of the UTI and discuss next steps. I still self catherise so I am not entirely surprised that after such a good run it has returned. However my general level of tiredness which was increasing has if anything got less in the last few months and I was now thinking that the UTI was a major contributor to my feelings of tiredness not just the HT. I have a busy week this week so hope I can maintain the energy levels.