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Considering waiting and watching?

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User
Posted 30 Jul 2015 at 14:16
Prostate cancer tests miss severity in half of cases

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-26970132

I've just noticed this attached to another article I was reading. I hope the link allows you to find it. Although it's over 12 months old, it certainly corresponds to my OH experience. His Gleason of 7 was upgraded to 9 on pathology, and the surgeon said that another six months would have seen a different outcome.

So for those considering watchful waiting, it's worth reading this.

User
Posted 30 Jul 2015 at 15:11

Firstly Louise , WELCOME BACK ! Hope you both ok .
I find out my results 12th August , but I was PSA 43 and Gleason 8 (4+4 ) T3 at surgery anyway.
I'd have picked AS if it had been offered , but that would have been a mistake which may have taken another 6 months to discover -- and a cancer can do a lot in that time .
Chris

User
Posted 05 Aug 2015 at 01:46

'Wake up and smell the coffee' - goodness me CB, you knew I would react when you wrote that!

Watchful waiting is the prostate cancer equivalent of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. In my view, it should be made illegal.

Active surveillance, if delivered as described by NICE, is a sensible option for some men, and many do stay well and are able to avoid all the side effects of radical treatment.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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User
Posted 30 Jul 2015 at 14:41

Unfortunately .....(or fortunately) I was not given the opportunity of Active Surveillance or Watchful Waiting....


In hindsight I'm pleased in a way, as I think I may have been tempted to choose one of those options.

My Gleason score was also uprated in the histology report  ( G6 3+3 )  to (G7 3+4) as was my T staging  ( T2b to pT2c )

It doesn't apply to me anymore, but I'm still not sure what the difference is between the two ie WW or AS?


Luther

Edited by member 30 Jul 2015 at 14:55  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 30 Jul 2015 at 15:11

Firstly Louise , WELCOME BACK ! Hope you both ok .
I find out my results 12th August , but I was PSA 43 and Gleason 8 (4+4 ) T3 at surgery anyway.
I'd have picked AS if it had been offered , but that would have been a mistake which may have taken another 6 months to discover -- and a cancer can do a lot in that time .
Chris

User
Posted 30 Jul 2015 at 22:50

I do not know of any Gleason that was downgraded after pathology.

Usually I am the lone voice that screams against "Watching and waiting", or "Active Surveillance".

Goodness gracious me, so, you have Cancer in your body. OK, lets see how it goes shall we? Let's see how the Cancer develops in your body for a while. Let's just let it fester and grow until we are obliged to do something, oh, by which time it may be too late.

I make no apologies if my post upsets or hopefully makes anyone "Wake up and smell the coffee".

atb

dave

All we can do - is do all that we can.

So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-)

I am the statistic.

User
Posted 30 Jul 2015 at 22:53

It's for everyone to make their own choice. AS and WW would leave me worrying all the time, but if you can deal with that, and it's appropriate, go for it.

Paul

Stay Calm And Carry On.
User
Posted 30 Jul 2015 at 23:08

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

It's for everyone to make their own choice. AS and WW would leave me worrying all the time, but if you can deal with that, and it's appropriate, go for it.

Paul

Agreed.

Dave

All we can do - is do all that we can.

So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-)

I am the statistic.

User
Posted 01 Aug 2015 at 23:15
My husband's GP did a first test with a PSA of 6.9 and didn't tell him it was high. I sent him to the GP to test his hearing six months later and the GP did another test. It was 9.2. And EVEN THEN he suggested that it would be OK to watch for three months. Had I not been there, my OH would probably have agreed.

The surgeon said another six months may have been too late.

Cb99- I absolutely agree with your sentiment. Get it gone. Alive first, side effects second

User
Posted 05 Aug 2015 at 01:46

'Wake up and smell the coffee' - goodness me CB, you knew I would react when you wrote that!

Watchful waiting is the prostate cancer equivalent of crossing your fingers and hoping for the best. In my view, it should be made illegal.

Active surveillance, if delivered as described by NICE, is a sensible option for some men, and many do stay well and are able to avoid all the side effects of radical treatment.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

 
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