I'm interested in conversations about and I want to talk about
Know exactly what you want?
Show search

Notification

Error

What does it mean ?

Email this conversation Print this conversation
User
Posted 06 Aug 2015 at 21:59
Mine and my partners good friend, had his prostate removed just before Christmas last year, and the follow up showed he was in remission. Today he has come back from his 6 month check up, to say the doctor has said his test results have gone from a 0.3 after the surgery to now being a 0.11. Now my friend has had cancer twice previously, once in his bladder and also in his bowel, plus the prostate before last Christmas. So now unbelievably he is being told the cancer may have come back A FOURTH TIME? Understandably, he was in that much shock he did not explain, remember nor want to hear anything the doctor said, so now we are all very confused. Does the rise in his test results mean it's back ? He has been told he will be tested in his bladder and lower areas first in due course to see where the detection is emanating from. In the meantime we hope and pray, for the best and stay positive at all times. Any help to explain this to us would be much appreciated !
User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 12:47

It's not unusual for those who had prostate surgery to have follow up radiotherapy to mop up any stray cells where the prostate was. So in a sense it's not come back just not dealt with first time around. Hopefully that will be it however sometimes cancer cells have spread beyond the area radiotherapy can reach in which case further medication is needed

The medics seem to be looking at what they see as more important areas first. They may then decide if radiotherapy is needed and an option considering his other issues

Ray

Edited by member 07 Aug 2015 at 12:55  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 13:54

Amy, I think he either misunderstood or was misled at Christmas. Men that have had treatment for prostate cancer are not 'in remission' until they have had undetectable PSA for 10 years. Some doctors will say with confidence that the man is in remission after 5 years but it just isn't possible to say such a thing straight after the operation. As your friend's PSA is now over 0.1 it is detectable but the science means that it might not be considered a problem until he either has three successive rises or it goes up to 0.2. His doctor might recommend some radiotherapy and/or hormone treatment just to mop up any stray cancer cells.

It's not that his cancer has come back, it's more that a tiny bit might have been left behind. As Ray says, it is quite common. My husband had additional treatment 2 years after the op when his PSA rose to 0.15 and he has now been undetectable for 3 years.

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

User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 13:56

PS I am assuming that you made a typo and his first PSA was 0.03 and has now risen to 0.11. If your original figure was correct and the PSA was 0.3 and has now fallen to 0.11 that is great news!!!!

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

User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 14:06

It is understandable that the friend feels shell shocked and probably 'gutted' in his situation but nevertheless he must listen and take on board what his consultant tells him being in the best position to inform him of his situation and the way forward.

A friend of mine who had a prostatectomy subsequently had a slowly rising PSA and was given HT followed by RT. Some 8 years on his PSA is virtually undetectable but that is not to say there is no possibility of it rising at some point. A few stray cancer cells that remain in the body can and sometimes do establish elsewhere and produce PSA even when too small to be seen on scans. Cancer cells can mutate and become more aggressive at some point. It can become a changing and challenging battle that the oncologist has to decide how best to fight. Some are lucky in as much as primary or primary plus salvage treatment deals effectively with the cancer indefinitely or for a very long time, others less so From the patient's viewpoint it's a lottery we are forced into. It may be that the friend could do with some professional help to enable him to come to terms with possibilities he may face.

Barry
Show Most Thanked Posts
User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 12:47

It's not unusual for those who had prostate surgery to have follow up radiotherapy to mop up any stray cells where the prostate was. So in a sense it's not come back just not dealt with first time around. Hopefully that will be it however sometimes cancer cells have spread beyond the area radiotherapy can reach in which case further medication is needed

The medics seem to be looking at what they see as more important areas first. They may then decide if radiotherapy is needed and an option considering his other issues

Ray

Edited by member 07 Aug 2015 at 12:55  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 13:54

Amy, I think he either misunderstood or was misled at Christmas. Men that have had treatment for prostate cancer are not 'in remission' until they have had undetectable PSA for 10 years. Some doctors will say with confidence that the man is in remission after 5 years but it just isn't possible to say such a thing straight after the operation. As your friend's PSA is now over 0.1 it is detectable but the science means that it might not be considered a problem until he either has three successive rises or it goes up to 0.2. His doctor might recommend some radiotherapy and/or hormone treatment just to mop up any stray cancer cells.

It's not that his cancer has come back, it's more that a tiny bit might have been left behind. As Ray says, it is quite common. My husband had additional treatment 2 years after the op when his PSA rose to 0.15 and he has now been undetectable for 3 years.

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

User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 13:56

PS I am assuming that you made a typo and his first PSA was 0.03 and has now risen to 0.11. If your original figure was correct and the PSA was 0.3 and has now fallen to 0.11 that is great news!!!!

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

User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 14:06

It is understandable that the friend feels shell shocked and probably 'gutted' in his situation but nevertheless he must listen and take on board what his consultant tells him being in the best position to inform him of his situation and the way forward.

A friend of mine who had a prostatectomy subsequently had a slowly rising PSA and was given HT followed by RT. Some 8 years on his PSA is virtually undetectable but that is not to say there is no possibility of it rising at some point. A few stray cancer cells that remain in the body can and sometimes do establish elsewhere and produce PSA even when too small to be seen on scans. Cancer cells can mutate and become more aggressive at some point. It can become a changing and challenging battle that the oncologist has to decide how best to fight. Some are lucky in as much as primary or primary plus salvage treatment deals effectively with the cancer indefinitely or for a very long time, others less so From the patient's viewpoint it's a lottery we are forced into. It may be that the friend could do with some professional help to enable him to come to terms with possibilities he may face.

Barry
User
Posted 07 Aug 2015 at 17:09
Thank you all for your responses. I think he will have thought the worst, and blocked out the main information. I am now hopeful and will show him these responses and hopefully that will clear it up for him. Thank you again !
 
Forum Jump  
Email this conversation Print this conversation

Join the online community now.

Click through to become a member and gain access to support, information and real time replies.




MenuTop ▲
©2024 Prostate Cancer UK