Positives please x

Hi Jen,

I know how worrying a time diagnosis can be, we all go through it, cancer is a terrible word, with thoughts of why me? what have I done to deserve this?

Most of us go through our lives not thinking about it, not wanting to think about it, merely hoping it will never happen.

However once you have got it, and get over the fact that you have got it, and start studying the facts, then life isn't so bad.

Firstly almost all men, as long as they live long enough, will get PCa (Prostate cancer).

66% of men aged in their 60's have PCa, and it becomes 80% of men in their 70's, the thing is most men don't even know it, most men with PCa live long and fulfilling lives, and die of something entirely different without even knowing that they had PCa.

Your husband had no symptoms, which is good, PSA of 5.8 which is good, he will have to have tests and quite likely a biopsy before you know what you are dealing with, but you have come to the right place, you can learn a lot from the 'Toolkit' part of this website and the people on here will happily answer your questions.

To put things in perspective my PSA was 30.8, my biopsy showed I had the most aggresive form of cancer, that was 9 years ago, I am still here, enjoying looking after my grandchildren, with no worries of meeting St Peter any time soon. 

:)

Dave

Edited by member 29 Mar 2016 at 17:30  | Reason: Not specified

Have a good cry if you need one Jen. I've learnt that now. Daves post is brilliant and good advice indeed. It is true that things get easier. They have to or you'd implode -- the whole PCa thing is endless waiting , appointments , biopsies and scans etc. You might be fine yet and I hope things are ok. Keep in touch. Everyone is here for you

Hi Jen,

My OH was told that he has PC, waiting for a MRI scan as OH had the biopsy first and then we will sit down for our options, it been 2 weeks since we where told and it has been a roller coaster ride with my emotions can't quite believe it PSA 6.6. Trying to keep positive some days better than other. Have done quite a bit of reading so that when we sit down I will understand what is being said and be able to ask questions.

Best wishes

Hi Guys,

The most disturbing aspect of diagnosis is that according to the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners in the week following diagnosis of prostate cancer men are 8 times more likely than normal to commit suicide, and 11 times more likely to suffer a cardiovascular event.

Most of can relate to that heartache when we were first diagnosed, yet years later after living with PCa most of us have brushed it aside and are getting on with our lives, following the saying that 'I've got cancer, but cancer hasn't got me'

God knows how we can persuade the newly diagnosed that having PCa isn't that bad, because after all we wouldn't wish it on anyone, but it is a shame that so many have to go through the pain and heartache which follows diagnosis.

:)

Dave 

I think one of the hardest things to grasp about prostate cancer is that the word 'aggressive' doesn't necessarily mean what we think it means. In terms of how distorted the cells are, they are given a Gleason score which can be anything from 1 - 5, the two most common patterns are then added together. Below a 3 isn't really considered to be cancer so the lowest Gleason would be G6 (3+3). 'Aggressive' is used to describe anything from G7 (4+3) to G10 (5+5). 'Aggressive' is also used to describe a prostate cancer that is generating PSA of more than 10, or one that is staged as in both sides of the gland and has already started to move outside the gland.

Aggressive should not be confused with 'advanced'. There are plenty of men who had a not 'aggressive' cancer but are already terminally ill at diagnosis, and men with 'aggressive' PCa who go on to achieve a full remission.

The consultant may believe this is an aggressive cancer (although he must be using instinct rather than fact at this stage) but he apparently does not believe it to be particularly advanced otherwise the biopsies would be done immediately. The few weeks wait makes no sense at all; perhaps as already advised, you should ask them to clarify the delay.

It might be worth chasing the biopsy date, I was due to have a CT scan done at our sister hospital, they had rejected the request due to lack of info, but did not tell anyone. That was not the only time things had got lost.

Easy to say but stay positive.

Thanks Chris

Thanks as ever John

Jen

There can be cock ups along the way. After 4 weeks I had heard nothing about the results of my biopsy so I rang the secretary of my urologist. Much scrambling and I was offered an appointment to see him within a few days. At that appointment I was given the bad news. The urologist was suitably angry at the delay and muttered about heads rolling. It turned out my case had been discussed by the multi disciplinary team on target and the delay in notification was an administrative issue. As things turned out there was no harm done and my treatment has been started well within NICE guidelines but the moral of the story is chase things up if you haven't heard by about 3 weeks.