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Had op and now worried that the cancer has spread

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User
Posted 19 May 2016 at 22:06
Hi -

My dad was diagnosed with T3a prostate cancer earlier this year.

He has had his op this week, but we have been told that the prostate was difficult to remove because it was attached to the bowel.

Does this mean that the cancer has spread?

My dad was told before his op, that his cancer was a more aggresive type - but he cant remember if they said the name of the cancer.

I'm worried now because the surgeon didn't mention that the bowel was involved when the MRI scan was reviewed - would this have been noted pre op?

Janey

User
Posted 20 May 2016 at 09:06

Hello Janey and welcome to the site.

Dad had his operation this week so he/you will know by now that his bowel was left where it should be, so attached doesn't mean spread. I'm sure that if there had been any doubt about that his bowel would have been removed too.

As his cancer is the aggressive kind he will no doubt be facing further treatment. Keep us posted on what is offered to him and I'm sure somebody will be able to offer advice.

Don't despair. The fact that an operation was offered and done is, strangely enough, a good sign.

Be positive for your dad. Be positive for yourself. There are many men on here with living with aggressive (some even terminal) cancer and they have been for years.

We all think the worst case scenario when we hear that Cancer word. It's not always the case

Best wishes
Sandra

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 20 May 2016 at 01:22

Hello Janey, if it was diagnosed as T3 then it was already known that the cancer had spread locally outside the prostate gland - that's what the 3 means. Does the fact that the prostate was attached to the bowel mean that it has spread in that direction - no, not necessarily. The T3 may simply have been to note that it has affected the seminal vesicles, some nearby lymph nodes or sometimes the bladder - they don't usually suggest surgery unless the spread is very close to the gland and still removable.

If from the scans they had believed the bowel was involved, they probably wouldn't have offered surgery so try not to over-analyse what was or wasn't said after the op .... if dad is still in hospital, ask the ward staff or if he is back home, give his nurse specialist a ring.

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

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User
Posted 20 May 2016 at 01:22

Hello Janey, if it was diagnosed as T3 then it was already known that the cancer had spread locally outside the prostate gland - that's what the 3 means. Does the fact that the prostate was attached to the bowel mean that it has spread in that direction - no, not necessarily. The T3 may simply have been to note that it has affected the seminal vesicles, some nearby lymph nodes or sometimes the bladder - they don't usually suggest surgery unless the spread is very close to the gland and still removable.

If from the scans they had believed the bowel was involved, they probably wouldn't have offered surgery so try not to over-analyse what was or wasn't said after the op .... if dad is still in hospital, ask the ward staff or if he is back home, give his nurse specialist a ring.

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

User
Posted 20 May 2016 at 09:06

Hello Janey and welcome to the site.

Dad had his operation this week so he/you will know by now that his bowel was left where it should be, so attached doesn't mean spread. I'm sure that if there had been any doubt about that his bowel would have been removed too.

As his cancer is the aggressive kind he will no doubt be facing further treatment. Keep us posted on what is offered to him and I'm sure somebody will be able to offer advice.

Don't despair. The fact that an operation was offered and done is, strangely enough, a good sign.

Be positive for your dad. Be positive for yourself. There are many men on here with living with aggressive (some even terminal) cancer and they have been for years.

We all think the worst case scenario when we hear that Cancer word. It's not always the case

Best wishes
Sandra

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