Hello everyone,
Wanted to share with you the experience with dad's prostate cancer, he is 73 years old and suffering from early Parkinson and occasional spine pain which has been going on for about 10 years now. It started in April 2016, when a high PSA level appeared in the medical exam (12). The doctor advised a biopsy to see what was going on. At the beginning of May 2016 the biopsy was performed, with the result coming in at the end of May. Out of 12 cores, just one came back positive, Gleason score 3+4=7.
At this stage the doctor advised surgery, and an MRI prior to that. The MRI came out with no obvious signs of cancer apart from the small area where the biopsy was taken, doctor advised that there could be cancer on the back of the prostate which is not visible on the MRI.
Surgery was scheduled on 17.06.2016. After the surgery, the doctor came out of the OR with a straight face and said that the cancer was spread to the seminal vesicles, but he managed to get everything out and sent to biopsy.
Following surgery, dad spent one month in hospital recovering, he suffered lymphorrhagia and had to stay with two drainage bags. After 3 weeks, 3 albumin IV's stopped the lymphorrhagia. Apart from that, recovery went pretty well, eating, drinking and a bit of incontinence.
He was discharged from hospital on 15.07.2016, on that day aI got the biopsy report following the prostatatectomy. Gleason score 4+5=9, sharp rise from Gleason score 7 prior to surgery. Cancer stage T3bN1Mx, invasion of some lymph nodes adjacent to the prostate gland which have been removed. This makes it a Stage IV prostate cancer. This afternoon he has an appointment with the oncologist for treatment options. We will see how that goes, the surgeon didn't advance any life expectancy, he just said that it's as bad as it gets, it's a Gleason 9, short of 10 which he has never seen on a biopsy, with metastasis on regional lymph nodes.
Post biopsy and pre op, the PSA shot at 20. PSA will be reevaluated at the beginning of August, as well as a bone scan will be performed to check for bone metastasis, his spine/hip pain might also hide some prostate cancer that has spread there. Post-op lung scan revealed nothing.
It has been a pretty hard 2 months and very weird I think, from just one positive core, PSA 12, to Gleason score 9 and Stage IV metastatic cancer. Indeed, the mistake my dad made was to skip 2015 for PSA testing as he had no symptoms apart from urinating 2 per night as he has been for a few years, point which he has given Avodart. Indeed, even if he skipped a year, the cancer was pretty fast to spread.,
I hope the future prescribed treatment will keep the cancer from developing very fast, but the stage IV statistics and age do not give good prognosis.. Will keep updates.