Sorry to read that you are here at a relatively young age for PCa.
It may be in your interest to reconsider what you have been told regarding staging and possible spread of the PCa cells?
AS, closely monitored regular PSA may be an option you consider, if you can live with the thought and retain the hope that your PCa does not tip over between checks?
I say to anyone thinking about AS, look at it like a roller coaster ride, on the way up the pull slope, all is good. Click click clicking away until the apex is reached. And then, the downhill free for all starts, continues out of control. And then it's too late, no matter how closely you are monitored. The problem is no one knows when that tipping point is reached.
So, an MRI scan says the PCA is contained within the gland? Are you aware that MRI scans are only a guide, and are frequently wrongly misinterpreted? They depend on the clarity of the image presented and the skill and experience of the person interpreting it. There are men here who have been told that their PCa is contained and opted for a treatment option only to have found that at that treatment the PCa has spread and the treatment option was inappropriate.
I am not aware of anyone who's staging has not been upgraded after operation. Sadly.
The only way to ascertain with certainty what is going on in your prostate is to have it out. Have it looked at in a petri dish in a path lab. Have an accurate assessment done. If you had an op, the gland would be removed and looked at in the lab, and an immediate assessment made while you are still on the table. The surgeon would get the results, and decide there and there if further removal of any more tissue was necessary?
There are people here, men , wives of men, who's MRI suggesting total containment was inaccurate, I was one of them. My staging was upgraded and the PCa was touching the wall, I will have to live with that threat for the rest of my life. Touching the wall, but no one can know if a rogue cell had spread. Waiting for it to emerge again, somewhere. I wish I had had surgery sooner. Maybe even a week sooner would have stopped me reaching my tipping point, and prevented it touching the wall, maybe bursting through? I will never know.
There are those who regret their choice of treatment, in hindsight. We, you do to have the benefit of hindsight. And then when you look at their choice, those who regret? Consider the choice options/reasons square?
Best option is that you make the right decision for the right reason.
Second best option, you make the right decision for the wrong reason.
Third you make the wrong decision for the right reason.
Last you ckoc it all up and make the wrong decision for the wrong reason.
Most men here will have fit the 1st or 2nd category, either way they still have to live with their choices. Hopefully for a long time.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but you need to realistically assess your situation.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
dave
Edited by member 20 Oct 2016 at 23:21
| Reason: Not specified
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
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
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
Hello
I have just been diagnosed with prostate cancer, Gleason score 6 at age 31. I have been given two options surgery or active surveillance. What have others gone for? My feeling at the moment is I should have the surgery as active surveillance feels like a gamble especially at my age. Trouble is I have read a few studies that consider Gleason 6 incapable of spreading. I also read that 8% of all men in there 20's even have cancerous cells in there prostate and are unaware. So I'm unclear of the urgency and severity of this finding at the moment.
Thanks
Law
User
Hello Law and welcome to the site.
Do you have your PSA result. I assume when you say Gleason 6 you mean 3+3=6?
It is easy to panic a bit when first told you have PC especially at only 31. Is there a family history by the way?
The one thing not to do though is panic and opt for the first choice that pops into your head. With Gleason 6 you should have time to view your options, and Active Surveillance will allow you to do that. You will be closely monitored with PSA tests and possibly annual Biopsy if there are changes.
At 31, if you opt for say surgery, you will have many years living with the POSSIBLE side effects (not everyone gets them or to the same extent. No two men will automatically react to a particular treatment in the same way)
IF your cancer had broken through the capsule or spread outside then the possible side effects of surgery may well seem worth the gamble but at 31 you would have many years of living with the consequences should you be one of the unlucky ones.
All I'm saying is, please don't jump in feet first before you have sussed out all that is available. You have been offered two choices. I can't think why only two though since Gleason 6 is pretty low.
If you go to publications on this site you can download "The Toolkit" which is full of information regarding treatment etc. Reading it may well help you with questions to ask at your next appointment.. We also usually suggest that you take somebody with you for the appointments as two pairs of ears are better than one and it isn't always easy to take in too much information.
My husband has been one of the lucky ones. PSA 6.3 and Gleason 3+4 after a year on AS and his treatment appears to have worked and with minimal side effects. He, however, was 73 at treatment so realistically the bulk of his life is over.
You on the other hand, have your whole life in front of you, so think carefully before making a decision. If in the end you opt for a particular treatment and you feel it's right for you then that's fine. What shouldn't happen is that anyone else, ie your consultants tries to push you in one direction. Two options are not enough. Seek out more.
I am sure that others will be along to offer guidance and help, we are after all very good at that. Nobody else can make this decision for you. All any of us can do is place our facts before you to help you find what's right for you.
I wish you well. IF you have queries at any time and you want an urgent answer the nurses on this site are very good.
Best Wishes
Sandra
We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
User
Hi Law
I was just logging off and saw your post. Blimey. Key things .. As Sandra says. 2 options . No. There are plenty. A number of things jump off page. Some latest research 'suggests' grade 3 cells may not be considered cancerous. Can you give a little more background why biopsy at all as you are younger than my children. See my profile.
I wish I had found this site before op. plenty of latest informed people. Positive use of Internet, ensuring organisations however well meaning can no longer work in total isolation. As an aside, and a huge issue in itself, my GP was anti PSA testing. (We never discussed screening at all) . I'm assuming you have CT, bone and MRI scans done or scheduled.
User
Hello thank you for your informative replies.
Yes the Gleason score is 3+3, organ confined, 24 samples were taken 1 was affected, my PSA is 4. I had the biopsy based on a pretty random almost accidental PSA blood test, it was also tested randomly in 2012 and was 2.5 then. My grandfather was diagnosed at 79 but thats about it for the family history.
As far as treatment options go I have been told anything involving radiation isn't recommended at my age, I will take a look at the toolkit.
Thanks again
Law
User
Oh I have had an MRI which showed some abnormalities but they could be anything. No CT or bone scans planned.
User
Thanks for your replies.
Its good to here a positive outcome from someone in there 30's 18 years post surgery. My feeling is surgery within the next 3 months, I keep reading about it and I just don't think I can live normally knowing its there, however minimal it may be at the moment. As said below it can progress at any point.
Law
User
31, may not have even started a family yet, 1 core out of 24 .... I can certainly see why AS might be a good holding position.
I think it is different for men that have lived a bit, had their children (perhaps), found a life partner (maybe) etc. I imagine explaining caverject to a young woman you have just met in a night club could be quite difficult.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
My reply was serious. Staying on AS while deciding things like whether Law wants any (or any more) children seems very sensible to me. If he has a partner and was thinking of getting married soon (he may already be married of course) then he and his partner might want to delay treatment while they have a wedding, honeymoon, some normality. There would not be much normality after surgery or RT.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
I've been weighing up the vast amount of facts and figures, found some stories of people of my age that have had a similar dilemma and the posts on here. There is not clear answer some in the stories of my age groups stayed on AS and have been (on the case I found) for 6 years without any change others went for surgery within the first 6-12 months. From what I can work out if it really is a Gleason 6 the chances of it being any threat to my life in the next 10-20 years is minimal (without treatment survival 99.8% at 10 years) and a true 6 cannot spread, t1c also makes it even less risk. The big problem is as was pointed out above many are upgraded on extraction (38%). So that is the gamble with AS, at the moment I have the following psa results Mar 2012 2.6, Apr 2012 2.5, Aug 2016 4, Sept 2016 3.8. So that suggests the score is correct, the biopsy only having one positive core out of 24 and that core only have a mm in it also points to that. The other part is it changing from a 6 but the point of AS is to pick that up, at the moment I'm going to wait until the next result is in and see if anything changes, if it goes up significantly my decision is made. As far as my circumstances I'm currently getting divorced, selling a house and now this, not the best few months haha. I don't have any kids though in the next 5 years I may consider it, I'm not single but my feeling is having kids isn't important if i'm not going to be around to bring them up so if the operation is needed to make that risk smaller even by a the slightest percent come the next PSA test I'll have it.
Basically I don't have enough information at the moment to make a decision, if it wasn't for an accidental PSA test i would never have know about this so I guess in a way its lucky who knows how many years would have passed (though perhaps the blissful ignorance during those years would have been worth it). As far as the joke goes personally I'm not at all bothered!
Edited by member 23 Oct 2016 at 18:52
| Reason: Not specified
User
Hi Law
Kids are wonderful, grandkids icing on the cake. My grandson aged 2 turned up very unexpectedly with my son a just few hours after my RP on ward. One of life's defining moments and one of the few occasions I have cried. Precious. Look after yourself. You can always ask for 3 monthly PSA tests or pay private for extra tests. (Labs do differ I understand .. However that probably only relevant at decimal point accuracy ) My PSA had been slightly raised for some years, hard to explain however I just felt it was time to biopsy. My wife and my decision was easy as Gleasson 7. You should be able to have nerve sparing. . Clarify all options with MDT (I have zero sparing). Also nerves I was told regrow at about 1mm per year. I need to Google this ! Lyn states it very clearly in her initial reply. AS is fine, keeping control. Do make sure the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Believe me , you are better knowing, in my humble opinion you are then in control.
Edited by member 23 Oct 2016 at 22:55
| Reason: Not specified
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User
Hello Law and welcome to the site.
Do you have your PSA result. I assume when you say Gleason 6 you mean 3+3=6?
It is easy to panic a bit when first told you have PC especially at only 31. Is there a family history by the way?
The one thing not to do though is panic and opt for the first choice that pops into your head. With Gleason 6 you should have time to view your options, and Active Surveillance will allow you to do that. You will be closely monitored with PSA tests and possibly annual Biopsy if there are changes.
At 31, if you opt for say surgery, you will have many years living with the POSSIBLE side effects (not everyone gets them or to the same extent. No two men will automatically react to a particular treatment in the same way)
IF your cancer had broken through the capsule or spread outside then the possible side effects of surgery may well seem worth the gamble but at 31 you would have many years of living with the consequences should you be one of the unlucky ones.
All I'm saying is, please don't jump in feet first before you have sussed out all that is available. You have been offered two choices. I can't think why only two though since Gleason 6 is pretty low.
If you go to publications on this site you can download "The Toolkit" which is full of information regarding treatment etc. Reading it may well help you with questions to ask at your next appointment.. We also usually suggest that you take somebody with you for the appointments as two pairs of ears are better than one and it isn't always easy to take in too much information.
My husband has been one of the lucky ones. PSA 6.3 and Gleason 3+4 after a year on AS and his treatment appears to have worked and with minimal side effects. He, however, was 73 at treatment so realistically the bulk of his life is over.
You on the other hand, have your whole life in front of you, so think carefully before making a decision. If in the end you opt for a particular treatment and you feel it's right for you then that's fine. What shouldn't happen is that anyone else, ie your consultants tries to push you in one direction. Two options are not enough. Seek out more.
I am sure that others will be along to offer guidance and help, we are after all very good at that. Nobody else can make this decision for you. All any of us can do is place our facts before you to help you find what's right for you.
I wish you well. IF you have queries at any time and you want an urgent answer the nurses on this site are very good.
Best Wishes
Sandra
We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
User
Hi Law
I was just logging off and saw your post. Blimey. Key things .. As Sandra says. 2 options . No. There are plenty. A number of things jump off page. Some latest research 'suggests' grade 3 cells may not be considered cancerous. Can you give a little more background why biopsy at all as you are younger than my children. See my profile.
I wish I had found this site before op. plenty of latest informed people. Positive use of Internet, ensuring organisations however well meaning can no longer work in total isolation. As an aside, and a huge issue in itself, my GP was anti PSA testing. (We never discussed screening at all) . I'm assuming you have CT, bone and MRI scans done or scheduled.
User
Hello thank you for your informative replies.
Yes the Gleason score is 3+3, organ confined, 24 samples were taken 1 was affected, my PSA is 4. I had the biopsy based on a pretty random almost accidental PSA blood test, it was also tested randomly in 2012 and was 2.5 then. My grandfather was diagnosed at 79 but thats about it for the family history.
As far as treatment options go I have been told anything involving radiation isn't recommended at my age, I will take a look at the toolkit.
Thanks again
Law
User
Oh I have had an MRI which showed some abnormalities but they could be anything. No CT or bone scans planned.
User
On the basis of the information you have just supplied, please, please don't rush into anything.
Today is a work day but I expect there will be other members than myself and robgsr who will comment later.
**************
We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails |
User
Hello. I am no expert, so I wouldn't offer any advice. But my OH was talking to an old friend last week, he hadn't seen him for several years. He knew the friend had had his prostate removed. He was diagnosed with prostate cancer aged 39 (his father had just died so he has a PSA test)
He was offered brachytherapy (going back 18 years so it was obviously offered back then) or surgery. He had surgery. He said he suffered no incontinence, he did get ED but only for 6 months. Now 18 years on he still has a near enough undetectable PSA. So I just thought I'd say that if you do go down that route it can be a happy story.
Don't rush into anything. My OH had similar readings to you at 57. He was told he could go on surveillance. But the consultant said because he is young that he would need treatment at some point.
So I'm sure it would be the same for you and you are much younger.
All the best.
User
It is less common but Gleason 3+3 can spread - it is only one indicator of aggressiveness and we have had members in the past that have had mets at that level. The other thing is that it may not stay a 3+3 forever - the cells could become more distorted over time and rise to a 4 or 5 eventually. So if you decide on AS for at least a while, it will be essential that it is done properly with regular PSA tests and at least annual DRE and scans to keep an eye out for subtle changes.
If and when you do decide to have treatment, ensure you are referred to have your sperm banked first as all treatments will leave you infertile.
Edited by member 20 Oct 2016 at 16:58
| Reason: Not specified
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
Hi Law,
By no way always the case but with younger men that are offered treatment for PCa that has not spread, it is usually one of the forms of surgical removal. Why is this the case when advances in ways of dispensing radiotherapy mean that statistically both of these forms of treatment provide similar success rates? Perhaps at least in part , this is because young people have a greater expectation of many more years of life and although surgery can initiate side effects, some of which may be permanent, there is the possibility that where this is the case some men find ED and or incontinence can improve but with RT, although side effects may initially be less severe early on, over the long term there is increased risk of initiating other cancers and other side effects. Another consideration is that if surgery is not successful, it can usually be backed up with RT whereas there are very few surgeons who will remove a previously radiated prostate.
There are other possible treatments such as HIFU and Cryotherapy but long term results on these and some other treatments are not yet known. Furthermore, they are not widely available and for certain ones not even in the UK.
Much could depend on whether you are prepared to be closely monitored and are happy to do this until you are at a stage where you are told treatment is recommended.
Barry |
User
Thanks for your replies.
Its good to here a positive outcome from someone in there 30's 18 years post surgery. My feeling is surgery within the next 3 months, I keep reading about it and I just don't think I can live normally knowing its there, however minimal it may be at the moment. As said below it can progress at any point.
Law
User
Sorry to read that you are here at a relatively young age for PCa.
It may be in your interest to reconsider what you have been told regarding staging and possible spread of the PCa cells?
AS, closely monitored regular PSA may be an option you consider, if you can live with the thought and retain the hope that your PCa does not tip over between checks?
I say to anyone thinking about AS, look at it like a roller coaster ride, on the way up the pull slope, all is good. Click click clicking away until the apex is reached. And then, the downhill free for all starts, continues out of control. And then it's too late, no matter how closely you are monitored. The problem is no one knows when that tipping point is reached.
So, an MRI scan says the PCA is contained within the gland? Are you aware that MRI scans are only a guide, and are frequently wrongly misinterpreted? They depend on the clarity of the image presented and the skill and experience of the person interpreting it. There are men here who have been told that their PCa is contained and opted for a treatment option only to have found that at that treatment the PCa has spread and the treatment option was inappropriate.
I am not aware of anyone who's staging has not been upgraded after operation. Sadly.
The only way to ascertain with certainty what is going on in your prostate is to have it out. Have it looked at in a petri dish in a path lab. Have an accurate assessment done. If you had an op, the gland would be removed and looked at in the lab, and an immediate assessment made while you are still on the table. The surgeon would get the results, and decide there and there if further removal of any more tissue was necessary?
There are people here, men , wives of men, who's MRI suggesting total containment was inaccurate, I was one of them. My staging was upgraded and the PCa was touching the wall, I will have to live with that threat for the rest of my life. Touching the wall, but no one can know if a rogue cell had spread. Waiting for it to emerge again, somewhere. I wish I had had surgery sooner. Maybe even a week sooner would have stopped me reaching my tipping point, and prevented it touching the wall, maybe bursting through? I will never know.
There are those who regret their choice of treatment, in hindsight. We, you do to have the benefit of hindsight. And then when you look at their choice, those who regret? Consider the choice options/reasons square?
Best option is that you make the right decision for the right reason.
Second best option, you make the right decision for the wrong reason.
Third you make the wrong decision for the right reason.
Last you ckoc it all up and make the wrong decision for the wrong reason.
Most men here will have fit the 1st or 2nd category, either way they still have to live with their choices. Hopefully for a long time.
Sorry if this sounds harsh, but you need to realistically assess your situation.
Good luck with whatever you decide.
dave
Edited by member 20 Oct 2016 at 23:21
| Reason: Not specified
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
31, may not have even started a family yet, 1 core out of 24 .... I can certainly see why AS might be a good holding position.
I think it is different for men that have lived a bit, had their children (perhaps), found a life partner (maybe) etc. I imagine explaining caverject to a young woman you have just met in a night club could be quite difficult.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
Lyn, that reply tested my Kegels! No offence meant by the following to anyone!
Can you imagine, picture the scene:
Smack my b**** up is blasting on the PA system and there is the girl of your dreams, a potential Mrs Right dancing round her handbag. You buy her a drink, go for a grope, have the slow dance and you're in. She says, "Your place or mine?" You say with cocky assurance, "Mine girl, my parents are out." Half an hour later the couple move from the couch to the bedroom. She strips off and says, "you can ravish me but first you must show me what precautions you will take." "Okay, okay," he mutters opening the bedside cabinet drawer. His socks are lined in neat rows. Behind a snazzy pair of John Rocha striped size 9s, hind them lay a box of Muse, a dose of Caverject and a strip of blue diamonds. "Take your choice," he asks her. She looks at him in complete disbelief and runs out the house buck naked clasping her clothes to her chest. As she flies out of sight, he goes back into his room, gets out the Erec-aid, pumps up the volume and has a tommy to a video on PornTube. Cancer, don't you just love it!
Bazza
User
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
My reply was serious. Staying on AS while deciding things like whether Law wants any (or any more) children seems very sensible to me. If he has a partner and was thinking of getting married soon (he may already be married of course) then he and his partner might want to delay treatment while they have a wedding, honeymoon, some normality. There would not be much normality after surgery or RT.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
Dave, Lyn's reply was clearly serious. It was I who saw the graveyard humour in it and why, therefore, I put the disclaimer at the front that it was not intended to offend. Sometimes, despite the desperately serious nature of the disease we face at all stages and all ages, a little light relief can raise a smile in the depths of despair. If you have read many of my posts over the years, you'll know only too well how frightened I have been - and it has been the humour of others, taken in the spirit it has been meant, which has lifted me up.
The very last thing I want to do is to give the wrong impression about myself or ostracise myself from a group which has been of so much support to me over the years so if enough people think my post not in good taste could PM me and I will gladly delete it
Bazza
Edited by member 22 Oct 2016 at 07:01
| Reason: Not specified
User
As Lyn points out he needs to be aware of possible aside effects. He is young and may want to take some actions that us older guys didn't have to think about.
Ultimately though he needs to be guided by his medical team. I think it's irresponsible to advice him not to be pushed in a certain direction by his consultant. Yes ask what treatments are available but listen carefully to what the consultant advises as he/she will know the medical history and to the best of their ability the full extent of the diagnosis. The chances are that if the consultant is advising a particular treatment that decision will, in all likelihood, have been made by the multi-disciplinary team.
We often say on here don't look back once the treatment decision is made. Can you imagine if you went against the consultants advice, based on advice from here or google, and opted for another treatment that failed. I for one would be mortified and forever kick myself if I had done that. Unfortunately for me as with many others I didn't have the luxury of the MDT advising me which treatment would be best for me. I had to decide. But if they had I would have accepted it as believe it or not folks they are the experts.
Bri
User
Hi Law
I have been thinking about your situation over the weekend and how best to respond, as being so young, it puts you in quite a different position.
Your personal circumstances in respect to whether you are married, in a relationship and have children are far more relevant in considering what treatment option to take.
It may help us to help you, if you feel that you could share this information? It will remove some 'ifs and buts'
If you have your prostate removed it will make you infertile ( and possibly impotant) so you may want to consider sperm freezing. Of course you will need to consider that to have a baby then your partner would need to go through IVF and it is not always successful, plus it is very expensive if you do not get it on the NHS.
I think sperm can only be stored for a set period of time too, so you would need to look into that aspect.
You will need to see if your treatment involves Hormone Therapy as this has side effects too.
There is a lot to take in, so I think those who could, would take the AS option, giving you the opportunity to lead a normal life for now, but keeping a very close eye on the cancer should it start to spread.
I was 38 when my husband was diagnosed and we opted for immediate treatment but he was in a different scenario and much older than you and my 2nd child was on the way. I wouldn't hesitate to do the same again, but if I didn't have my children life would be very different.
Take your time and get as much information as you can.
Alison x
User
I've been weighing up the vast amount of facts and figures, found some stories of people of my age that have had a similar dilemma and the posts on here. There is not clear answer some in the stories of my age groups stayed on AS and have been (on the case I found) for 6 years without any change others went for surgery within the first 6-12 months. From what I can work out if it really is a Gleason 6 the chances of it being any threat to my life in the next 10-20 years is minimal (without treatment survival 99.8% at 10 years) and a true 6 cannot spread, t1c also makes it even less risk. The big problem is as was pointed out above many are upgraded on extraction (38%). So that is the gamble with AS, at the moment I have the following psa results Mar 2012 2.6, Apr 2012 2.5, Aug 2016 4, Sept 2016 3.8. So that suggests the score is correct, the biopsy only having one positive core out of 24 and that core only have a mm in it also points to that. The other part is it changing from a 6 but the point of AS is to pick that up, at the moment I'm going to wait until the next result is in and see if anything changes, if it goes up significantly my decision is made. As far as my circumstances I'm currently getting divorced, selling a house and now this, not the best few months haha. I don't have any kids though in the next 5 years I may consider it, I'm not single but my feeling is having kids isn't important if i'm not going to be around to bring them up so if the operation is needed to make that risk smaller even by a the slightest percent come the next PSA test I'll have it.
Basically I don't have enough information at the moment to make a decision, if it wasn't for an accidental PSA test i would never have know about this so I guess in a way its lucky who knows how many years would have passed (though perhaps the blissful ignorance during those years would have been worth it). As far as the joke goes personally I'm not at all bothered!
Edited by member 23 Oct 2016 at 18:52
| Reason: Not specified
User
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
Hi Law
Kids are wonderful, grandkids icing on the cake. My grandson aged 2 turned up very unexpectedly with my son a just few hours after my RP on ward. One of life's defining moments and one of the few occasions I have cried. Precious. Look after yourself. You can always ask for 3 monthly PSA tests or pay private for extra tests. (Labs do differ I understand .. However that probably only relevant at decimal point accuracy ) My PSA had been slightly raised for some years, hard to explain however I just felt it was time to biopsy. My wife and my decision was easy as Gleasson 7. You should be able to have nerve sparing. . Clarify all options with MDT (I have zero sparing). Also nerves I was told regrow at about 1mm per year. I need to Google this ! Lyn states it very clearly in her initial reply. AS is fine, keeping control. Do make sure the squeaky wheel gets the oil. Believe me , you are better knowing, in my humble opinion you are then in control.
Edited by member 23 Oct 2016 at 22:55
| Reason: Not specified
User
Sorry Dave I have no idea what is happening but of late you seem intent at having a go at fellow posters and disrupting threads.
There are moderators who will intervene if rules are broke
Bri
User
Here, Here Brian.
Water off a duck's back to me. I feel sorry for the poster and judging by the PMs of support I had for mine, it was taken in the spirit it was meant. I hope you're feeling well brother.
Bazza
User
Had my first follow up today, 1 month post diagnosis. Consultant today didn't seem at all concerned, AS is the recommendation from two separate boards of doctors so will see how that goes. Clarified again that the MRI didn't show anything suspicious, 1.3mm <10% found in 1 core out or 24 apparently with this type of biopsy the chance of upgrade on removal from 3+3 is 5% or less, PSA velocity will tell I guess, I hope their right!
Edited by member 17 Nov 2016 at 01:24
| Reason: Not specified
User
Well that's good in a weird sort of way. So what plan is in place to monitor this properly? 3 monthy PSA or 6 monthly? How often are they going to scan you and did they suggest annual DRE?
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
|
User
Hi Law,
That's good news.
I am in a similar position except I had two PCa samples one on each side.
If I was your age I think I may have made the same decision as you.
I suppose I had a period of accidental AS for a year when my first biopsy missed the cancer.
But everything worked out well with nothing unexpected.
I suppose I decided to go for RP (2 weeks from today) as I had a relation that had a very aggressive form, and when you reach 60 you wonder if you would be fit enough at say 70?
All the very best of luck,
Nigel
User
Never got back to this. 3 monthly PSA though first was a month late. Got the result back last week, 7.8..... Really bad, retest and be seen again in 2 weeks. Got the result earlier dropped to 6.7.... This makes no sense to me both the big rise and the subsequent relatively large drop, seems very unstable, surely it shouldn't drop or if it does not by much if it's caused entirely by cancer... Least that's what I'm hoping. Waiting for next appointment expecting another MRI and biopsy at the very least.
User
With PSA, it is overall trends and results in a certain timescale that provide better indications of the way things are going rather than one or two PSA tests in isolation. Infections can affect results as can other things, sex not long before blood is taken for a test or certain strenuous activities for example. Then like good cells, some cancer cells die and divide, sometimes further mutating in the process. Furthermore, some cancer cells give rise to greater or lesser PSA at any particular time and this can vary. The upshot of all of this is that quite often even men with a fairly stable PSA history may find that it fluctuates, ie PSA rises and falls from one test to the next and in itself may not be of any significance. However, a large one off increase where infection has been ruled out as the cause, may well need to be further investigated.
Barry |
User
Law,
have you been given a course of antibiotics? If not I would suggest you request some and then get another retest in case it is prostatitis that responds to antibiotics. Not all do I believe but my husband's definitely came down quite a bit after antibiotics.
Julie