Looking for Any kind of advice

Neens, I'd strongly urge you to phone the specialist nurses on the freephone number on this site. They'll be able to give you a lot more information.

Basically, though, an "adenocarinoma" means a malignant tumour, and "T3" means it's broken through the walls of the prostate capsule and may have spread into the vessels that carry seminal fluid.

When a biopsy is done, they extract a number of "cores" from both sides of the prostate gland. These cores are about the length of a matchstick, but much thinner. So saying that 80% of it was cancerous, for example, means that when they examined a core under a microscope, 80% of the cells in the core were cancer cells.

The "Gleason" score is a sum of two numbers between 3 and 5 which show how "active" the cancer cells are. The first of the two numbers shows the activity of the majority of the cells, the second the activity of the most active cells. So 3+3 is as inactive as it gets, but 4+5 is a lot more active.

So in this case, the right side of the prostate has a small amount of inactive cancer, but the left side has a large amount of quite active cancer.

Hope this helps, but PLEASE phone the nurses - they can tell you a lot more.

Chris

Edited by member 30 May 2018 at 17:02  | Reason: Not specified

Active and inactive is not really the most accurate difference between the Gleason scores although it could in some cases be true. As the Gleason score rises it means that the cancer cells have mutated increasingly further from normal cells and are likely to be more aggressive. Let's hope Dad's cancer has not spread. Unfortunately, Dad has a large Prostate and quite a lot of cancer in the left side. It is possible the Dad may be started on Hormone Therapy to help restrain his cancer and help shrink the tumour maybe with the possibility of External Beam radiation to follow although some surgeons are prepared to operate sometimes with supplemental RT. Tweaks to treatment are evolving but treatment offered will vary with individual circumstances. PCa can be very unpredictable with some me like your Dad or in a worse situation than him sometimes doing very well, whereas sometimes men with apparently lesser diagnosis may not do so well. However, there are more down the line treatments now should these be necessary that further 'buy' yet more time, albeit with varying side effects. So hopefully Dad will still be around for a long time.

Edited by member 30 May 2018 at 23:40  | Reason: Not specified

Good luck with the specialist next week when you can pose that question then.

I don't think Dad's consultant can give a definitive answer to your question now or maybe even later, yet alone a specialist nurse. Each case has to be considered individually. What we can say is that some men are 'cured' following treatment although the term 'in remission' is preferred, for many years before a man is really regarded as being cured. Much depends on how early the cancer is discovered, the type of Prostate Cancer, how well treatment is administered and how the individual responds to it. Unfortunately, PCa apparently eradicated or dormant has the potential to become a problem months or even years later, so may require further treatment. However Dad responds to his treatment he is going to have to be monitored regularly for a a very long time, with at least PSA tests.

I think you would find it very helpful to obtain a copy of the 'Toolkit' that can be downloaded or is available from the publications section of this charity. It gives not only a good overview of PCa but a run down of various treatments, (though not all will be available or appropriate to every patient).

Edited by member 31 May 2018 at 12:07  | Reason: Afterthought

Thank you so much 

I intend to it appears I found something to gain comfort in and to then later share my experiences with others in my position

thank you all so much x 

Hello Neens, sorry to hear about your Dad’s diagnosis.

Having had a biopsy what is his Gleason score? Are the tumours anywhere near the edge of the capsule?

Has he had an MRI or a bone scan and if so what were the results?

The results of these scans and tests will maybe explain why they think he is incurable.

Best wishes,

Ian