feeling exhausted and shell shocked...

User

Posted 09 Jul 2018 at 17:43

Hi. I joined today.

I'm supporting my partner who was diagnosed with advanced PC a couple of weeks ago. The acute aches and pains he's had in his hips for months he'd put down to 'getting old' (he's 63yrs) the same with erectile dysfunction and dribbling wee. What worries me and I don't see mentioned a lot is the fact that within a year he lost over 4 stone in weight (he'd put that down to cutting down booze) he spends more time asleep than awake. All his symptoms have been spread over a year, so we have no idea when 'things started'.

To add to the confusion, a few weeks ago (about the same time as the PC confirmation) he started having PIA'S (mini strokes) for which he has to take Asprin's/anticoagulants. Because of this, the hospital is loath to do a biopsy on a nodule found in the rectum whilst doing a digital prostate examination.

Letters we received from the hospital say he has advanced PC with a PSA of 13, but they don't say where it's advanced to, which we both find puzzling.

I apologise for my lack of medical knowledge, but hope someone out there can mainly inform me of what the situation is for PC patients who are also undergoing heart treatment?

Many thanks, in hope

User

Posted 09 Jul 2018 at 21:49

hi snowgoose you have made 2 identical posts so I would suggest deleting one so people don't get confused.

Re the "advanced" PC this could be locally advanced ie stage 3 or with further spread stage 4. The letter you had should have indicated the stage. This will get important as with stage 3 all options may be possible with a curative intent but stage 4 tends to be more systemic treatment but can still respond well to treatment and give many years of remission

The TIA treatment may limit some options too or may just require closer monitoring..

Make sure you press your medical team for answers and treatment and keep checking back here for advice

User

Posted 10 Jul 2018 at 11:59

Hi francij1. I'm not sure how to go about deleting a post on here, but I'll give it a go.

Thank you for your informed email. I'm especially interested in your explanation into stage 3 or 4 as I didn't know about this. I looked again at the Consultants letter and it mentions 'a cT3a-feeling' which I think may be referring to a stage 3.

My partner is now also looking at this site (rather than constantly referring to 'Doctor Google') and he's starting to sing to himself again - a sign that there's a weight lifted off his mind. To share a problem does indeed halve it.

User

Posted 10 Jul 2018 at 13:38

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hi francij1. I'm not sure how to go about deleting a post on here, but I'll give it a go.

Thank you for your informed email. I'm especially interested in your explanation into stage 3 or 4 as I didn't know about this. I looked again at the Consultants letter and it mentions 'a cT3a-feeling' which I think may be referring to a stage 3.

My partner is now also looking at this site (rather than constantly referring to 'Doctor Google') and he's starting to sing to himself again - a sign that there's a weight lifted off his mind. To share a problem does indeed halve it.

This link is very informative on the T grades

Full explanation of Prostate Cancer T Grades

User

Posted 10 Jul 2018 at 13:40

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

In case you cant get the link;

TX: The primary tumor cannot be evaluated.

T0 (T plus zero): There is no evidence of a tumor in the prostate.

T1: The tumor cannot be felt during a DRE and is not seen during imaging tests. It may be found when surgery is done for another reason, usually for BPH or an abnormal growth of noncancerous prostate cells.

T1a: The tumor is in 5% or less of the prostate tissue removed during surgery.

T1b: The tumor is in more than 5% of the prostate tissue removed during surgery.

T1c: The tumor is found during a needle biopsy, usually because the patient has an elevated PSA level.

T2: The tumor is found only in the prostate, not other parts of the body. It is large enough to be felt during a DRE.

T2a: The tumor involves one-half of 1 side of the prostate.

T2b: The tumor involves more than one-half of 1 side of the prostate but not both sides.

T2c: The tumor has grown into both sides of the prostate.

T3: The tumor has grown through the prostate on 1 side and into the tissue just outside the prostate.

T3a: The tumor has grown through the prostate either on 1 or both sides of the prostate. This called extraprostatic extension (EPE).

T3b: The tumor has grown into the seminal vesicle(s), the tube(s) that carry semen.

User

Posted 12 Jul 2018 at 13:04

Thank you Pallance for posting the Explanation of Prostate Cancer T Grades. Not the easiest of reading for me but it has explained a fair bit of the medical jargon I previously struggled to understand.

The journey continues....

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