T2c high risk

User

Posted 21 Mar 2019 at 23:16

Think I've got myself in a bit of a state, I've just been reading on the Cancer Research site about staging, it says that stage T2c is a high risk cancer, and is likely to grow within a few years. Does this mean if the prostate isn't removed? I understand that T2c is still contained, so surely after prostatectomy everything has been removed?

I find I'm already starting to worry about husbands 2nd PSA test, which isn't until May, even the fact he mentioned he was sweating in bed the other night had me worrying about night sweats. Does this get any easier as time moves on? I always seem to be reading about how this bloody thing keeps coming back, are there any/many men out there that have had their treatment, and are now "cured?"

User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 08:15

Mrs L.

I hope my story will give you some comfort and hope. When I was first diagnosed with PCa my "T" and Gleason score was T1b and 7(3+4) respectively. After my RALP I was restaged as "T2c" and 7 (4+3).

5 years on my PSA remains undetectable. Would I say I'm cured, no, do I dread my next PSA result, yes.

Being scored "T2C" does infer a greater "likelihood" and in the early days I took this to mean it was "guaranteed". Looking back now, I see it as what it is, no more, no less. Your other half is in remission until told otherwise!

Flexi

User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 00:47

38000 men are diagnosed each year and 10000 die each year - suggests that the vast majority either achieve full remission or any recurrence is often controlled for a very long time. The forum is biased because we have many, many people who join, have their treatment and then don't need us any more - have you looked at how many members we have here compared to how many are active?

T2c is classed as high risk because it is already palpable and on both sides so there is more chance of seminal vesicle invasion, lymph node involvement, micromets, etc than if it was a tiny tumour in one side only and not visible on MRI. Yes of course the hope is that everything was removed - if the surgeon didn't think s/he could remove it all they wouldn't go ahead with the op - but it doesn't always happen.

No, for many of us the PSA anxiety never goes away.

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

User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 05:43

Mrs L

I had RARP over two years ago.

T3a, gleeson 7, extracapsular extension, locally advanced, nerve sparing one side.

So far PSA is undetectable.

PSA anxiety still gradually ramps up as the next test gets closer and I think it always will.

Good luck

Cheers

Bill

User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 08:43

I put your figures in here:

https://www.mskcc.org/nomograms/prostate/post_op

it says you have a 98% chance of surviving PC for 15 years!

I in the next 15 years Mr l is statistically way more likely to die from something else

User

Posted 23 Mar 2019 at 13:00

I was pathologically staged pT2c G3+4 =7 ...
Clinically I was staged T2b G3+3 =6 ...but as the surgeon told me before my op ....T2b usually turns out to be T2c abeit with only a very small tumour in the 'clear half'.. and he was right!

Given my overall figures ( PSA 9.86 ) I was classed as intermediate risk .. ( check out my profile for further info )
My PSA has been <0.01 for 5 years come this June..

It's natural to be anxious when PSA tests are due ...... some deal with it better than others ...but none of us ever get used to it even though we know it's very necessary to be monitored regularly..
Best Wishes
Luther

User

Posted 23 Mar 2019 at 17:01

Thanks to everyone for their reply and sharing their story, it really puts things into perspective for me. Especially when like Lyn said lots of people who are in remission are no longer active on this site, it's easy to forget this fact. I think I was being naïve, clinically hubby was staged at T3a, so when he was staged by pathology as T2c I was obviously much happier, because like you say Luther the staging is often worse on pathology.

Francij1 - thanks for taking the time to find out hubby has a 98% chance of surviving PCa, they are pretty good odds, and have made me feel much better.

The PSA anxiety seems to be bothering me more than hubby, I know there's no way of avoiding this and we just have to go through it like many many others, and I do feel bad worrying on here when there are many men and their loved ones going through so much more. Cancer just makes me feel very frightened, each case is different and I can't help but fear the worse, especially after reading some of the very sad stories on this site.

Thanks again to each of you, I don't know where I'd be without this site sometimes!

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User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 00:47

No, for many of us the PSA anxiety never goes away.

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

User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 05:43

Mrs L

I had RARP over two years ago.

T3a, gleeson 7, extracapsular extension, locally advanced, nerve sparing one side.

So far PSA is undetectable.

PSA anxiety still gradually ramps up as the next test gets closer and I think it always will.

Good luck

Cheers

Bill

User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 08:15

Mrs L.

I hope my story will give you some comfort and hope. When I was first diagnosed with PCa my "T" and Gleason score was T1b and 7(3+4) respectively. After my RALP I was restaged as "T2c" and 7 (4+3).

5 years on my PSA remains undetectable. Would I say I'm cured, no, do I dread my next PSA result, yes.

Flexi

User

Posted 22 Mar 2019 at 08:43

I put your figures in here:

https://www.mskcc.org/nomograms/prostate/post_op

it says you have a 98% chance of surviving PC for 15 years!

I in the next 15 years Mr l is statistically way more likely to die from something else

User

Posted 23 Mar 2019 at 09:07

Hi,

Firstly, I know it is easy to say but don’t panic. I was diagnosed in 2016 with Gleason 3+3 stage T2c. MRI and biopsy showed lesions in both lobes hence stage T2c but with Gleason 6 my consultant and the MDT and I decided it was low risk. I’ve been on active surveillance for over 3years now. My experience says you have to look at the whole picture, not just the staging to assess the risk. Don’t make decisions based on what you read on the web, discuss it with your other half’s consultant.

User

Posted 23 Mar 2019 at 09:32

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I put your figures in here:

https://www.mskcc.org/nomograms/prostate/post_op

it says you have a 98% chance of surviving PC for 15 years!

I in the next 15 years Mr l is statistically way more likely to die from something else

Is there a nomogram predicting survival rates for EBRT treatment, do you know?

Thanks,

Chris

User

Posted 23 Mar 2019 at 12:06

Mr and Mrs L

I tried to post a link you may find helpful but it didn't work. Just Google " Is clinical stage T2c Prostate Cancer an intermediate or high risk disease" and you should find it. It's a pubmed document. Our urologist considers Tony's disease to be intermediate taking other factors into account so that makes me worry slightly less.

My husband was a T2c and I think I worry more about recurrence than he does. None of us can ever tell whether the cancer will make itself known again. I am just hoping as time goes on the worry will be on the back burner.

Best Wishes

Ann

User

Posted 23 Mar 2019 at 13:00

User

Posted 23 Mar 2019 at 17:01

Francij1 - thanks for taking the time to find out hubby has a 98% chance of surviving PCa, they are pretty good odds, and have made me feel much better.

Thanks again to each of you, I don't know where I'd be without this site sometimes!

User

Posted 24 Mar 2019 at 09:16

Hi,

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