Worried about this waiting game

Just to add to what Heenan73 said, your Gleason score is the lowest level that's regarded as cancer, and it was in only 2 cores (you didn't say how many cores they took, but it's usually 12 assuming TRUS biopsy), and your PSA is low too (although the rate of change is the more interesting thing). If it needs to be treated, it has been caught very early.

In case you weren't told beforehand, avoid sex, cycling, horse riding, and any strenuous exercise for a few days before the next PSA test, as these will cause a higher reading.

Thank you Guys for your advice on this it's very much appreciated.

And yes it was 2 cores out of the 12 both on the left side she said.

I forgot to mention that she said that at that 3 months point I would also have a template biopsy too.

Template biopsy is more accurate than the TRUS biopsy, and it can get to all of the prostate (which TRUS usually can't).

Hi Mark

I think I have answered my own question here..

https://radiopaedia.org/articles/prostate-imaging-reporting-and-data-system-1?lang=gb

Thanks Peter and everyone else

I am trying to learn as much as possible of my condition.

Hopefully when I get the report from the specialist in the post that was copied to my GP as she was writing it as I was there .

For now I am just going to try and get back into my exercises and workouts which I stopped a month ago due to my biopsy.

The specialist said it's ok for my to keep up with them if I feel up to it.

Again thanks everyone ❤️❣️

Hi Bob,

My mate has been on AS quite happily for for five years at G3+4=7. He has had a PSA rise recently so will have to do something different soon.

All the men here would give their eye teeth to be G3+3=6, and there is even a school of thought that G6 shouldn’t even be called ‘cancer’ in future, so as to avoid worrying the patient unnecessarily. If you had a critical illness insurance with Aviva, for example, they wouldn’t pay out on less than a G7 as a G6 is not classed as ‘life threatening’.

If I were you, I would keep calm and carry on as normal, until I heard otherwise. And avoid any ‘treatment’ which is likely to be life-changing (as well as potentially life-saving) as long as possible, hopefully, forever.

Best of luck.

Cheers, John.

Edited by member 28 Apr 2019 at 07:51  | Reason: Not specified

At least a couple of us have consultants who have said exercise is one of the best treatments there is for cancer, and in some cases better than any drugs available. My consultant is involved with a charity Prostate Peddlers to get patients cycling, particularly when they haven't done anything for years.

It sounds like you're into exercise anyway, so that's great.

I've been doing a lot of cycling over the last several years anyway. I've reduced my work since diagnosis and I'm spending lots of my time cycling whilst waiting for radical treatment, and loving it. I was back on my bike 6 days after TRUS. I did have to adjust the saddle so there was no pressure on the perineum whatsoever.

Edited by moderator 13 Jul 2023 at 06:48  | Reason: Not specified

I had a Radical Robotic Prostectomy with nerve sparing surgery on one side.  My Gleason score was 7 and my surgeon thought it was aggressive given family history.  I came across quite a few men who had a much lower Gleason score than myself who had opted for surgery and I recall a conversation with a specialist about 1 year before my operation who contemplated men with a history of prostate cancer in the family might opt to have their prostate removed ... just in case!

After my surgery I now wait anxiously for my 4 monthly PSA tests to see what the score is.  Given what I know now and given your situation there are two things that come to mind:

1.  my cancer was right on the edge of the prostate and it wasn't until the prostate was removed that it could be seen whether the cancer was contained or not. If it was not contained then further treatment would have been needed in that area.

2.  due to the cancer being on the edge of the prostate nerve sparing surgery was undertaken which has resulted in erectile dysfuntion so far post op.

If I had the surgery knowing that the cancer was contained in the prostate then this would probably not have affected my erection and sexual life so much as it has done as all the nerves could have been spared.  I would have a serious chat with your specialist about the effect of surgery now on your nerves and the effect on your nerves if surgery is put on hold.  I would also ask about the time frame involved if surgery was needed.  You say that you are having tests every 3 months but then if it was found that you PSA had increased does this mean that you would then have to wait for another scan and then a biopsy?  And then how long if you needed surgery?  From PSA test to scan to biopsy to surgery was 9 months for me.

Edited by member 16 May 2019 at 12:15  | Reason: Not specified