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PSA of 64

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User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 15:18

Hello all .... my dad has recently been diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer which has spread to the bone and the PSA result was 64!   He had a CT Scan and now awauting an MRI in a few weeks time.  My dad is being so brave and trying to be positive, but understandably is having moments of frustration and anger as he had a Triple Bypass last yr which was successful and now this!

Realistically, can anyone tell me with a very high PSA and a score of 8 on the Gleeson chart, how long will dad be expected to live or is that an impossible question to answer.  He has started his first dosage of hormone therapy and continuing this every month.

User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 15:18

Hello all .... my dad has recently been diagnosed with Advanced Prostate Cancer which has spread to the bone and the PSA result was 64!   He had a CT Scan and now awauting an MRI in a few weeks time.  My dad is being so brave and trying to be positive, but understandably is having moments of frustration and anger as he had a Triple Bypass last yr which was successful and now this!

Realistically, can anyone tell me with a very high PSA and a score of 8 on the Gleeson chart, how long will dad be expected to live or is that an impossible question to answer.  He has started his first dosage of hormone therapy and continuing this every month.

User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 22:13
One member here was diagnosed with a PSA of 13,000 and lived very well for 5 years. Irun was diagnosed with bone mets about 5 years ago and is currently overseas completing an extreme marathon. Devonmaid's husband was diagnosed with bone mets and G10 and survived 10 years. A PSA of 64 isn't that high but doesn't really indicate how serious the problem might or might not be.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 09 Dec 2019 at 10:48

Hi Jane, 

I completely empathise with your situation - my dad was recently diagnosed with G8 as well and a PSA of 43. The scans revealed a slight spread to the bones so we are in a very similar boat. Finding the unknown so hard to deal with. 

Sending best wishes. 

User
Posted 17 Dec 2019 at 21:58
I am not sure how reliable this PSA's are as my dad has had a relatively stable and low PSA for many years so watch and wait approach had been advised. He asked about having the prostate removed but with a low PSA he was told it wasn't necessary as is a very slow growing cancer and they would only remove it if was really necessary. Fast forward 6 months and it has now spread to his lymph nodes with a gleason 7 score but still a very stable and low PSA. We are all so cross because of the low PSA we were told it was very low grade cancer but obviously somewhere the cancer took hold but din't raise his PSA much. He is now on hormone therapy and his first round of chemo.
User
Posted 17 Dec 2019 at 22:46

I’m on my first chemo cycle too, with Gleason 7 and some nodal involvement. Wasn’t quite sure if chemo was worth it but anyway. I’ll also be having radiotherapy later which sounds more fun than chemo, so to speak.

You can’t really take PSA levels as diagnostic but they’re useful for monitoring progress of treatment. Mines down from 331 to 1.2 after hormone treatment but who knows whether it might return in years to come.

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User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 15:53

Well I started my journey pretty much with the same scores on the board as your dad over 4 years ago and I"m still going strong.

Regards

Dave

"Incurable cancer does not mean it is untreatable and does not mean it is terminal either"
User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 16:09

Hello Dave .... thank you for your quick response.  I'm so glad to hear that you are still fighting it 4 years on and still going strong.  Feeling a bit more positive for dad now.  Of course until he's had his MRI and seeing if treatment slows things down we won't know but fingers crossed, he'll get the right treatment to delay it growing.

Best wishes

Jane 🤞

User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 17:44

My PSA was 318 (they checked it again and it came up as 331). Biopsies, scans etc indicate it’s locally advanced, including to at least one lymph node.

I haven’t asked about lifespan but I imagine ten years should be achievable these days (I’m 68). Just as important is quality of life.

Given his cardiac history I imagine that means radiotherapy rather than surgery, with hormone therapy. 

Good luck, and don’t panic!

User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 21:34
To answer your question Jane, Nobody can provide a good estimate of how many years your Dad has remaining. Much will depend on how he responds to his present treatment and possibly further down the line treatments as appropriate but his PCa may not prove to be a cause of his death or not for a very long time.
Barry
User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 21:53

Thank you Barry.  Yes I'm learning that we all have to to be patient and support dad each day as it comes.  The constant waiting of tests ... then waiting again for the results is hard too.

User
Posted 03 Dec 2019 at 22:13
One member here was diagnosed with a PSA of 13,000 and lived very well for 5 years. Irun was diagnosed with bone mets about 5 years ago and is currently overseas completing an extreme marathon. Devonmaid's husband was diagnosed with bone mets and G10 and survived 10 years. A PSA of 64 isn't that high but doesn't really indicate how serious the problem might or might not be.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 09 Dec 2019 at 10:48

Hi Jane, 

I completely empathise with your situation - my dad was recently diagnosed with G8 as well and a PSA of 43. The scans revealed a slight spread to the bones so we are in a very similar boat. Finding the unknown so hard to deal with. 

Sending best wishes. 

User
Posted 17 Dec 2019 at 21:58
I am not sure how reliable this PSA's are as my dad has had a relatively stable and low PSA for many years so watch and wait approach had been advised. He asked about having the prostate removed but with a low PSA he was told it wasn't necessary as is a very slow growing cancer and they would only remove it if was really necessary. Fast forward 6 months and it has now spread to his lymph nodes with a gleason 7 score but still a very stable and low PSA. We are all so cross because of the low PSA we were told it was very low grade cancer but obviously somewhere the cancer took hold but din't raise his PSA much. He is now on hormone therapy and his first round of chemo.
User
Posted 17 Dec 2019 at 22:46

I’m on my first chemo cycle too, with Gleason 7 and some nodal involvement. Wasn’t quite sure if chemo was worth it but anyway. I’ll also be having radiotherapy later which sounds more fun than chemo, so to speak.

You can’t really take PSA levels as diagnostic but they’re useful for monitoring progress of treatment. Mines down from 331 to 1.2 after hormone treatment but who knows whether it might return in years to come.

 
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