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He doesnt want to know How Long

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User
Posted 28 Mar 2022 at 15:27

My Husband has just had his bone scan and we are awaiting results.  We know he has a recurrence in prostate bed and a suspected met on L3.  He has read posts on another site where Drs have just told patients and never asked if they want to know or waited for them to ask.


What are your experiences of this.  Chances are we won't see the consultant for results.  He was very nice and positive but we have found some of the younger Drs are pretty brutal.  My Husband is very anxious and would not deal with it well.

User
Posted 28 Mar 2022 at 18:46

Hi,


Sorry to read your situation.  Your profile is interesting, a mixture of inspiration and doubt with a surgery in 2004 and radiotherapy in 2008 and now 80 years old.  There is no mention of hormone treatment but he's likely to have had some.


I have no experience of being given information brutally but suggest that you contact the hospital to talk to someone about how the interview is managed and have it put in his notes. It's not easy to know how such news is conveyed and I always approach it ready for the worst but hoping for something better.


If you know it's come back and suspect it's spread then you know to expect hormone treatment which could be quite long lasting, we all respond differently.  I guess the message the doctor should emphasise is the potential future treatment which can include pointing at Mets.  That is if it has come back as much as you fear.


I hope that's worthy of some thought.


All the best, Peter

User
Posted 29 Mar 2022 at 12:43
Ok so the PSA is now a concern but he is hormone naive so no reason to think he won't have many years of remission with HT alone.
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User
Posted 28 Mar 2022 at 18:46

Hi,


Sorry to read your situation.  Your profile is interesting, a mixture of inspiration and doubt with a surgery in 2004 and radiotherapy in 2008 and now 80 years old.  There is no mention of hormone treatment but he's likely to have had some.


I have no experience of being given information brutally but suggest that you contact the hospital to talk to someone about how the interview is managed and have it put in his notes. It's not easy to know how such news is conveyed and I always approach it ready for the worst but hoping for something better.


If you know it's come back and suspect it's spread then you know to expect hormone treatment which could be quite long lasting, we all respond differently.  I guess the message the doctor should emphasise is the potential future treatment which can include pointing at Mets.  That is if it has come back as much as you fear.


I hope that's worthy of some thought.


All the best, Peter

User
Posted 28 Mar 2022 at 20:43

I don't think anyone will setting a "how long" date yet He has survived 18 years so it is more persistent than you would like, but not too aggressive. As Peter says next step is probably HT. And that will probably knock in the head for between three and fifteen years. With such a range of life expectancy I can't believe any doctor would try and predict his death. 


The onco might suggest leaving HT until PSA gets to 10 or some other figure, so it may be a year or two before anything changes much.

Dave

User
Posted 29 Mar 2022 at 08:13
He is 80 still has a lowish PSA and only 1 confirmed recurrence in the prostate bed?

Assuming he hasn't been on HT all this time I don't think you have much to worry about. Make sure they confirm what the spine issue is and get it zapped. Then book a holiday and stop worrying.
User
Posted 29 Mar 2022 at 08:50

Thank you all.  His psa is now 15.85.  He was on yearly psa tests   last year 2.3.  .He has never been on HT.  Went 14 years from RT till now on nothing.  We are gutted but also grateful for the healthy years.  Biggest fear is some young  Dr just giving him a time span.  We have found with some of the younger Drs they are more direct.  I suspect the L3 area which was flagged on CT will be the problem.  We know there is a hard lump on prostate bed.  That would mean zoladex and if on spine chemo too. I truly appreciate your help.  We have no family and support, so you guys really help. 


 


 

User
Posted 29 Mar 2022 at 12:43
Ok so the PSA is now a concern but he is hormone naive so no reason to think he won't have many years of remission with HT alone.
 
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