T3A and / or facing surgery - Don't Panic!!

@Ascot Carpenter, Whilst I share your optimism and positive disposition, I am also mindful of those on here who have not been so lucky. I am a typically glass half-full guy and will always try to see most things from a positive lens. This time last year I was unaware of what Prostate Cancer was, fast forward 1 year, been diagnosed with PC and had prostate surgery. I have spoken to friends who are consultants in the field of medicine, one thing they all agree on is the impact a positive mindset has on recovery - It is unquantifiable. I like you was up and running a few days after my surgery and was at the gym within a few weeks, doing light exercises. 

I am fully dry in the daytime and it is at night my pads are wet. However, I notice if I stayed up till late (beyond 1:30am, I am fully dry. What I struggle with at the moment is the ED, however - nothing a loving wife cannot resolve. I agree, we cannot afford to sit around and wait, we have to get on with it. I lost a number of friends and acquaintances who suddenly died this year. We need to embrace life and live life to the fullest and not let anything steal our joy and happiness.  “The Only Two Certainties In Life Are Death And Taxes” - Mark Twain. 

Hi Barry

I offered no criticism of anybody and I'm unclear why you would think that I did?

If as you say, at least one poster has mistakenly assumed a medical qualification, it seems reasonable to suggest that people make disclaimers before publishing definitive statements about medication and treatment.

As to your other point, I don't take anything as given but I don't live my life waiting for the bus that may never run me over.  Of course my cancer may return in 2 weeks or 20 years but it's out of my control so all I can do is focus on grasping the chance I have been so fortunate to be given.

Everything I posted was about offering hope and optimism to people unfortunate enough to find themselves in the same position that I found myself in.  Someone else's positive outcome inspired me and I hope that my positive result helps someone else.

As for Lyn's "helpful" comments, I didn't find her comment to my post helpful at all, indeed I think it was insensitive at best.

Here here

Cheers

Bill

"I think that perhaps you should make clear that you are not medically qualified when you pronounce definitively on various treatments and medications as you seem to do regularly. You might consider preceding such prescriptive statements with a disclaimer."

Sounded like criticism to me and I can't recall anybody doing what you suggest in the 14+ years I have been a member. The person who asked the question of Lyn being medically qualified did so because he was impressed by the depth of information provided by her yet alone the hours devoted to this forum. Limitations are listed under the Terms and Conditions of joining this community which make it clear that patients should take individual advice from their own consultants so members should be aware. However, there is a lot of experience on this forum and notwithstanding the foregoing, sometimes members here have suggested an individual obtains a second opinion. (Not all Consultants are fully aware of certain treatments or are able to offer them for example, so sometimes this can prove advantageous).

We know that some men who were ostensibly considered free of cancer do suffer a recurrence, which some find more devastating than their initial diagnosis and treatment. So this is why nothing should be taken for granted. But good advice to enjoy life to the full, regardless of how you have been affected and how promising the future looks. It should never be assumed by a patient that even with a similar diagnosis and treatment he will necessarily have the same outcome as another.

Assume that you will still be having PSA follow up even though you are considered cancer free.

p

Edited by member 16 Dec 2022 at 21:05  | Reason: Not specified

Good posts ascot carpenter. I'm reminded of the black comedy Trainspotting and the line "I choose life". Obviously there are statistical chances of recurrence for all of us but you can choose to live your life with a cheeky disregard for the worst case scenarios, or you can live in constant fear of recurrence [or somewhere in between 😀]. A strong exercise program and a positive attitude are going to give you a better survival rating.

That said, thanks to Lyn, Dave, Barry and all of the experienced people here who keep a reality check on those of us who have less experience and knowledge of the intricacies of this disease.

Jules

Well on this forum we tend to see the bad news stories so our perceptions are biased. We also have the reality of statistics to guide us.

55,000 men are diagnosed each year and 15,000 men die each year. Don't worry those 15,000 were diagnosed upto 20 years ago, hardly any men die within 5 years of being diagnosed. I don't know how many of the 55,000 diagnosed are already T4 I am going to guess 10,000 as there are no symptoms of early disease and no reliable screening. 

So roughly 45,000 are treated with curable intent and we know this is abou 70% effective so 31,500 are cured each year; 13,500 the treatment fails, 5000 die of cancer and about 8,500 are not cured but die of something else.

I don't find anything upsetting about these statistics. I'm curious which group I'm in. I hope it's the 31,500. Even if I am in that group a bus will come along and run me over at some point. So I certainly intend living my life to the full until that does happen.

Working my way through the statistics above reminded me of a story: about two cardiology doctors in the USA, in the 1950s, one senior the other a trainee:

The senior doctor announced "70% of Americans will die of heart disease".

The trainee said "that is terrible we must improve our treatments".

The senior then said "Why, what would you prefer them to die of?"

So ascot carpenter, I hope you and everyone else are in the 31,500 that are cured, and no one is in the other groups. Until we die we don't know which group we were in.

Ascot, what was your post op PSA, you say negative but do you mean undetectable. My post op PSA tests were the more sensitive tests but would have been classified as the so called undetectable by many hospitals. After 33 months of so called undetectable tests, planning for salvage RT started, admittedly my histology was poor and my staging upgraded from T2 to T3a. Did your post histology staging remain at T3a. 

Did you have your biopsy between the 5.1 and 9.1 PSA tests, that rise in one month is strange.

I hope your recovery goes well and that you remain cancer free for many years to come. 

Thanks Chris 

Edited by member 17 Dec 2022 at 08:23  | Reason: Spelling

Yes, urological surgeons have a tendency to prefer surgery, because that's what they do. That's why you should ensure that you also have an appointment with an oncologist to discuss non-surgical procedures. This should happen automatically, but if it doesn't, then ask!

Best wishes,

Chris

"My MRI result was T3a and my final result was T2c following surgery."

Mine was also the same: T3a changed to T2c following surgery.

While on this issue - Does anyone has statistics on down grading and/or upgrading MRI and Biopsy following surgery?

Ascot , was your Gleason score regraded after your surgery/ histology.

Thanks Chris 

My husband was downgraded on T grade from T3a to T2, but Gleason score was upgraded from 4+3=7 to 4+5=9

He had 6 months of Hormone treatment before his op so not sure if this affected his post op histology.