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User
Posted 12 Apr 2024 at 08:54

Hopefully for the encouragement and support of those who have been newly diagnosed.

This is in my profile but to summarise : - I was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 49 , two weeks before my Mums funeral and my Dad passed 6 months later . I was working in a very busy job. I was in bits and would not have coped without the support of so many wonderful people on this site  including George H who is still going strong. I have had so many subsequent aches and pains that I have immediately attributed to PCa but luckily these proved to be from other causes. After 17 years I just wanted to say that there is hope - treatment methods have improved enormously since 2007  and on this site you will find advice , support, kindness and some of the most remarkable people . The knowledge of many people especially Lyn E is so helpful , practical and supportive. I will be forever grateful that I found this site.

Edited by member 12 Apr 2024 at 20:42  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 12 Apr 2024 at 08:54

Hopefully for the encouragement and support of those who have been newly diagnosed.

This is in my profile but to summarise : - I was diagnosed in 2007 at the age of 49 , two weeks before my Mums funeral and my Dad passed 6 months later . I was working in a very busy job. I was in bits and would not have coped without the support of so many wonderful people on this site  including George H who is still going strong. I have had so many subsequent aches and pains that I have immediately attributed to PCa but luckily these proved to be from other causes. After 17 years I just wanted to say that there is hope - treatment methods have improved enormously since 2007  and on this site you will find advice , support, kindness and some of the most remarkable people . The knowledge of many people especially Lyn E is so helpful , practical and supportive. I will be forever grateful that I found this site.

Edited by member 12 Apr 2024 at 20:42  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 12 Apr 2024 at 16:04

That is great to hear. I'm six years on and all going well. It's always good to see posts which balance out the less fortunate ones. For the majority of people this disease is very curable.

Dave

User
Posted 12 Apr 2024 at 23:16
Always great to see you pop in Peter - Denden posted a couple of weeks ago as well and is in touch with Murf so lotsw of the old crowd still around to tell stories of how they survived cancer and Covid!
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 15 Apr 2024 at 09:09

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
 I'm super anxious about my 6-month follow-up visit with my urologist that's coming up this week on Apr 18.

Hello again mate.

It's good that you're keeping an eye on your PSA levels, but your anxiety regarding prostate cancer is palpable. We've discussed it in other conversations.

I'm not medically trained but It seems that your unaturally high concern regarding contracting the disease, could be a psychological  problem.

I would hate to see you spending years worrying about something that may never happen.

 

User
Posted 13 Apr 2024 at 04:04

Looking good for you Peter but one can never be certain that with PCa that it will never show again even years later. But there are more 'further down the road' treatments' now available and treatments, made more effective by improved scans. Like you I was diagnosed in 2007 and had my RT in 2008. but only after two subsequent salvage treatments with HIFU and a low stable PSA and clear MRI's, have I been told I am in 'Remission' and view this with cautious optimism. I am now on twice yearly PSA checks and annual MRI. Good and timely treatment certainly helps but above all you need to be lucky.

Edited by member 13 Apr 2024 at 12:46  | Reason: Spelling and wrong word

Barry
User
Posted 13 Apr 2024 at 21:53

A very similar diagnosis to me Derek and you have had “ state of the art “ treatment compared to me  - I am certain that you will be as fortunate as me and be dancing on the tables in decades to come !! All very best wishes

Pete

User
Posted 14 Apr 2024 at 16:53

Hello Omar ,

I was told leading up to my diagnosis that I was “ too young “ for PCa so I wasn’t offered a PSA test . The first I knew was that my PSA was 6.9 and this was after pleading for a test when I thought something was wrong . My scans then showed that my tumour had pushed through the prostate capsule and graded T3 so a prostatectomy was out of the question.

Your figures look absolutely fine to me - PSA will naturally fluctuate . Your figures are low , way below any worrying threshold. Why are you getting tested so regularly ?
In my view you have nothing to worry about.

All best wishes Omar

Pete

User
Posted 14 Apr 2024 at 21:13
Don't forget PSA will naturally increase as time goes by. Of course it's different if you have treatment but for those who have not been treated normal range does change as men age.
Barry
User
Posted 15 Apr 2024 at 07:11

Everything will be well Omar.

Let me know how you get on.

All best wishes

Pete.

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User
Posted 12 Apr 2024 at 16:04

That is great to hear. I'm six years on and all going well. It's always good to see posts which balance out the less fortunate ones. For the majority of people this disease is very curable.

Dave

User
Posted 12 Apr 2024 at 17:16

All very best wishes to you Dave.

User
Posted 12 Apr 2024 at 23:16
Always great to see you pop in Peter - Denden posted a couple of weeks ago as well and is in touch with Murf so lotsw of the old crowd still around to tell stories of how they survived cancer and Covid!
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 13 Apr 2024 at 04:04

Looking good for you Peter but one can never be certain that with PCa that it will never show again even years later. But there are more 'further down the road' treatments' now available and treatments, made more effective by improved scans. Like you I was diagnosed in 2007 and had my RT in 2008. but only after two subsequent salvage treatments with HIFU and a low stable PSA and clear MRI's, have I been told I am in 'Remission' and view this with cautious optimism. I am now on twice yearly PSA checks and annual MRI. Good and timely treatment certainly helps but above all you need to be lucky.

Edited by member 13 Apr 2024 at 12:46  | Reason: Spelling and wrong word

Barry
User
Posted 13 Apr 2024 at 07:12

Very true Barry and continued good luck and all best wishes to you.

Pete

User
Posted 13 Apr 2024 at 14:44

Great to hear from you Pete and I love hearing good news stories. I hope I am still here in 17 years to report back here.

Derek

User
Posted 13 Apr 2024 at 21:53

A very similar diagnosis to me Derek and you have had “ state of the art “ treatment compared to me  - I am certain that you will be as fortunate as me and be dancing on the tables in decades to come !! All very best wishes

Pete

User
Posted 14 Apr 2024 at 07:07

Hi Peter,

I'm 49 years old today. My PSA has been fluctuating recently:

Aug 2022: total PSA = 0.75, DRE = 30g prostate, smooth with no nodules. 

Aug 2023: total PSA = 1.53, DRE = 40g prostate, smooth with no nodules.

Oct 2023: total PSA = 1.12, free PSA ratio = 33% - after taking antibiotics for 4-weeks.

Feb 2024: total PSA = 1.54

Mar 2024: total PSA = 1.32, free PSA ratio = 25%

Apr 2024: total PSA = 1.36, free PSA ratio = 28%

 

Did your PSA fluctuate like mine 17-years ago before getting diagnosed with prostate cancer?

Also, was your prostate size large at time of diagnosis?

Thanks,

Omar

Edited by member 14 Apr 2024 at 07:09  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 14 Apr 2024 at 16:53

Hello Omar ,

I was told leading up to my diagnosis that I was “ too young “ for PCa so I wasn’t offered a PSA test . The first I knew was that my PSA was 6.9 and this was after pleading for a test when I thought something was wrong . My scans then showed that my tumour had pushed through the prostate capsule and graded T3 so a prostatectomy was out of the question.

Your figures look absolutely fine to me - PSA will naturally fluctuate . Your figures are low , way below any worrying threshold. Why are you getting tested so regularly ?
In my view you have nothing to worry about.

All best wishes Omar

Pete

User
Posted 14 Apr 2024 at 21:00

Hello Pete,

Thank you for your reassuring words, because I'm super anxious about my 6-month follow-up visit with my urologist that's coming up this week on Apr 18.

I've been doing annual PSA checks since the age of 41, and my PSA has been increasing "slowly" from 0.54 (2016) to 0.75 (2022). My troubles started after my PSA check in 2023, when PSA had picked-up speed and jumped to 1.53 over 12-month window; ie, August 2022- August 2023.

Urologist suspected prostatitis, put me on antibiotics for 4-weeks, and rechecked PSA, this time it went down from 1.53 to 1.12 but never returned to baseline 0.75. So he asked me to see him again after 6-months, and during that time period I've been going to the lab (based on my own request, not the doctor's) to test my PSA, which are the numbers I had shown earlier:

Feb 2024: bounced back to 1.54 

Mar 2024: dropped slightly on its own to 1.32

Apr 2024: rose slightly to 1.36

I'm guessing he'll do another DRE this week and he'll go over my PSA numbers since my last visit in October 2023, and hear what he has to say.

Again, your reassuring words came at the most anxious time for me, thank you for sharing your experience and view on my situation.

Later,

Omar

User
Posted 14 Apr 2024 at 21:13
Don't forget PSA will naturally increase as time goes by. Of course it's different if you have treatment but for those who have not been treated normal range does change as men age.
Barry
User
Posted 15 Apr 2024 at 07:11

Everything will be well Omar.

Let me know how you get on.

All best wishes

Pete.

User
Posted 15 Apr 2024 at 09:09

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
 I'm super anxious about my 6-month follow-up visit with my urologist that's coming up this week on Apr 18.

Hello again mate.

It's good that you're keeping an eye on your PSA levels, but your anxiety regarding prostate cancer is palpable. We've discussed it in other conversations.

I'm not medically trained but It seems that your unaturally high concern regarding contracting the disease, could be a psychological  problem.

I would hate to see you spending years worrying about something that may never happen.

 

 
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