61 years. Recent diagnosis of grade group 4 prostate cancer.

User

Posted 08 Oct 2025 at 00:03

I live in Ireland, so timelines may differ from NHS

Brief History

08 March 2025 … routine PSA test with GP … elevated PSA level 6.8 (doubled in 3 yrs) .... no symptoms

15 May 2025 … PSA of 7.0 … DRE revealed a firm left side of the prostate

19 June 2025 … MRI scan indicated "multifocal abnormal areas classified as PlRADS 4 lesions".

27 July 2025 … underwent 14 transrectal ultrasound-guided biopsies (TRUS)

04 Sept

results for 12 cores were benign but for 2 cores the results were:

- Core A: Gleason 3 + 3 = 6, prostate cancer in 5% of cells,

- Core B: Gleason 4 + 4 = 8, grade group 4 prostate cancer in 5% of cells

Oct 7

I have transferred my treatment from the public health system in Ireland to a private hospital in Belfast in Northern Ireland as it nearer to my home and I have private health insurance.

Now awaiting a PSMA PET-CT scan on 22 Oct.

Meeting oncologist on 4 Nov.

My worry is that due to the slow pace of my progress through the so-called “Rapid Access Prostate Clinic” in Ireland and the transfer of my notes to the private hospital, I may have lost valuable time and the cancer may have spread. I now have another 4 weeks to wait until my consultant gives me the results of the PET Scan and we discuss treatment options. Given my biopsy results, can anyone provide reassurance or should I be worried?

Brachytherapy, external beam radiotherapy and radical prostatectomy have all been discussed with my previous consultant. I am not keen on surgery.

User

Posted 04 Nov 2025 at 23:08

That's really positive news. Hope RT goes well for you.

User

Posted 04 Nov 2025 at 23:22

Brilliant news and great that you have some direction now rather than the waiting around that tests bring.

You an look forward to a more positive outcome now and I hope everything goes well for you.

Mick.

User

Posted 07 Nov 2025 at 09:57

Hi Liam

Great to see you have a solid treatment plan and wishing you all the best.

A question if I may? What made you decide on RT rather than RP (surgery). I may well be looking at that choice sometime soon and have not made a definite decision on which.

Cheers

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User

Posted 08 Oct 2025 at 07:47

Hello Liam,

I'm sorry that you've had to join 'the club', but welcome to the forum.

Prostate cancer is generally slow growing, the small delay in swapping hospitals, is very unlikely to cause a difference in your treatment or outcomes.

I was finally diagnosed Gleason 9 (4+5) and T3a capsular breach. I ended up waiting almost five months, but it didn't cause any problems. I was told there were often very long delays during Covid and that they very rarely affected outcomes. Try not to worry mate.

Here's an excellent video on all treatment options and possible side effects of each. It's London based but the information in it applies throughout the UK.

https://youtu.be/zYTU94-8pTc?si=1Z29_l8rbTwF6DHl

Please keep us updated and good luck mate.👍

User

Posted 08 Oct 2025 at 09:54

Ah cheers Adrian and thanks for the quick reply and reassurance.

I watched that video last night and from what I saw, it appears that my choice will be a straight choice between surgery (if contained) or external beam RT. My Gleason score of 8 seems to rule out brachytherapy.

User

Posted 09 Oct 2025 at 16:35

Hello Liam.

I am also sorry to have you here, but perhaps is the best place to share your burden.

You did not mention T staging that also determines the treatment options.

Good luck.

User

Posted 09 Oct 2025 at 17:54

Hi Fred,

Thanks for your welcome. I don't have that information to hand unfortunately. It isn't in any of the reports that I have.

Cheers,

Liam

User

Posted 09 Oct 2025 at 19:59

Hi Liam,

I only want to echo the others, sorry you are here but I hope you will find the same support and comfort I do just from reading these threads and seeing the warm connections. We were overwhelmed with the initial diagnosis and hadn't found this wonderful website that we didn't know what treatments would be offered. We sought a second opinion and were relieved that recommendation was the same the first doctor. That made it easier to choose the center my OH felt more comfortable with and closer to home for treatment.

User

Posted 04 Nov 2025 at 19:41

Thanks for the lovely message. I have not posted in a month as I had no updates.

I will post an update soon.

Liam

User

Posted 04 Nov 2025 at 19:54

I met my consultant today where he reviewed my recent PSMA Pet Scan. I just got the best news I could hope for. Fortunately my cancer has not spread outside the prostate, and the clinical stage is T2.

I start a 6 month course of hormone treatment in tablet form within a week. At the end of January I will have a day procedure to insert SpaceOAR gel to protect the rectum from any undue RT damage, with another MRI Scan and CT scan to determine and plan for the exact location(s) of RT with some gold markers also inserted. I will start a four week course of RT in mid-February.

It is great finally to have a clear plan of action after what seemed an eternity of waiting. I have my GP to thank for insisting on a PSA test.

User

Posted 04 Nov 2025 at 23:08

That's really positive news. Hope RT goes well for you.

User

Posted 04 Nov 2025 at 23:22

Brilliant news and great that you have some direction now rather than the waiting around that tests bring.

You an look forward to a more positive outcome now and I hope everything goes well for you.

Mick.

User

Posted 07 Nov 2025 at 09:57

Hi Liam

Great to see you have a solid treatment plan and wishing you all the best.

A question if I may? What made you decide on RT rather than RP (surgery). I may well be looking at that choice sometime soon and have not made a definite decision on which.

Cheers

User

Posted 07 Nov 2025 at 10:42

Hi Gi,

It wasnt an easy decision. The cure rate for both seemed largely similar and the consultant did not push one option over the other.

I researched the potential side effects for both options extensively and put these side by side in a word table. I then asked AI the same question in case I missed anything. The AI answers largely confirmed my own research.

My main reason for rejecting RP was that I did not want to have a catheter in for two weeks minimum and potentially 6 weeks or even longer, followed by possible incontinence and wearing pads (indefinitely).

I judged that the other side effects (of which there are many) such as ED etc would be there for both options but could potentially be somewhat reversible with HT / RT as the timeframe is just 6 months (though it will probably feel like a very long 6 months !!!).

Even after the decision, I looked at both options again as I was unsure, but on reflection I stuck with the decision as the least bad option. Only time will tell ....

Best wishes with your decision-making,

Luan

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