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Pete,
With such a low PSA and low Gleason some prostate cancer centers would strongly recomend active surveillance. Active surveillance generally just means getting your PSA checked quarterly and a biopsy annually. Your cancer center can set the threshold for the PSA and Gleason.
I would not get a prostatectomy. As Joe says they do call this prostate cancer but you just barely make it into our "Club". There will be better treatments in five to ten years when you might need them.
Why did you end up getting a biopsy in the first place? Your PSA shouldn't have triggered your doctor to ask for one.
Thank you as well. Let get your opinion here and get real honest. For well over ten years i had a serious issue with drugs and alcohol and let's just say that receiving my self sexually just was not happening nearly ever. I am not being dramatic here guys my body was so depleted that i barley ever got n erection( sorry for being so blunt). Now that i have been sober etc for over two years lets just say that for the most part my body has responded in a pleasant manner.
Could the result of my increased sex drive and activity and increase perhaps in testosterone have anything to do with the respond that are showing up on my psa and my biopsy results? By the way the Urologist said that my prostate was of normal size and without any nodules?
Sorry if I am being to open but his suggestion to have such a procedure is a bit shocking.
My UR has recommended removal of the prostate and has given me info on the Radical Prostatectomy which has really freaked me out with the side effects. Are they kidding me. How brutal is that is has a very high likely hood of permanent side effects like impotence and bladder and other issues. What about alternative treatments?
I'M 51 diagnosed 12/28 after a couple weeks of tests. had all the info i needed to know it wasnt going to get any better, so I just decided to get it done with the davici robot. glad i did it and all you will do is worry about it if you don't take it out.
I told my wife today that I have every confidence in getting all functions back and I read the same info you probably did.
7/12 seems like a lot i had 3/17 with apsa of 4.12 gleason 7.
in and out the next day and three days later i feel pretty good all things considered.
i just wanted to put it behind me and get on with something I would have had to do in a few years anyway..
Wow you guys are really helpful. Just getting some perspective from your experiences helps me to remain somewhat more optimistic. Wow 51 and you have the robotic surgery. I will have to speak with my Dr about that option. Some of the info concern radical surgery really shook me up yesterday. I read where recovery takes up to 6 months.
This radical prostatectomy and the possibility of removing so much of the plumbing if necessary (not to mention blood loss) seems barbaric to say the least.
My UR has given me a book called 100 Questions and Answers About Prostate Cancer. I will begin to read it between classes tomorrow.
Aloha Pete,
No problem being frank, it is the only way to make clear what is going on. The alternative treatments MAY have their own side affects/problems which MAY or MAY NOT be as bad or worse than removal of the prostate. Once treatment is started, things happen. Active Watching, is considered by many to be an acceptable non-treatment.
You should read all you can on this and other web-sites. I would strongly recommend that you get a second lab pathologist opinion of your core samples before doing anything. There is a small percent of men that after removal of the prostate, cancer was not found. GET THAT SECOND OPINION/ANALYSIS.
READ ... READ ... READ ...
Joe
Hi Joe - According to my UR & out of 12 cores were cancerous. With a Gleason of 6 (Gleason meaning the look of the cancer cells i think). My UR has given me a book called 100 Questions and Answers about Prostate Cancer. I will begin reading it tomorrow or perhaps tonight. Thanks again for your support.
What you have experienced is what we all went through. We knew nothing about this disease except that we were going to die because we had Cancer. Well........ maybe, maybe not.
Prostate cancer is a peculiar and complex disease. Some variants – about 24 have been identified – are very dangerous and will almost certainly kill you. You don’t have one of those, on the data you have given us so far. At the other end of the scale are the so-called indolent forms of the disease that will never kill anyone – the men with that diagnosis will all most likely die from something else. (You know were all going to die some time, right?)
So…the most important thing you can do is to read and study and establish how close you are to the Very Low Risk disease or if you are in a Medium Risk. Men with Very Low Risk may consider not having treatment immediately and leave their option open. They keep a close watch on their markers and move to therapy if they feel that there are signs of the disease advancing – that is called (AS) Active Surveillance.
In your case the plusses for you are that your PSA and Gleason Score are very low. I suggest you read PSA 101 and GLEASON Then read A STRANGE PLACE a booklet I wrote specifically for newly diagnosed men. If it is difficult for you to read on site or to download mail me at terryherbert42@gmail.com and I’ll mail you a hard copy – usually takes about ten days from here.
After reading those three items you’ll have some basic information, you should have calmed down a bit and you’ll be able to start thinking rationally again and decided what is best for YOU. That may be surgery, it may be one of the thirteen or so recognised options, but the main thing is that you will be making an informed decision and will not be listening merely to the urologist who, let’s face it and be blunt, does have a financial interest in your decision.
Keep asking questions as you go – and post your story on the site.
Good luck - believe me it gets easier after 14 years!! I come up for my big fifteen and a shift to Platinum status in August this year.
I have an event to attend to at 2pm here in NY but will do my best to become informed. I will be scheduling a ct scan and a MRI for bone for this week to see what may or may not be going on.
One would like to think that my Urologist wants the most appropriate treatment for me. I will will read what you have on this site plus the book the UR gave me. An do my best to simply get a grip and accept this situation for what it is which is only one aspect of my life. I just began this week my second semester as a college freshman and need to focus on my school work. Perhaps that is a tad unrealistic at this time and I should put this current term on hold.
With your PSA and Gleason score it's important to realize that there is absolutely reason to rush into a decision. In addition, I'm surprise you doctor ordered a bone scan since there's almost zero chance that anything will show up (other than any old injuries, arthritis etc.
I had a PSA of 6.1 and Gleason score of 7 and a similar number of positive scores. When I got a second opinion I asked the Dr. if he was concerned that I was waiting until April to get surgery and his answer was "April of what year?".
Take the time you need to absorb the news, learn about your options, and make an informed decision about when to get treatment.
Regards, David
http://www.yananow.org/Mentors/DavidW2.htm
Hi Pete
we have very similar stats, I was diagnosed on 21/1/2011, I will be 50 in March, my PSA level 5.6 gleason 6, all cores positive, on the right side base 80% mid 40% apex 35%, left base 5%, mid 40%, apex 75%
I have the most common type of cancer adenocarcinoma.
there is no evidence from scans etc. of further spead.
I have had two opinions from uro-specialists who recommend surgery. For me, they said I have a significant volume of cancer and other treatments not an option. I have no insurance cover which in Australia means I can have open surgery in a local Public hospital, for free or pay for Robotic assistance (Da vinci) surgery in a private hospital.
I have researched and have seen a guy in Sydney who has done over 500 RALP's since 2007 he also advocates Active Survielance, but not for me. I am leaning towards (ralp) with all the benefits it offers, hang the expence. what I do like is that surgery will give me a definitative staging, which given I intend to be around for many years to come, is an important factor.It is easier to treat if local rather than advanced.
Good Luck, if you would like to look up the Doc on you tube his name is Dr Raji Kooner, he has various clips showing procedures, etc.
Hi Steve - thanks for all the info. You seem as if you are very practical and optimistic abut your situation. The little I know about the available options has made me a bit concerned. I Really would prefer not to be splayed wide open. This Divinci procedure of course is performed here in NYC.
Do all types of surgery have the same ongoing side effects such as bladder control etc? What about long term ongoing pain issues where pain medication may be required on a long term basis? I am in a 12 step recovery and relapsing on pain meds after surgery is not something I would like to find myself facing, again.
I highly recommend you pick up a copy of Patrick Walsh's book "How to Survive Prostate Cancer". It provides an excellent understanding of your condition and the different methods of treatment.
PSA is only one indicator and the fact that your PSA is only a 2.6 does not mean that you do not have a cancer worthy of your attention.
I am 41 with a PSA of 4.1 and having an open prostatectomy on 2/14. I decided that I wanted the cancer out of me as soon as possible. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life having to wait for my PSA to rise. Surgery has much better results with fewer side effects when the cancer is self contained and when you are younger and in better health.
While my decision may not be the right one for everybody, I am at peace with it.
Good luck. You have caught this early. Take your time and understand your options. You are in a very good position to deal with it in a manner that suits you.
Pete:
You would have little to gain by dropping out of school at this point. Continue your Pca research.The more you learn the better questions you can ask of the experts you encounter along the way, and the more likely you will be to make a good decision for yourself and your circumstances. As a part of your research effort you may find my journal helpful; see http://protondon.blogspot.com/
Regards Don O.
