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Aloha angie1990,
I am sorry to hear about your brother's experience with the medical community. It is unfortunate that the resources available on this web-site were not used prior to your brothers treatment. Do you know anything about his biopsy results and any other reasons that might have influenced the doc's decisions about using surgery? There are other reasons for enlarged prostate and the high PSA is only an indication of abnormal conditions, not necessarlly cancer.
If you have access to your brother's doc, start asking questions and don't stop until you understand what is happening.
Wish you the best,
Joe
Sorry to hear about your brother. I must be honest and tell you straight up that he has some significant problems.
The best pointer to prostate cancer aggressiveness - and survival - is really what is termed the GLEASON GRADES AND SCORES . A score of 9 or 10 – the highest – is generally speaking very bad news. You do not give your brother’s Gleason Score (probably because you do not know it) but it is likely that it was high, given the information you have provided.
You say that the disease had “already spread” but it is not clear just how far it had spread or what evidence there was for this. The definition of the various STAGES show how this is usually defined. It seems likely that there may have been evidence of distant metastases (spread) making the stage T4 – perhaps in the bones – and that the surgery and hormone therapy usually referred to as ADT (Androgen Deprivation Therapy) was to do what is usually termed de-bulking of the tumour – i.e. reducing the main tumour in size with the aim of slowing it down. If the disease had only spread marginally outside of the gland the staging would have been T3 and EBRT (External Beam Radiation Therapy) would likely have been ordered.
After surgery, the PSA level should be undetectable if all of the cancer has been removed. The fact that it is not zero or close to zero shows, regrettably that the disease has likely spread and will be much more difficult to manage. This does not mean that he will pass on in a very short time –men have lived for many years with these bad dianoses, but it will be difficult for him.
Can I suggest that you find out as much detail as you can about his disease and come back with any questions based on that. Perhaps if you read my booklet A STRANGE PLACE you will get an understanding of the disease. It may help you to read The Elephant In The Room too.
As far as your question He is a very heavy smoker and also diabetic and has clesterol issues, does any of this matter? The simple answer is probably not. These conditions may make management of the prostate cancer more difficult, but there is no good evidence that I am aware of.
Apart from the undeniable scientific facts that Terry pointed out, I feel that I must share the following.
I have smoked 20 -30 cigarettes a day since I was 20 years old. I certainly do not think that it was a contributary factor in developing PCa. Nor did any of the specialists ever tell me to stop smoking to aid in my treatment of PCa.
Of course not smoking is the healthier option all round, but I am 55 now and it makes no difference to me whether I die from PCa or a smoking related disease.
After all;
"Its Not The Cough That Carries You Off, Its The Coffin They Carry You off in".
