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Ok... his gleason score was 9 after the results of 14 tumors removed from the immediate area. The surgery was the only choice at a chance of saving his life.
This was as radical prostectomy possible,all of the nerves were removed, he has regained some use of his bladder.I have been present for all of the appointments and the surgery and still do not understand why we are doing all of these treatments if he is just going to die. The surgeon has made it very clear that it is a very aggressive cancer that has spread preop to the lymphatic system and to the bone.He still believes he may live 5 to 10 more years, is this even possible?
We are all going to die. That, apart from taxes is the only certainty. What we can sometimes do is change the manner and time of our deaths.
There is no agreement in the medical world about the 'best' treatment for prostate cancer, but as a general rule, surgeons believe in surgery: radiologosts believe in radiation and oncologists, because they usually only see men with advanced disease, specilise in hormone therapy. But there is no one 'right' answer, merely a multiplicty of options.
So, in your brother's case, the decision seems to have been made that immediate surgery would debulk the tumour and remove the main source of the metastases. There is precedent for this and some studies that indicate that men with a diagnosis similar to your brother's and who have surgery will live longer than men who do not have the surgery.
You say He still believes he may live 5 to 10 more years, is this even possible? Yes it is possible, although it may be a long shot. If you go to TREATMENT EXPERIENCES and click on the relevant links - such as Gleason Score 8 or over - you will see some exampls of men who have lived for many years with high Gleason Scores. Some have passed on early too - he has a dangerous form of the disease. But there are simply no definitive rules and his other health problems, depending on their severity, may carry him off before the prostate cancer gets him.
Hope this helps some. If you post again - which you are welcome to do - I may not answer so swiftly. It is Sunday morning here and our darling granddaughters are coming over for the day, so they'll occupy my time. So I won't be ignoring you - and will get back to you asp once they've gone on their way.
Angie,
Although a will to live doesn't always make a big difference not caring if you die can certainly kill you faster. The first things your brother can do is stop smoking, eat a heart/prostate healthy diet and exercise. If the doctor thinks he can live 5 to 10 then he probably can but he will have to go through hormone treatment (which can cause weight gain and deppresion at times) and then on to a few other drugs when the hormone treatment fails. By that time there should be at least five more drugs to try so he may never die from prostate cancer. He would be extemely unlucky to die in less than 3 years but with cancer anything is possible. He will be a lot happier patient if learns as much as he can about his treatment options and he should join a support group.
I totaly agree with Terry. Yes he may very well live another 5-10 years.
Granted, medicine is not an exact science and different people react differenty to the same treatment.
I too was diagnosed (at age 45)with an agressive type of PCa which had spread to the lymphnodes pre-op.
After a radical prostatectomy, I too had incontinence problems. But with some help I overcame most of them.
After Casodex, radiotherapy, watchful waiting and now Zoladex, (because of bone metastasis)I still lead an active and happy life 10 years down the road.
So, although PCa will never go away and there is no guarantee, there is a good chance that your brother will have another few years (or more) of living a happy and active life.
