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Background:
Diagnosed at age 56 with psa 23 and gleason 9
IMRT and Zoladex (Lupron) 2 years.
Psa down to undetectable- after that steadily rising for the last 3 years.
TURP due to complete urine blockage 6 months ago. Biopsy showed all Gleason 9
material.
Last PSA: 32, doubling time- 4 months.
probable treatment: Firmagon, if I can get my health fund to cover it...
Question:
About 3 months ago I noticed a hard lymph node in my groin, about the size of a small marble. Not painful or swollen, no sign of infection on the leg below it.
Since then it has enlarged a little, and then found another one less than an
inch away. After that- also 2 others, parallel on the other side, and now
several smaller, barely felt.
2 weeks ago I had a full body CT- the radiologist found a growth blocking the
urethra from one of my kidneys, as well as suspected bone mets in the pelvis.
But, he writes that all the lymph nodes, including the inguinal, are normal. Is this possible?
Take a look at my story and you will see that to have completely clear lymph nodes is indeed possible in a Gleason 9 case. This was seen to be so in my case when they were removed (actually that is the only way of knowing for sure that they are clear - scans won't tell you about micromets). What the lumps are in your case if not the lymph nodes, I do not know, but possibly the blockage in the ureter may have led to some infection? It is s good sign that they seem to be clear of PCa, but only a biopsy will show that for sure.
If I were to hazard a guess, I fear you may be an example like me, where radiation has produced an undesired reaction. I hope very much that you don't have bladder cancer like me, but if you do, it can be treated - even in the ureters - and there is life after BC just as there is after PCa and it can be a very good and long one.
Thanks for writing.
Just read over your posts, and see that there are many possibilities out there, some of them not encouraging...
Had ultrasound and then a TURP 6 months ago after total blockage of urine. The surgeon said that the bladder was a mess- all convoluted pockets and he couldn't even locate the ends of the tubes from the kidneys. Not encouraging...
Good to read that you have succeeded in overcoming the various procedures and treatments, and in good spirits! Hope that I can deal with what may be coming...
Good health!
Eitan,
I had a friend with a similar prostate cancer situation, of PSA and gleason. At some point after several years of Lupron he got a swelling in one of his feet that he could not account for. My sense at the time was that the cancer was doing some lymph blockage. Gist being, if there is no swelling in your feet then perhaps the lymph nodes are fine. This is just my layman's take on it.
