Prostate Cancer Survivors

 

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Re: Newly Diagnosed with prostate Cancer

G’day Paul and welcome to the club you never wanted to join. As Sir Ed said in his post, you need to gather a deal more information before making any decision, but here are some comments on what you have posted so far:

1. You say My urologist suggested that I have it surgically removed. No ifs ands and buts. That is a prime indicator that you probably need a new urologist rather than immediate surgery. It may be difficult for you in a community like Nova Scotia where there may be less choice, but nevertheless you should consider finding a doctor who is up to date with the latest studies and what all your options are.

2. You say My latest PSA was 4.2 but of late has been up and down … If a PSA level is fluctuating there is a far greater likelihood that it is NOT from prostate cancer but from some other cause – read PSA 101 for some basic information upon which to build.

3. You say Had 12 samples taken in biopsy and and not sure how many were positive and negative. The biopsy result is the key data which is used at present to guide the decision making process. The number of positive samples may give some idea of how large the tumour may be; the Gleason Score gives an indication of aggressiveness. A Gleason Score of 3+3=6 is the entry level for a diagnosis and about 90% of all diagnoses in the USA at present are Gleason 6 or Gleason 7a (3+4). Now those numbers won’t mean a darn thing to you, so go along to GLEASON SCORES . Be sure to get a second opinion from an expert on the biopsy results – see RECOGNISED EXPERT PATHOLOGISTS for some suggestions.

4. You ask

Would you accept my urologist's recommendation NO I would not.

or would you do further work and get another opinion? YES I most certainly would – as I have said so often, dealing with prostate cancer is more of a marathon than a sprint.

Hope this helps some – if you haven’t done so already, can I suggest you work your way through the site starting at DON’T PANIC – I'm not suggesting you are, but many of did panic a bit when we got the news!! At the end of that initial journey you’ll know a deal more about prostate cancer and will be in a better position to ask relevant questions of your new (and hopefully better) doctor.

Good luck
Terry in Australia

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