Decisions Decisions Prostate treatment
Posted , 6 users are following.
Hi everyone. I'm 52 years old and got diagnosed 2 and 1/2 years ago following psa of 5.7 up to 7 2 weeks later, then down between 1 and 2 for the past two years until 3.2 and 3.3 (a week ago)
Biopsy at the beginning found 1 core out of 12 and a second biopsy found 0 out of 12.
I don't have any symptoms but was sent for an MRI 3 weeks ago which showed the same small bit contained within the Prostate but now they are recommending treatment?
Any advice please? what did you do? do you regret it? what informed your decision?
TVM
1 like, 40 replies
supercargo Sailor_Sam
Posted
My history.
Suspect my PC started in 2005 when I spent 5 days in a hospital in Russia with chronic proststitis. PSA 12.42
On leaving hospital and returning home, had a PSA of 4.0 - and monitoring every 6 months.
October 2012 PSA 6.5, had DRE and Biopsy. Biopsy showed no cancer.
Feb 2013 PSA 7
July 2013 2nd saturation TRUS Biopsy which showed 9 from 12 cancerous, Gleeson 7
July 2013 MRI and CT scans. Found staging T3b. Cancer in prostate and spread to contractile vacual. Surgeon suggested HT and RT. Thinking being that if I opted for RP, and something was missed - I would require follow up RT anyway.
After 2nd Biopsy, suffered a month of pain passing urine. Various anti biotics administered to clear infection - Ofloxacin, Cefalexin, and Trimethoprim.
Aug 2013 Started HT - Bicalutamide tabs.
Sep 2013 Started Zoladex injections.
Jan to March 2014 Had 37 RT treatments.
March 2014, due getting up to pee all night, put on Tamsulosin for a month.
April 2014 PSA Zero
Complete 2 years of Zoladex this Friday.
All going ok.
I went for RT instead of RP as less side and after effects.
When on HT you get night sweats and loss of libido.
Hope this helps.
Sailor_Sam supercargo
Posted
thanks for your experience and glad to hear you're ok. What's bugging me I suppose is when people talk of being able to have "two bites of the cherry" if you have a RP. I would be so hacked off if I had RT and then it came back and they couldn't do anything else.
thanks once again
Kombi_Cruiser supercargo
Posted
It looks like we've walked some very similar paths at times...
norma72045 Sailor_Sam
Posted
I can only tell you my hubby's experience of this awful problem.
He started with a 10.5 PSA and he couldn't pee,when he got to see a oncologist,he put him on Tamsulin,and sent him for an MRI and a biopsy,the MRI came back clear,but the biopsies were 3 out of 12cores as to which he informed us he had a gleeson score of 7 and it was contained in the Postrate,he was offered Hormone therapy with Radiotherapy or the Op.
Right now he's a very fit 73yr old walks every day never had any illness in his life.After really looking into every avenue,he decided on the Hormone therapy with the Radiotherapy. He's had two 3mth injections of which his only side effect has been the odd hot flush,certainly none at night.
Hes on his 19 out of 37 Radiotherapy sessions and so far no problem at all,maybe a little tired but I put that down to driving every day to and from Hostpital . He still walked every day,and he drinks more water but on the whole he's doing great. His eating is fine he's lost no weight .
Thats just my hubbies experience were all made differently so my advice to you would be trawl the web talk to GPs,Oncologists,ect ect and learn all you can before making a decision that suits you and you alone.
Good Luck
Sailor_Sam norma72045
Posted
So many people seem to have had the Op but it comes back anyway or am I misreading the situation?
supercargo norma72045
Posted
I completed the 37 sessions, as you say, the daily trip to the hospital can be tiresome.
Only reaction I have had after 18 months is Radiation proctopathy.
supercargo Sailor_Sam
Posted
As Norma says, learn all you can before making the very personal decision. Prostatecanceruk also very good for advice and opinions.
norma72045 Sailor_Sam
Posted
What I never said was ,when he had the biopsies he caught Septacemia and he was really ill. But we see that now as just a blip.
Positivety is the key. Go onto the Macmillan forum you get lots of information there,and if there's a question you want to ask you can ring them they are brilliant.
norma72045 supercargo
Posted
Sailor_Sam supercargo
Posted
Kombi_Cruiser Sailor_Sam
Posted
My only advice to you is to do everything that is going to give you the best quality of life...Your Prostate Cancer is as individual as you and all your treatments etc will have different outcomes and results...From what you posted it seems that you are in the good end of the spectrum...What types of treatments have been suggested...???
Sailor_Sam Kombi_Cruiser
Posted
I actually see the Consultant on Wednesday but the the Oncology nurse is suggeting 7 weeks of radio therapy which at this particular moment in time I'm favouring over surgery.
It's just that the nurse said you only get "one bite at the cherry" with Radio Therapy which is nagging me.
I also have this daft idea in my mind that they are advising treatment too early but then I say to myself they must know what they are doing?
On the plus side I've convinced Mrs Sailor Sam to get a few in the bank just in case if you know what I mean. Every Cloud.......
supercargo Sailor_Sam
Posted
No doubt the Oncology nurse has told you of all the plus and minus points for both routes.
On prostatecanceruk site, go to Register / Online Community / Our publications / Toolkits.
Sailor_Sam supercargo
Posted
norma72045 Sailor_Sam
Posted
I hate to tell you this but me and my Husband have had that many mistakes made with our health,that I now believe ,it's your body your health do your research and make your own decision .
Its all up to you no they don't always know what there doing.
My hubbies oncologist gave him the options,and when I asked him what he would do he said that's your decision.and I think he was right,when we went back and told him our decision he just said " I think you've made the right decision ". Just do your research. Good luck let us know how you get on.
Sailor_Sam norma72045
Posted