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Hi. Guys I'm new to this my dad is 70 an went to get normal blood work done an his prostate level was a 10.8 an his prostate was enlarge.. we went to get a biopsy done today.. we are waiting on results what dose this mean has any body had the same.. it's been hard on me just waiting very concerned I just lost my mom a year ago an just took over for my mom.. on caring for my dad..
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derek76 nicki0517
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We will asume the most likely outcome to be BPH and this Forum will be helpful on the newer treatments and avoidance of TURP.
nicki0517 derek76
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philip1950 nicki0517
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dont worry overly. My dad had prostate cancer and was treated with injections for years.( I noted this in a previous post )
Hope your dad goes on and feels well for many years.
regards
phil.
nicki0517 philip1950
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tim07875 nicki0517
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I'm also sorry for your loss. Tough times for sure. Like most of the responders to your question, I agree. I had a really large prostate. At the age of 40 I has a PSA of over 20, which scared me to death. Rounds of antibiotics took it down some. Urologist suggested a biopsy, just to be sure. While everyone will agree that the biopsy is not the final word, it's still a good indicator. I have a good physician friend, the kind of doctor that spends his time doing research, not seeing patients. After my first biopsy which came back negative, he said "Here's some advice. Get a new doctor and a new lab, and have this test done again" Guys miss things, and you want to be "sure". I had it done a second time, negative. Each time my PSA would spike, another biopsy. The bottom line is pretty clear. Enlarged prostates provide higher PSA's. Many times infections cause elevated PSA's. I try to keep up on these things, and once in awhile I read about some new test that will be doing away with the prostate biopsy. I'm unsure where that technology is today. Try to not think in a negative manner regarding dad, odd are very much in his favor that he's fine.
I'll have a good thought for your dad and hope he is fine.
nicki0517 tim07875
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tim07875 nicki0517
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nicki0517 tim07875
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alan86734 nicki0517
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We'll all celebrate with you! That is one of the unique and beautiful features of this Web site; you are not left to struggle alone, unless that is what you specifically want.
Alan
nicki0517 alan86734
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tim07875 nicki0517
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nicki0517 tim07875
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tom86211 nicki0517
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I know that this is a stressful time for you and your dad. I went through the same issues and was eventually treated for prostate cancer.
It took about two weeks for my urologist to get the results back to me. The biopsy samples were sent off to a lab. So, if you don't hear anything for a while, that's part of the procedure.
There is about a 1 in 3 chance that the biopsy will report positive for cancer. But that isn't the whole story. It is likely there were 12 cores taken. The cores will be graded. Some cores may be cancer free, and some may show some cancer. A grading of Gleason 6 with a low percentage of the core showing cancer would be very low risk. The test looks at Gleason grade, percent of the core with cancer and number of cores scoring positive.
Hopefully, all cores will come back negative, and your dad will just be suffering from an enlarged prostate.
Even if some of the cores show cancer, there are many options. In my case my urologist suggested Active Surveillance - because my cancer was very low risk. I continued to have my PSA monitored and a year and a half later had another biopsy. During this time I interviewed different doctors so that I would know what I wanted done if and when it was time for treatment.
After my second biopsy there was an incease in the cancer, so I decided to have the treatment. I decided that being treated would be a lot less stressful than worrying that the cancer was growing. I had HDR Brachytherapy. Most men just have their prostate removed with robotic surgery. I was concerned that with that procedure there would be too many undesirable side effects.
Anyway, just wait for the test results, make sure you have a great urology team, do a lot of research, and you will eventually be able to decide what to do.
My very best,
Tom
nicki0517 tom86211
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derek76 nicki0517
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You said in your original post that you care for your father. Does he have other health problems?
nealpros nicki0517
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Neal
nicki0517 derek76
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nealpros nicki0517
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Neal
nicki0517 nealpros
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nicki0517 tom86211
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tom86211 nicki0517
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Sorry that 1 core came back positive, but 1 core indicates a possible low risk situation. If the Gleason grade was a 6 that is also very low risk. Gleason 6 tumors can grow but they don't spread. Gleason 7 or higher tumors are, potentially, dangerous. I had Gleason 6 tumors and weighed not being treated, but since a biopsy is only a sample, there was always the possibility that I might have had some undetected Gleason 7 tumors, so I decided to get the radiation.
The recommendation to take the PSA every 3 or 4 months (going on Active Surveillance) is also good as it allows you to interview various doctors and decide if and when you want treatment - if at all.
There are pros and cons of every treatment option. I spent several years researching my options before deciding to move forward. Now that I have been treated psychologically I feel much better. My PSA is down to 0.3 (this is about as low as it gets after radiation) and I am no longer worrying about my cancer growing. As far as I am concerned, I am cured - a survivor.
Best scenario for your dad is to get him to a place of peace and not worry, so he can live his life and be happy.
Tom
nicki0517 tom86211
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stewarta nicki0517
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If it is a GP giving you this advice, do get a referral to a urologist. If it is a urologist, get a second opinion from another urologist. When you hear the negatives about photon beam radiation and brachytherapy you and your Dad will wonder why you had this referral with a low Gleason Score.
If the Gleason is (say) 3+5 = 8, then investigate Robot-assisted Laproscopic Prostatectomy BEFORE any talk of radiation therapy. By 2018, Proton Beam Therapy will be available in the UK (in EU now) and that might be an alternative. If the prostate is treated with radiation therapy and there are remnants such that PSA starts to rise, the alternatives are limited. If a Prostatectomy is carried out, and PSA starts to rise, it means the PCa has escaped. It still presents as prostate cancer even if there is no prostate. Then chemo and radiation therapy can be used.
Never rely on information from people like me, no matter how well-intentioned and seemingly knowledgeable. Always go back to your medicos and use this info to ask more questions.
I always tell them Dr Google informed me when I ask such questions. LOL
nicki0517 stewarta
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tom86211 nicki0517
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I want to emphasize that 1 core with Gleason 3+3 is classified as very low risk - about as low as one can get. There is an ongoing discussion in the urology community about whether Gleason 6 tumors shoud even be called cancer. After four years of study on this issue I have learned that there is widespread agreement that Gleason 6 tumors do NOT spread - metastasize. This is absolutely not the time to rush into any form of treatment. This is a time to learn and talk to urologists who perform the various procedures. All current studies indicate that there is no difference in outcome (given the low risk classification) f your dad waits - possibly for years, before deciding on some form of treatment. He may decide to have no treatment at all, depending on how the next biopsy goes and his overall level of health. Some men live happily for many years with low or very low risk tumors.
Tom
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