Just found out I have prostate cancer

Its a difficult time! I don't get why people don't listen to their Doc! What's vgood for one is not always good for another. For me unlike the EU It's better OUT than IN, because the day we leave the EU will be a move we may regret in times of unvertainty!

Think before you put the tick! I digress. Its a DIFFICULT discussion who is best to decide for me always the doctor, If you believe you trust him, look in his eyes you can see!

I had 3+3 No invasion. Had nerve sparing surgery and 14 months on I am a fine 65 yrs with a very very minor dribble if I do the wwrong exercise, and the main thing I don't think of it because it's GONE! JUST a check up evey three months like a guardian angel looking over! And if something did come back later At least I can be treated!!! Some options don't allow this. It's got tp be better OUT than IN, says an american professor to many people are gambling with treatment when surgery is the best option, and yes I do know the NHS disagreed with the report but you have to scour the earth to find a hospital that has not got problems!!! I went to Germany for my op! 4 door sprung tech really works even if the data is a bit suspect!

All you need is a Steady hand.

GOOD LUCK and think if its contained in the pod slip it out.

Bye

Hook,

Some men feel very much like Whiteplume and do not have the mindset for active Surveillance (AS) and treat their PC.  Others with a diagnosis such as yours are comfortable with Watchful Waiting. Some, such as myself, really do not have the option of AS and must get treatment -- then the big decision is which treatment?

I strongly suggest that you get an additional opinion (or two....or three). There is absolutely no need to be hasty in making a decision.  The slow progression of PC is a blessing in that it gives you time to take in as much information as you can before chosing what to do .... or not to do.

It sounds like Whiteplume has minor issues with incontinence.  I had my prostate out in early December (8 of 12 cores cancerous, Gleason all but one were 6. One core was 3+4=7).  I have been fortunate and had no incontinence issues at all, but I have spoken with men who a year after surgery still have big problems with incontinence.  Two months out from surgery I have no action whatsoever on the erection front.  I have my fingers crossed that things will improve in that area given time -- it often takes up to a year to regain a suitable erection...if at all.

All men are different!  If you have your PC treated no one can say where you will fall on these two potential side effects.  

I suggest that you get your second opinion for an oncologist --  he has no "skin in the game" and has no vested interest in pushing you toward surgery, radiation or AS.  Or maybe best, meet with a team (surgeon, radiation oncologist and oncologist).

You may find that the most usefull of all is to go to an active prostate cancer support group.  Talk with men who have faced the same questions you are facing and learn from them.

Good luck, Hook.  Let us know how it all goes.

I'm comfortable with Active Surveillance - have done this since about 2005, my first raised PSA test. I'm 60.

No treatment can be a sensible, informed and actve choice.

Sorry - I feel 60 - I'm nearly 66!

 

Very good advice book, & I totally agree with you. I didn't rush out from the most radical treatment either. And I'm doing just fine

Very good advice Hook, & I totally agree with you. I didn't rush out from the most radical treatment either. And I'm doing just fine

Your situation sounds a lot like mine. I was told I had an elivated PSA level last June during my annual physical. At that time, my primary card physicion refered me to a urologist. My PSA at the time was at 5.2. My prostate was slightly enlarged which I was told is not unusual for a guy in his early 60's. The urologiest first put me on an antibiotic fo see if perhaps I might have an infection in my prostate. After a regimen of antibiotics I returned for another PSA blood draw. My PSA was at 5.1 and I thought that was good... but the urology doc said no. That was still too high. So he recommended a biopsy. I didn't know what I was in for. That was really painful. I hope I never have to have that experience again. So after the biopsy, I returned 3 days later for the results. 2 out of 12 samples indicated cancer cells. He said it was a slow growing kind, but that doesn't make it any easier to accept. My gleason score was 3+3=6 He told me that 1 of the 2 samples showed 10% abnormal cells, the other showed 2% which he said was not bad... it put me in the 'low risk' group and that I would have some time to consider options. He directed me to a website to see and compare options: http://www.pctrf.org/. He talked highly of brachytherapy and showed me some very good statistics for that procedure. He also put me on Avodart for the enlarged prostate - which he said was only average enlarged (whatever that means). So I began the Avodart... and healed from the biopsy. But after about 10 days to 2 weeks, I still felt like something wasn't right. If I sat too long (I do some computer work at home), I would feel very uncomfortable - like I was sitting on a tennis ball. Or if I walked too much, I would feel the same discomfort. I went back to see him about this thinking something was not right - and maybe something happened during the biopsy. He did an exam and told me I had prostatitis... and prescribed another regimen of antibiotics. After 10 days of taking the antibiotics, I still didn't feel any relief, so I went to my primary care doc. He checked me out, told me the prostate felt okay... and that due to the nature of the prostate, antibiotics take a long time to work - not a lot of blood supply to the prostate he said. So finally after about 4 weeks of the antibiotics - I started feeling like all was okay again. I had a followup visit with the urologist and told him I was feeling much better after the prostatitis. In researching prostatitis, I found that there is a percentage of men who get prostatitus after undergoing a biopsy.... not pleasant. I looked at various options for treatment.... oh yes, and after the prostatitis was cleared up, another PSA blood draw showed my PSA was now at 2.0. He told me the watchful waiting was an option now too. I asked want that was exactly and he told me that I would be monitored regularly - PSA blood draws and a biopsy every 6 months to a year depending on the PSA reading. Another biopsy! No way. I just thought I should deal with it now while i am healthy and younger... the longer I put it off, it could spread and I would be older and it would be harder to deal with a treatment - whatever it would be. I looked at traditional radiation; brachytherapy, and a newer treatment - cyberknife. I went to a place called The START Center and met a really nice oncolgy doctor who told me about all the treatment options. Cyberknife and the brachytherapy seemed to be the best options for me. All treatment options have side effects, I just wanted something with the least amount and best cure rate. This oncology doc reasurred me that what I had was very curable which made me feel better. It turns out that this doctor works with my urologist and they would be working together on what ever treatment I had. The cyberrknife is 5 treatments for about 45 minutes each... cons on that one are a fleet enema before each treatment, and then drinking water to make your bladder full - then holding the bladder full during the treatment. He said this is to minimize the radiation from the bladder and while it was full, it would be further away from the treatment area. Another treatment is the traditional radiation - but that is everyday for anywhere from 4 weeks to 9 weeks depending on the radiation strength they give you. The other treatment option is the brachytheray - the seed implants which my urologist feels is the best because there have been so many successes with it. He said that is important. A treatment that has been proven. So I elected do to that one. I am scheduled for the treatment in the next week. To prepare, I had to go to the oncologist's office for a 'volume study'. If that showed my prostate was a bit too large, my urologist would have to give me some kind of hormone short - which had some unpleasant side effects. I really didn't want to do that and felt like if my prostate was in fact too large, I would perhaps try another option. The volume study as sort of like the biopsy but with out cutting chunks out of your prostate. He used the same sort of tool inserted up your bottom end to make a sonogram image of your prostate for the exact dimentions. Fortunately, my prostate was in the perfect size range, so no hormone short needed. My urologist also put me on Flomax. Even though I no problem urinating, he said it is a precaution for the procedure. The prostate with swell a bit after the procedure and this will help ensure the urine stream will continue to be good. He said I will most likey go off it it in a few months. So that is my story. I am dreading this whole thing, but trying to be positive and just want it all behind me. I know from what I have read, there will be some discomfort for a while. But I am hopeful after a few weeks or months all will be okay. According to my urologist, the brachytherapy is very low dose and will reach it's pick at around 4 months. After that, the radiation will begin disapating and become less and less. By 8 months I should be back to the way I am no - symptom free. That is what is the most depressing to me at this point. I have no discomfort, no symptoms, no problem with urinating etc. So I am hopeful that after the treatment and a few months, I will in deed feel as I do now - which is good. I will try to write again after the procedure. I wish you the best of luck too. I know this is a rough one, but we can make it through. We all have to keep a positive attitude. Charles 61038

As you're probably beginning to realize -- every man's experience is different in some, or many, ways than others.

Charles biopsy experience was painful and his desire to not endure any further biopsies has led him to forgo Active Surveillance and treat his PC now.

My biopsy was NOT particularly painful.   Additional biopsies in my future would not have influenced my decision whether to treat the PC or go the AS route.

 

It has been one week since my seed implants. I am  recovering well I believe. I ventured out of the house for the first time on Monday to buy groceries. And I also drove the car and all went fine. The next day I felt really good and went out again in the car. I did several errands that needed to be done. The next day (the seventh day), I felt like I had over done things... so I took it very easy and spent most of the day resting and doing only minor chores. Today (one week and one day after brachytherapty), I am feeling pretty well. I am still a bit sore, but I can sit fairly well. I have to be careful and sit slowly. I need to pace myself so I don't over do things. It just seems like when you feel pretty good, you want to do lots of chores... I have my follow up with the urologist and the radiation oncologist in 2 more weeks. Good advice for anyone facing treatment options - what ever that might be, make sure the doctors you go to for the treatment have performed the treatment successfully many times. I have a good friend that lives across the street from me who was diagnosed with low risk protate cancer a few months before me. He had a bad experience with his biopsy where he developed a blood infiection which required hospitalization for a few days. He recovered and is fine now. He now wants to ignor the prostate cancer - he says we are all going to die one day... which is true. But at least we can removed prostate cancer from that equation. I thnk now that my neighbor is seeing my progress, that maybe he will reconcider treatment while his is still in the low risk stage. His PSA is at around 6.0. He said he didn't want to worry about it unitl it reached 9. I still think it better to deal with it while you are still healthy and younger. Good luck to all facing this dificult time.

Sorry to hear about your prostate cancer .ive just been through the same .i had t2 grade8.iwas offered radio therapy or prostactomy.eventualy after lots of internet reading,i decided to have radical prostactomy.i had non nerve sparing open surgery.i was in hospital 3 days

The pain after opp was not to bad with all the diferent pain releave stuff.i was up walking about on the second day after opp.bit sore but not to bad ,had catheter in for 3 weeks.at the moment im at thenappy pad stage only leaking slightly hope i get over this soon been a week since catheter out.in my case it all whent okim geting results on seminal vesicules 1 april surgeon said he could not see any with his eyes but to await results by microscope.im 66 very fit for my age hoby scuba

Hope this gives you some idea ,i would chose the same way having gone throu it.

Good luck

Hi

Sorry to hear the bad news...i wish you well

I have just had results of blood test & my PSA was 7.2, up from 2.0 in December, i have an enlarged prostate, had a TURP in 2012 for a slight blockage but at that time there were no signs of anything sinister & my PSA was low. I saw my GP today about the PSA results but he did not think anything urgent was needed

Can i ask you what were your symptoms & what was your PSA readings.

 

any advice very welcome & appreciated

Thanks