Looking for help and hope - PSA over 6000
Posted , 10 users are following.
Hello
My husband has had a shock diagnosis of advanced PCa after a routine rectal exam for an unrelated condition revealed a 'hard' prostate. He was given a PSA test which came back as 6006. The consultant has said he has inoperable PCa which will have spread widely.
I have posted this on a couple of forums (so apologies if you have already seen this. People have been very helpful but finding it very hard to find more information about such high PSA results (I assume because it is so shockingly high.)
He is about to start on immediate hormone treatment and at the same time is having MRIs / bone scans etc. we have been told that these are just to establish the extent of the spread (rather than to check if there is any spread at all.)
We realise that this will be life limiting but would appreciate any thoughts / advice and if anyone can give any hope.
Thank you.
0 likes, 14 replies
rocketman42 sallyyyy
Posted
Sallyyy,
I don't have any advice but want you to know that my thoughts and prayers are with you and your husband. I hope you find an answer.
sue0080 sallyyyy
Posted
Hi Sally
So sorry to hear about your husband's diagnosis.
Following a PSA test just over a year ago my husband who was 65 had a level of 976. After a biopsy and bone scan it was confirmed he had advanced prostate cancer which has spread to various sites in his bones.
He has been having hormone treatment and his PSA is now down to 5.7. No-one has given us any indication regarding how long he will respond to the treatment. Since starting the treatment he has put on quite a bit of weight and suffers from hot flushes but as long as it works he can put up with these side effects.
I've read of men who have survived for a number of years so we are being optimistic and making the most of our recent retirement.
I hope your husband's treatment starts to work and brings his PSA down.
Thinking of you at such a worrying time.
Sue
sallyyyy
Posted
sue0080 sallyyyy
Posted
He was seeing GP for something else and mentioned he was having to get up in the night a few times and also was finding it difficult to wee. He just thought it was because he was getting older but GP said to do the PSA test just to check. I think he'd had these symptoms for a while and should have been to have it checked out sooner but left it too late.
Myrddin69 sallyyyy
Posted
I'm hopeful that your husbands treatment brings down the PSA count and edges the cancer into remission of sorts extending the time you have together. I was fortunate to have a laparoscopic radical prostatectomy before the prostate cancer spread and now have an undetectable PSA level. Unfortunately the Depakote prescribed by psychiatrists for 7 years as well as causing prostate cancer in me caused Multiple Myeloma IgA cancer as well. It is difficult to assess how long I have left, I'll try and make every day a good day. I wish you both the best that can be.
marcos97793 sallyyyy
Posted
I think , to qualify, you need to have over 100 PSA
sallyyyy
Posted
Hi nick I'm sure why but your posts seem to have been deleted
miss_sue sallyyyy
Posted
The soonest they start hormone therapy the better . He may need to go on another drug called zytiga that is very helpful with advanced PC . The initial psa number is very shocking and shows very aggressive cancer . I can't even begin to imagine how shocked you both meat be feeling . I know these high # only to well. I lost my husband Dave age 64 in Aug of 2013 . At the time he died his psa was over 10, 300 . Please don't think that my post to you is saying what you have for the near future . I have heard of some pretty incredible drops in PSA as well as people being able to out live the gloom of a cancer diagnosis by alot of years . Prayers to you both 🌞
sallyyyy miss_sue
Posted
Would you mind telling me more about his illness as it is very difficult to find details of people with such high PSAs. Did he have many symptoms when he was diagnosed? I totally understand if it is too painful for you.
miss_sue sallyyyy
Posted
I was typing to fast and the date Dave passed was Aug of 2015 . There was a horrible problem in that his Nurse Practioner wouldn't do psa or Dre exams on Dave . If you are following the threads on here Barbara right now is facing PC with her husband because of the same reason. At 64 my husband had everything to live for. He developed a blood clot in his leg that delayed his biopsy by months and basically the cancer spread and grew 5 months unchecked . It's very disheartening to see those psa # rise and without anything that we could get here in Canada to help . The biggest problem was caused by him going into total bone marrow suppression . He had 5 blood transfusions and you can't live long without your body producing red cells. We kept ahead the pain and that in itself was a major feat . He didn't think that day he was dying he slept more as the illness progressed . I still find it very difficult and my tears fall at the loss of the man I loved more than life itself
sallyyyy miss_sue
Posted
I'm so sorry about your husband :-(
This is such a terrible illness.
sallyyyy
Posted
Does anyone know if there is still a chance that the hormone treatment could reduce the PSA or is that unlikely ?
sallyyyy
Posted
Just to add he has just had the biopsy and they only took 4 cores to grade the cancer.
I'm assuming this is because the MRI showed cancer all over the prostate so there was no point doing any more :-(
I was going to ask if anyone else has had only a 4 core biopsy but I feel that I am increasingly clutching at straws.
miss_sue sallyyyy
Posted
Sally with a consecutive psa that high they know already it's cancer .Why pull 12 cores when you know the prostate is already heavily involved. You do risk infections with biopsy . Something he and you just do not need . The hormone therapy will not really stop cancer at this but it will slow it up .