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Greencup
Greencup

I am 56 yo. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in April. After a 20 needle biopsy, with 3 showing Adenocarcenomas. 3%

5% and 30 %. PSA 2.8 ( taken 3 days after biopsy). It was 2.2 before the biopsy.). I was scored a T1c Gleason 3+3. I went to a very reputable cancer treatment center and had a contrast MRI done. No bone scan or endorectal MRI or C-11. A few days later, the doctors nurse called me and said the doctor concurred with the staging and I had no extracapsular activity. My cancer was contained in the prostate. I am set to start therapy in 3 weeks. Should I request these other scans?

0 likes, 33 replies

33 Replies

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  • charles61038
    charles61038 Greencup

    Posted

    I wish you the best of luck. I've heard the proton therapy is good. Check out this website for more information - and many treatment options showing side effects and methods of treatment. Lots of good information.

    http://www.prostate-cancer.com/index.cfm

    Charles

    • stewarta
      stewarta charles61038

      Posted

      Effective, but darn expensive. A total of the costs by the Korean Proton Beam Centre runs to some AUD70,000 including airfares and about 8 weeks accommodation.
    • barney34567
      barney34567 stewarta

      Posted

      Does PT guaranty that impotence and incontInence will not arise as they often do with other therapies? Or does PT merely minimise the chance of them arising, when compared to their probability under other therapies?
    • stewarta
      stewarta barney34567

      Posted

      As far as I know neither is an issue with Proton Beam Therapy. However, the question to ask a urologist is is there and difference between Proton and Photon Beam Therapy in terms of cell destruction which might mean that if PCa returns to the prostate, is it still possible to have a Prostatectomy. That is, can the urethra still be successfully joined to the base of the bladder after removal of the prostate.

      Sorry to be so melodramatic when you don't really have PCa.

    • barney34567
      barney34567 stewarta

      Posted

      Thanks for the informative reply.  Next week I will know  if I have PCa when I get the biopsy result.
  • alfred5
    alfred5 Greencup

    Posted

    Hello. My other half was diagnosed age 57 Gleason 6 psa of 4.9. He was suggested active surveillance but chose brachytherapy. This was 2 years ago now. At the time he only had an mri. No bone scan offered. We asked for one but told it wasn't necessary. I think it is needed for peace of mind at least. He has a lot of pain in his lower back all the time. We have to just assume it has not spread. Psa was 0.6 one year after brachy. So I am hoping the low result means all is fine.

    All the best to you. I hope your treatment is successful.

    • alfred5
      alfred5 barney34567

      Posted

      I guess that depends on what country you are in. Whether you are paying, nhs trust you are in (in Uk) etc. We are in uk and our local trust refused a bone scan. So not a lot we could do apart from trust our medical team.
    • barney34567
      barney34567 alfred5

      Posted

      That is one way of viewing it. Assuming you went outside the NHS, you would have to pay for a scan I believe,

      But that means you would consider the cost (and side effects) of not paying for a PET scan.

      For instance, in Australia MRIs are not subsidised by the Commnwealth, but biopsies are, to a degree. Say you have a rising PSA. Naturally the system will suggest a biopsy, which is slightly reimbursed by the Commonwealth. With a biopsy even under the care of a good urologist, bad things can happen eg sepsis.

      Now if you had the PSA checked and instead of rushing to a biopsy you paid for a MRI and it showed nothing clinically suspicious, then you would be out of pocket BUT you would have avoided a needlessly invasive procedure. Or at the least, postponed it based on MRI evidence.

       

    • stewarta
      stewarta alfred5

      Posted

      In Australia, we pay for body scans (AUD200) and MRI (AUD500), even you have private health insurance.

      I guess it comes down to one's finances, and what price one puts on peace of mind.

      I would never rely on PSA, unless of course the prostate has been removed, and then one would hope for a big zero.

    • barney34567
      barney34567 alfred5

      Posted

      Did brachytherapy give rise to I continue or impotence problems in his case?
    • barney34567
      barney34567

      Posted

      sorry, my iPad spell checker played up. I wanted to know if he experienced incontinence or impotence following Brachy?
  • david41094
    david41094 Greencup

    Posted

    I would seriously reconsider Active Surveillance. I would also do more research - check out PIVOT (Prostate Intervention versus Observation Trials) or the US Task Force study. The one thing Prostate Cancer does provide is time - studies show that there is no discerable difference in outcome by delaying treatment (unlike most cancers). One other factor to consider is your place of treatment - is there a financial angle to the advice you are receiving? A PSA of 2.8 and a GS of 3+3 would definitely not persuade me to have invasive treatment.
    • barney34567
      barney34567 david41094

      Posted

      I agree with David, a score of 3+3 with a low PSA lends itself to Active Surveillance from my point of view, especially if there are no other medical complexities going on in one's life.

      If there are major medical issues other than prostate cancer going on then treatment should be considered.

      Greencup, when doctors argue against AS, understand that they make $ from treating you,  i.e. cutting. They make little $ from seeing you very 3-6 months, looking at your event PSA and chatting about what MIGHT happen. Have you been told that the cancer looks aggressive?

      I agree that at 56 someday you may need invasive treatment, assuming no advances are made in prostate therapy. Who knows? By the time you may need treatment, innovations may make that treatment far less invasive than what is now offered.

      This disease is slow growing. Assuming you have nothing else medically going on, I would go with AS.

      If you decide to get treatment please understand the probable consequences of the treatment.

      Consequences, if you get them,  that will affect your quality of life.

       

  • MK51151
    MK51151 Greencup

    Posted

    I had TURP on June 1st and prostate cancer was found in one of the chips that was sent to pathology. Pathological report is Gleason 6 (3+3) with 4% T1a. I am also worried about this finding since transitional zone is not usual place where prostate cancer originates. Urologist recommend to wait at least 3 months before doing biopsy to let it heal after TURP.

     

    • barney34567
      barney34567 MK51151

      Posted

      Low Gleason, low T score and a recommendation to wait three months before further investigation? Sounds like good advice.
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