Prostate cancer
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 11
Prostate cancer
I was diagnosed 8 years ago when i was 57.. PSA of 4 ... abnormally shaped prostate so I was told ... biopsy carried out & got results 2 weeks later ..Gleason score of 3:3 .... low dose brachytherapy carried out early 2011.....PSA went down to .5 ... steadily risen since then to 4.5 so basically treatment has failed so now told its either removal with rather telling side effects or wait till PSA reaches 10 then hormone injections but feel good & still alive so as I told family, friends & work colleagues get tested!!
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: England
Posts: 247
Originally Posted by Jackjones1
I was diagnosed 8 years ago when i was 57.. PSA of 4 ... abnormally shaped prostate so I was told ... biopsy carried out & got results 2 weeks later ..Gleason score of 3:3 .... low dose brachytherapy carried out early 2011.....PSA went down to .5 ... steadily risen since then to 4.5 so basically treatment has failed so now told its either removal with rather telling side effects or wait till PSA reaches 10 then hormone injections but feel good & still alive so as I told family, friends & work colleagues get tested!!
You have highlighted the problem with PSA test. The reading of 4 is within the upper level for your age. I too was told that my prostate was enlarged by my GP but the MRI SCAN apparently showed it to be normal. As the Urology Specialist explained only a very small proportion of it can be felt.
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 11
Prostate cancer
Have to say Buster 15 that my appointment was already booked for 2 weeks after the biopsy & that was at Queen Mary’s at Roehampton & after that I was referred to The Royal Marsden at Chelsea who I can’t speak highly enough & I wish you the best that there is nothing untoward with you.
It is true what they say you have to be positive in these situations!
It is true what they say you have to be positive in these situations!
Join Date: Aug 2016
Location: Ilmington, Warwickshire
Posts: 77
Originally Posted by Buster15
Wow. I really didn't expect anyone to ask so I appreciate your response.
The answer is no not yet. I had the biopsy on 19/10 and was told I would have an appointment in 10 to 12 days. As it is now over 3 weeks I will speak with the GP tomorrow.
I was wondering whether anyone else could tell me how long they had to wait for their results, where they were given a Gleason score.
Many thanks.
The answer is no not yet. I had the biopsy on 19/10 and was told I would have an appointment in 10 to 12 days. As it is now over 3 weeks I will speak with the GP tomorrow.
I was wondering whether anyone else could tell me how long they had to wait for their results, where they were given a Gleason score.
Many thanks.
I posted in September about my concern that his PSA post brachy/RDT was rising slowly but his urologist has confirmed that it will do and possibly level off at around 3.0 or 4.0.
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: England
Posts: 247
Originally Posted by Jackjones1
Have to say Buster 15 that my appointment was already booked for 2 weeks after the biopsy & that was at Queen Mary’s at Roehampton & after that I was referred to The Royal Marsden at Chelsea who I can’t speak highly enough & I wish you the best that there is nothing untoward with you.
It is true what they say you have to be positive in these situations!
It is true what they say you have to be positive in these situations!
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 11
Prostate cancer
I also had a friend who had rather a rapid rise in his PSA to 11 & they decided to do rightly or wrongly a biopsy & his came back clear just an enlarged prostate, but I would advise anyone over the age of 50 ( do believe a Swedish study said even earlier) to get tested as a work colleague of 52 had to have his prostate removed but thankfully caught early enough & is now fine.
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: England
Posts: 247
Originally Posted by Buster15
Thank you so much my friend. I am by nature a very positive person and not overly worried. I look after myself and trust my body.
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: West Sussex
Posts: 11
That’s good news Buster 15 & hopefully what will happen now is that they will keep a close watch on your PSA & possibly suggest some form of treatment to bring it down.
As you say they can never be 100% certain but with no doubt 10 biopsies it would have been picked up!
As you say they can never be 100% certain but with no doubt 10 biopsies it would have been picked up!
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: Southwold
Age: 67
Posts: 58
My story really is a plea to get PSA tested. At Christmas 2014 my wife visited an ex neighbour to drop off a card. Her husband was a football season ticket holder and he had noticed that during half time he no longer had the energy to make his way down for a drink and back before the match restarted. A routine visit to his GP revealed prostate cancer that had spread and was now stage 4.
My dad had prostate issues so I visited my GP. His finger said I was ok but a PSA test was 21. Consultant gave me the finger and agreed with my GP. A biopsy (walk in the park in my case, felt like someone flicking you inside with a rubber band) revealed a Gleason score of 3+3 so cancerous but fairly low grade, non aggressive and present on just one sample of 14
Another consultant said he was puzzled by the disparity between a. 21 PSA and the relatively benign biopsy result.
i had hormone injections and 37 spins in the radio machine in January 2016. My PSA subsequently fell in six monthly checks to 6, 1.8 and 0.6. Last month my new ( Lovely Scottish lady) consultant told me that despite my hormone treatment finishing my PSA was now 0.2 and one of the edge of the best outcomes she had seen. The moral of this is pretty clear - GET CHECKED.!!
My dad had prostate issues so I visited my GP. His finger said I was ok but a PSA test was 21. Consultant gave me the finger and agreed with my GP. A biopsy (walk in the park in my case, felt like someone flicking you inside with a rubber band) revealed a Gleason score of 3+3 so cancerous but fairly low grade, non aggressive and present on just one sample of 14
Another consultant said he was puzzled by the disparity between a. 21 PSA and the relatively benign biopsy result.
i had hormone injections and 37 spins in the radio machine in January 2016. My PSA subsequently fell in six monthly checks to 6, 1.8 and 0.6. Last month my new ( Lovely Scottish lady) consultant told me that despite my hormone treatment finishing my PSA was now 0.2 and one of the edge of the best outcomes she had seen. The moral of this is pretty clear - GET CHECKED.!!
Join Date: Sep 2002
Location: Great South East, tired and retired
Posts: 2,482
Buster, any progress?
I had robotic surgery over 5 years ago, PSA instantly down to .008 and staying there. But luckily the cancer was completely contained in the capsule and hadn't escaped, so the pros of getting surgery sooner instead of later are quite prominent.
Nerve damage has slowly repaired itself, no need for Cialis or Viagra after the first year. And no wet spots any more! Well, not from me, anyway...
I had robotic surgery over 5 years ago, PSA instantly down to .008 and staying there. But luckily the cancer was completely contained in the capsule and hadn't escaped, so the pros of getting surgery sooner instead of later are quite prominent.
Nerve damage has slowly repaired itself, no need for Cialis or Viagra after the first year. And no wet spots any more! Well, not from me, anyway...
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 2,313
Just heard from another friend who has prostate cancer. This makes nine. If the quoted statistic that one in six men gets it is accurate, I have to wonder about the number I know since I don't know fifty four guys well enough to know their health status.
It keeps me getting PSAs and DREs.
It keeps me getting PSAs and DREs.
Join Date: Aug 2015
Location: England
Posts: 247
Originally Posted by Ascend Charlie
Buster, any progress?
Thank you for your enquiry and I am of course pleased that your treatment has gone so well.
Join Date: Nov 2018
Location: back out to Grasse
Posts: 141
Well, here I am, 18 days after my full radical prostatectomy, and well along the road.
My Urologist was doing routine annual checks and noticed a slight swelling to the right side of the prostate. He said he would monitor and then my GP noticed a slight bounce from 4.0 to 4.8. on the PSA, then it returned to normal (4.0).
Back to see the Urologist and an MRI happened with an indication of 2 areas of concern within the core of the prostate.(Left and right quadrants). 24 point biopsy yielded Gleason:3.4 and 4.0 respectively.
Followed up with Bone Scan and Tissue scan: both clear. The choice became - radio or radical. if radio, later surgery was not possible!
At 73 no question to answer - Radical.. The Urologist recommended going wide to ensure that anything in the Nerve bundles or glands was caught.
Had some complications with Catheter positioning and Pelvic pain, but eventually resolved.
Home for a week now, very little pain at this stage, control over urine and other functions returning to normal.
Results - No encroachment outside of the core, nothing in the semen vesicles, so effectively clear.
I trampled a bit of a rough road but normally it would have been a 6 day stay.
Of one thing I am certain: the PSA score could easily have been missed if I was not being checked for other stuff and even then the Generalist had to recognise it for what it was. The urologist already had an inkling (and told me) so when I was referred for PSA and the blood test was normal, he pursued the MRI for a first look. After that I entered the mainstream diagnosis and medical panel recommendation process.
The best of news overall, Physio starts next week.
Imagegear
My Urologist was doing routine annual checks and noticed a slight swelling to the right side of the prostate. He said he would monitor and then my GP noticed a slight bounce from 4.0 to 4.8. on the PSA, then it returned to normal (4.0).
Back to see the Urologist and an MRI happened with an indication of 2 areas of concern within the core of the prostate.(Left and right quadrants). 24 point biopsy yielded Gleason:3.4 and 4.0 respectively.
Followed up with Bone Scan and Tissue scan: both clear. The choice became - radio or radical. if radio, later surgery was not possible!
At 73 no question to answer - Radical.. The Urologist recommended going wide to ensure that anything in the Nerve bundles or glands was caught.
Had some complications with Catheter positioning and Pelvic pain, but eventually resolved.
Home for a week now, very little pain at this stage, control over urine and other functions returning to normal.
Results - No encroachment outside of the core, nothing in the semen vesicles, so effectively clear.
I trampled a bit of a rough road but normally it would have been a 6 day stay.
Of one thing I am certain: the PSA score could easily have been missed if I was not being checked for other stuff and even then the Generalist had to recognise it for what it was. The urologist already had an inkling (and told me) so when I was referred for PSA and the blood test was normal, he pursued the MRI for a first look. After that I entered the mainstream diagnosis and medical panel recommendation process.
The best of news overall, Physio starts next week.
Imagegear
Join Date: Feb 2004
Location: USA
Posts: 2,313
Imagegear,
You've had quite an ordeal but I'm glad you've come out the other side OK.
I know a large number of men with prostate cancer (beyond the one in six statistic we see advertised) but they're all still above ground and doing well after a variety of treatment choices. You will be too.
They all caught it due to an elevated PSA or rate of PSA rise.
Choosing a treatment option seems to be a very difficult process.
Getting a PSA test is critical despite what we read occasionally read in the press saying they aren't needed.
Hang in there.
You've had quite an ordeal but I'm glad you've come out the other side OK.
I know a large number of men with prostate cancer (beyond the one in six statistic we see advertised) but they're all still above ground and doing well after a variety of treatment choices. You will be too.
They all caught it due to an elevated PSA or rate of PSA rise.
Choosing a treatment option seems to be a very difficult process.
Getting a PSA test is critical despite what we read occasionally read in the press saying they aren't needed.
Hang in there.
Join Date: Jul 2013
Location: Everett, WA
Age: 64
Posts: 2,464
Originally Posted by bafanguy
Imagegear,
I know a large number of men with prostate cancer (beyond the one in six statistic we see advertised) but they're all still above ground and doing well after a variety of treatment choices. You will be too.
They all caught it due to an elevated PSA or rate of PSA rise.
I know a large number of men with prostate cancer (beyond the one in six statistic we see advertised) but they're all still above ground and doing well after a variety of treatment choices. You will be too.
They all caught it due to an elevated PSA or rate of PSA rise.
My own story has become a bit mixed. I got the seed implant a year ago June, and I'm still not fully over the side effects (thankfully I've not had any noticeable side effects from taking FloMax - which is good because I can readily tell if I forget to take it). The good news is that my PSA is low enough to be nearly unmeasureable and all the signs are that the cancer is gone.
I occasional hear of a Feminist that's claiming that if men got breast cancer, there would be a cure in short order. Prostate cancer is proof positive that those Feminists that claim that are clueless.
N4790P
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: Asia
Age: 69
Posts: 1,948
Originally Posted by tdracer
I saw somewhere that the lifetime number was close to half of all men will get prostate cancer, although the number that require active treatment was quite a bit lower (not sure where I saw that). But few men actually die from it.
My own story has become a bit mixed. I got the seed implant a year ago June, and I'm still not fully over the side effects (thankfully I've not had any noticeable side effects from taking FloMax - which is good because I can readily tell if I forget to take it). The good news is that my PSA is low enough to be nearly unmeasureable and all the signs are that the cancer is gone.
I occasional hear of a Feminist that's claiming that if men got breast cancer, there would be a cure in short order. Prostate cancer is proof positive that those Feminists that claim that are clueless.
My own story has become a bit mixed. I got the seed implant a year ago June, and I'm still not fully over the side effects (thankfully I've not had any noticeable side effects from taking FloMax - which is good because I can readily tell if I forget to take it). The good news is that my PSA is low enough to be nearly unmeasureable and all the signs are that the cancer is gone.
I occasional hear of a Feminist that's claiming that if men got breast cancer, there would be a cure in short order. Prostate cancer is proof positive that those Feminists that claim that are clueless.
