Hello, I would like some opinions on wait time for Da Vinci robotic surgery. It is seven months since my husband first went for a PSA test, and he is still waiting to have his operation, and I want to know if you think this is reasonable. His father died of PC at the age of 79, five years after diagnosis. We don't know much about it, except it was described as 'indolent' at the time, although he later had RT.
Due to this, my husband asked to have a PSA test in his mid 50s, and had had two before the one in March, both of which were OK. The latest one was 5.5, so he was sent for an examination, which proved negative for anything suspicious, however, due to his dad's PC, the consultant sent him for a cautionary MRI, which didn't happen until four or five weeks later. Something was seen on this, so he went for a biopsy, after another long wait. Five weeks after that, he was finally diagnosed in mid July, and there followed a bone scan a couple of weeks later, which proved negative, thankfully. Another month's wait until he saw a consultant at another hospital in August, when he was told he would have his operation in October. We still haven't got a date. A second phone call to the surgeon's secretary two weeks ago resulted in him being told he is 6th in line, and the surgeon has now scheduled his ops until around mid November, so it won't be before then and could be delayed even further due to any emergencies (general urology, not just prostate) coming in. It does seem an inordinate amount of time to wait for treatment for an aggressive PC.
Due to this, my husband and I are growing increasingly concerned that the cancer may have spread by the time he has his op. His PSA may have been just marginally over, but his Gleason score was 8 (4 + 4). The surgery was put forward as his best bet for a cure and, at the time of the MRI back in early May, the tumour was said to be touching on the outside of the capsule, but still contained within it. The surgeon who will perform the op put him on hormone tablets after he saw him in mid August.
In July, when he got his diagnosis, he was classed as T3a NOMO (don't forget, this was based on an MRI in early May), but we are obviously worried the tumour has broken out of the capsule now and the pathology report will be even worse after his op - whenever that might be. If we had known in July or August that he might not have his op until late November/early December, we would have considered going private, but we put our faith in the NHS system and are now wondering if we made a mistake.
I know they are under pressure, but the very long wait time makes a mockery of the urgent 2-week referral to the suspected prostate cancer clinic back in early April after his PSA result came back. Since then, everything seems to have slowed right down, if not completely stopped.
Thank you for your time.