Roller coaster Ride

User

Posted 24 Jun 2016 at 18:25

My John's ended up at 6.3 and was originally classed as T3a but that changed on biopsy and scan.

If you haven't already looked then click on my avatar and you can follow his active surveillance journey followed by seed Brachytherapy (although I hope your husband's AS lasts longer than John's 1 year)

Use this time to do all the things you've planned to do, just in case. You never know what's round the corner and whatever it may be could well be many years in the future but enjoy life now.

It's all the more precious anyway, once PS has been diagnosed

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 01 Oct 2016 at 12:54

OH has seen the consultant, PSA is slowly going up, 6.6, 7.3 and now 8.2 she has said that because he has a small prostrate (30cc) that the PSA is causing concern, is pushing him to have surgery but says that time is still on his side, next PSA test in December along with app with consultant, she has told him to think about surgery in the New Year. Confused about size and PSA can anybody explain. Thanks

Edited by member 01 Oct 2016 at 12:55 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 01 Oct 2016 at 14:20

The PSA score itself is not always the worry. Some people have low PSA and very aggressive cancer. Some have ridiculously high PSA but a slower cancer. The most important thing often is the rate of change of PSA. That is indicating concern. My prostate was about 34cc but my PSA rose from 15 to 43 in under a year. Scans were quite inconclusive. But I had a very aggressive cancer attached to my bladder and spread to my lymph nodes. I had the op but it was too late 😁😁

If life gives you lemons , then make lemonade

User

Posted 03 Oct 2016 at 18:59

User

Posted 03 Oct 2016 at 20:32

If he had an enlaged prostate then his PSA would be expected to be a bit higher than the average. As his PSA is rising but his prostate remains small, the urologist is assuming that the PSA rise is being generated by active cancer rather than benign causes.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 03 Oct 2016 at 21:35

Thanks Lyn, will see what his PSA is in December, at least it will give us some time before we decide which road to go down.

User

Posted 19 Jan 2017 at 19:40

Update OH just had his PSA results and his PSA is up again to 9.7, we see the consultant on Tuesday, look as though he will have to come off AS and decide what road we take from here

User

Posted 19 Jan 2017 at 22:00

Hi Lyn I wish you luck with your future treatment and decisions for the next options on the journey but if like me i don't like the wait and prefer to move on.

I jumped at the Brachytherapy option to hopefully give me a way forward and get maybe the right result in my mind for a little normality,right or wrong,but at 70 i think it will give me a few more year to travel the world as i feel it's not where you finish your life but the quality even if you are firing blanks.

But i may have it totally wrong.

Regards John.

User

Posted 19 Jan 2017 at 22:16

Hi Lyn

Sorry to see you are both now facing that decision. Take the time to read the various other posts on the different treatments, and go prepared to your appointment with questions relating to the treatments.

I found that the surgeon and oncologist wouldn't have given me as much information about the treatments - the side effects- as I discovered here, and subsequently I asked the questions of them.

In my area of East Kent they run an afternoon session for those about to undergo or considering RP. Ask if they offer that, as it is worth attending as part of your decision process.

Good luck.

Chris

User

Posted 25 Jan 2017 at 07:15

OH has seen consultant yesterday, as his PSA is continuing to rise has advised him that it time to consider his options, OH has decided that he would like another MRI scan and wants to wait for the results of that before he makes a decision, consultant then asked him if there was no change from MRI last year, what next, which he said he would go for a biopsy which she is quite happy with him to do

User

Posted 25 Jan 2017 at 08:10

At least the consultant isn't pushing him. Just take your time and be sure that the final decision is one you can be happy with for the rest of your long life

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 25 Jan 2017 at 09:00

Hi there,

Just checking you have seen that Prostate Xancwr UK have published info on where MpNRI machines are available in the UK?

In my humble opinion I would want the MpMRI . It appears even if they have the machine it is not always bring used for Diagnisis so you may need to be 'pushy'

Good luck

Clare

User

Posted 25 Jan 2017 at 13:47

We are very lucky that the hospital that my OH attends has a Mp MRI and that is what he is getting

User

Posted 25 Jan 2017 at 16:30

That is fab indeed

User

Posted 24 Mar 2017 at 20:45

Its been a year since my OH (55yrs) was diagnosed with Prostrate cancer and having met with his consultant he has been advised that AS is no longer a option, his PSA has risen from 9.7 last month to 10.2 and the MRI scan he had on the 15 February is showing that the cancer is being to bulge out of the prostrate gland but is still contained. My OH said that he was not ready to make the decision and that he would go home and think about. He did mention to the consultant that work wise August would be good,the consultant has left him to give her a call back to be put on the waiting list wish could mean that it could be removed in about 8 weeks or to book in for August. I know that I would like him to get it out sooner than later, we are off on holiday next week and when he goes back to work he will have a word with his boss. My OH travels a lot with his work this year alone he has been on 24 flights so far, he is very concerned about incontinence and how this will effect his travelling for work. His Gleason score was 3+3=6, T2c, any view and advise, Thanks

User

Posted 24 Mar 2017 at 22:05

L, has he seen an oncologist for advice about alternatives to surgery? He is probably suitable for brachytherapy which would be less likely to impact on his work. He could also explore external beam radiotherapy although he wouldn't be able to travel during that period as he would need to go to the hospital for a short appointment every day (usually for 4 or 7 weeks) .

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 24 Mar 2017 at 22:23

My OH has only ever seen a surgeon, she has discussed both brachytherapy and external beam radiotherapy with him and her advice is with his age 55 that it would compromise future surgical options

User

Posted 24 Mar 2017 at 23:34

But he isn't much fancying the surgery anyway. A surgeon is bound to lean towards surgery - an oncologist will give you the best advice re alternatives.

Avoiding a treatment that is likely to be just as successful but with far fewer long term side effects just because it rules out surgery later could be flawed thinking - needing any further treatment later dramatically reduces the risk of ever getting remission so best option is to choose the treatment most likely to get the cancer first time round.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 25 Mar 2017 at 08:14

Thanks for your comments Lyn, my OH has been very fortunate that his PCa was picked up very early and it has given us time to think over all our options, the hospital where he attends have a weekly meeting with all the departments and discuss what would be the best options regarding treatment, from the results and scan that they have for each patient. The surgeon that we have been seeing since last year would have booked him in straight away for surgery but my OH decided that as he has no symptoms he would go on AS, he has always leaned towards surgery as being the best option for him. After seeing the scans yesterday and you can clearly see the bulge ,my husband told the consultant that he would get back to her. We are now at odds as I would like him to get the operation done sooner rather than later and he would like to wait till August as this not a very busy month at work. Am thinking why wait when you have decided that surgery is the way he wants to go. After sleeping on, he has said as we are off on holiday next week he will tell his boss when he goes back to work a week on Monday, his work calendar is booked up till the end of June, so at the moment he is free from July onwards, I just panicked when he started speaking about waiting till August or even September. My OH has never lost a night sleep since he has been diagnosed me on the other hand have had quite a few.

User

Posted 25 Mar 2017 at 11:27

That's how it has been in our house for 7 years!!!! It seems his work is very important to him and if waiting until the summer is less stressful for him then it may be better in terms of recovery. It would also mean that he could enjoy some nice weather (hopefully) while he is off work and you could perhaps get away again.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

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