Hello

[Dr_WHO]

New to he group.  Here is my story so far.  I am 58 years old.  I was diagnosed with "high risk" prostate cancer last February.  (Last year I was cancer free per digital exam and psa score.). However, this year my Gleason score was 8, with cancer seen in 5 out of 14 samples.  A CT scan indicated that the cancer may of spread to a nearby lymph node.  Bone scan was thankfully negative.    I will be having robotic surgery in a couple of weeks, but I was told that I probably need radiation afterwards.

[CERICWIN]

Welcome to the group.        While you're unlucky to have the cancer, it appears that it's not widespread, and if it's only in a couple of lymph glands, you stand a good chance of a very successful treatment and a long life.

It's always scary when we're first diagnosed, but there are a lot of treatment options now, even for those of us who are more advanced.

You should do your homework and look into various treatments and discuss what's available with your doctors.       A good doctor will offer several different choices, and explain the implications, not just putting you on a particular treatment, without considering your opinion.        Surgery plus radiation can be highly effective, and there is also hormone therapy, which can help to prevent the spread of the disease or to slow it.       Here on Health Unlocked you'll find some great, supportive people and a lot of information, and the emotional support that we all need--to know that you're not alone.

I wish you the very best,

CERICWIN

[Aussiedad]

Hi,

     I was diagnosed with pc 2004 and was told to have the bed of the Prostate radiated after prostatectomy ... I asked for adjuvant and neoadjuvent cover with hormone treatment but was told that that is given if the radiation fails. I persisted and doc prescribed Zoladex implants which went on for a year. The highly regarded Radio Oncologist did studies on my rely request and now cover with ADT is now considered best practice. PSA began rising again so I went on Lucrin intermittently. No metastaces to date, some spots in abdomen shown up by a Gallium 68a PET scan - that's the latest, most precise scan which can detect down to about 1mm. Suggest you find the excellent video by Professor Henry Woo on YouTube covering Advanced Prostate Cancer which covers the Gallium scan. He does have another based on the Choline scan but that's older and that scan has been superseded. The answers Woo gives to the group members he supports are very good.

Do make sure the surgeon you have is the best available and do discuss fully nerve saving surgery which I hope you have organised and insist on a first rate DaVinci procedure ... The surgeon needs to be well experienced with this procedure.

Finally, do read up and research all facets of your surgery before your op. which will save you a lot of worry and problems. And last but not least, plumb the experiences of those who have already had surgery.

Cheers, Aussiedad

[Dr_WHO in reply to Aussiedad]

I am lucky in that my surgery will use the DaVinci robot.  The surgeon has done over a thousand of these procedures dating back 15 years.

[20PeteG16]

Google cryocare. My PCA was 4+4 with low PSA indicating agress I've cancer. Monogram bone scan and MRI indicate with the prostate capsule; I went with cryo.

[Ernie_Aguilar]

I had robotic surgery in Oct 2014.  Very lucky to have had a highly skilled surgeon at the controls but unfortunately it was a non-nerve sparing procedure.  Small price to pay, I say.

[dave100 in reply to Ernie_Aguilar]

Same here -- surgeon told me ahead of time he would be aggressive and nerve sparing was not indicated. I decided it was worth the price and don't regret it at all.