No cancer found from TURP tissue ???

[positive-thinking]

My husband had TURP a week ago because of years of issues with peeing . He was supposed to get this done last year but was diagnosed with stage 4 cancer , you may read my profile for his treatment and current PSA . The urologist said they would test all the tissue they take out . We were called by our regular GP today who sounded surprised and told my husband there was no cancer found in any of the tissues that were sent. My question is that I wondered does this mean that the chemo he had with the triple therapy has killed the tumour in his prostate? I wish they would allow a scan but we have begged and told that unless his PSA changes they will not do any scans. So we are hopeful this news of no cancer in the prostate tissue means the tumour was eliminated ? Do they take different areas from the prostate when they do the biopsies they did last fall to diagnose my husband than they take from a TURP? Hope this makes sense

Thanks so much

[Tall_Allen]

Prostate cancer is usually found in the peripheral zone of the prostate. A TURP removes tissue from the transition zone that is often cancer-free.

[positive-thinking in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks for the reply, I was hoping that maybe he had no more cancer in the prostate

[positive-thinking in reply to Tall_Allen]

When they do the biopsy to diagnose would they not do the whole prostrate ? Not The TURP but the biopsy when he was diagnosed?

[Tall_Allen in reply to positive-thinking]

Most often do "double sextant biopsies" - 12 cores total: 2 cores (lateral and medial) from each of 6 areas in the peripheral zone prostate (base, mid, and apex) x (left and right). There may be additional cores if warranted by imaging.

[positive-thinking in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks so much for this information !

[Brightman]

Biopsies only test parts of the prostate not the whole prostate. I had a TURP in 2015 with no cancer cells, then 9 months later was diagnosed with metastatic PCa to 4 areas, followed by Hormone Therapy, Radiation & Docetaxel etc etc!!

[Big_Mcc]

No. TURP tissue is not definitive. I had a TURP cancer free from tissue test but diagnosed stage 4 after MRI 6 months later when symptoms persisted.

[turkeyjoe1]

I had a TURP and went from a Gleason 8 to a 9.

[positive-thinking in reply to turkeyjoe1]

Your reply did answer my questions . So even though he he has cancer so none of this makes a difference , at least they did not find more cancer with TURP or one that mutated . Sorry guess I'm searching for only good news in this nightmare we live . Thanks

[turkeyjoe1 in reply to positive-thinking]

It's good they did not find more cancer there. With my TURP they did. It's a different area then when the biopsy was preformed. See TA reply.

[JoeyDad]

I wish that I knew the answer but I don’t.

[Cancer2x]

Was told by a Urologist years ago, after three biopsies of 8 sticks each (24 total), that a transrectal needle biopsy was basically like try to find a BB hidden in an Orange.

[Teufelshunde]

I had a good friend, 72 yo, had TURP recently and the tissue showed something like a 1% cancer content (he was not very technical in exactly what it was). His PSA is and has been in the 2 range, yet his doc wants to do a prostate biopsy. Normally a person with a PSA of 2 would not have an invasive biopsy. Is that over kill? Is there a link between needing TURP and PC? Like my good friend and Urologist told me, every male will get PC, the question is whether something else kills you first. Are there MRI equivalents of a needle biopsy? Thanks

[j-o-h-n]

Deep down in all of us........... wishful thinking is our silent prayer....to any deity that will listen. Bless us all.

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n

[BanjoPicker]

I had a Gleason 7(3+4) diagnosis. Was treated with 43 IMRT sessions. Urinary problems persisted because of a large medial lobe that was squeezing my urethra. Thirteen months after my last radiation treatment, I was treated to a TURP. I was excited when I read the biopsy report online that stated “no malignancy detected”. I commented to the surgeon, that did the TURP, how pleased I was with the biopsy. He responded, “don’t expect to find cancer in the prostate chips that are submitted for biopsy from a TURP”. He further stated that lesions are commonly located near the wall of the prostate so TURP generated biopsies rarely pick up cancer cells.

[positive-thinking in reply to BanjoPicker]

Thanks for the reply, I wonder why they even bother testing this tissue