diagnosis

[domani19]

still coming to terms with my diagnosis a week ago and treatment options , I am 69 and have Gleason 7 , and have been advised to do surgery , Thrown me a lot reading some info about this , but surgery after radiotherapy not suitable and as all contained within prostate , surgery advised . Will also get some more treatment options before I have to decide , pleased many people said dont rush with the decision feels quite comforting to tell this to other users Ken

[cfrees1]

If the cancer is contained, the outcomes are very good. Best of luck with your decision. We're here to offer advice if you need it.

[domani19 in reply to cfrees1]

Thanks so much cfrees for your reassuring reply , hope you are ok and your medication therapy is having an effect , stay strong Ken

[domani19 in reply to cfrees1]

Hope your treatment plan is working cfrees1 best wishes Ken

[Roger2Dodger]

You have time to make a decision, do your research. Time is on your side!

[domani19 in reply to Roger2Dodger]

thanks very much Roger I really appreciate your reply

[mcutchshaw]

Went thru similar situation but 10 years younger. Now 6 months post RP and so far so good. Best of luck.

[davhil2]

Hello Ken, pretty much the exact same situation here. Jan 10th diagnosed. I'm 56, my PSA was 8.7, and Gleason 3+4. I took the wise advice of everyone here and took a bit of time, firstly just let it all sink in. I'm sure I am not unique in this but the thought that I have cancer was an ever present thought. At times overwhelmingly so. It really takes a bit of time to let that settle. And until it does, making a good decision will be difficult. I can only convey my experience, but day by day, it got easier dealing with it.

I have just this week decided to go with Brachytherapy. Every procedure has it's pros and cons, but this one works best for me and my lifestyle. You will of course have to decide what's best for you. Was removal your only option or was that the suggestion of the doctor? There really is a lot of resources out there that can help you make at least a very informed decision. I find the various charities to be the best source, you'll find that some of the sites pushing one procedure or another are actually connected to that procedure in someway, and although they are well meaning and accurate I'm sure, their motivation may be somewhat skewed.

I wish you the very best of luck in dealing with all this, it's a lot to deal with to be sure!

Be well, David

[domani19 in reply to davhil2]

Hi David also wanted to add beating myself up a bit about not getting more biopsy done last year and this could have been diagnosed earlier . But I know the past has gone but since diagnosis have been thinking about the possible more in-depth investigations that I did not take , now its a regret but I know i must move on and take each new day now and not engage in past

be well Ken

[Hidden in reply to domani19]

Don't feel too bad about a delay.I waited several years too long until I finally stopped peeing and had #stage4, metastatic,advanced.Had symptoms for many years including no energy.Just thought it was normal at 50.From this point on ,you want good outcomes do all and anything that you believe will help fight P. C.. and also anything to make you more comfortable once you're doing conventional treatment. You should do well!

[domani19 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks Lulu for your encouraging words , I hope your treatment plan is working for you be well. Ken

[Stemcfc in reply to davhil2]

Had a bad experience 14 months since operation got sceptis on biopsy and had sore groins suffered Incontinence and eds for over a year after age 46 psa is rising again so might need radio therapy in summer. Also was telling my brother to get psa checked he has just been diagnosed with t3a cancer mine was t2c he had no symptoms whatsoever age48

[domani19 in reply to Stemcfc]

Sorry to hear your story Stemcfc and also about your brother , thanks for letting me know your experience . The operation sounds pretty major and was reading about it earlier but got too worried thinking that was the probable best option for me , so could not continue . I wish both of you well Ken

[Stemcfc in reply to domani19]

Operation was over in no time I suffered virtually little or no pain whatsoever after operation. It's the after affects which were worse groins kept giving way so I bought some stretch bands and went from low to high resistance and after 14 month pain is easing. I've told my brother to do keagle exercises before his operation as I didn't do mine and Incontinence was worse and also do stretch bands.

[domani19 in reply to Stemcfc]

Thanks very much for your reply Stemcfc , I have been told about doing pre op training bending exercises in hospital . Hope you are feeling stronger daily and your brother is ok with all the decision that lies ahead , I am sure you are giving him a lot of support be well Ken

[domani19]

Hi mcutchshaw , Thanks for your reply just wanted to check RP did mean the radical prostatectomy ? I was told that might be best treatment in my case . Pleased you are ok 6 months on . How long did it take post op to feel a little back to being ok again ? Thanks for any info best wishes Ken

[domani19]

Hi David thanks very much for your reply and I so agree with you , this first 10 days has been a mixture of anxiety ,disbelief and trying to get back to some sort of normality. As you say the thought of the cancer there and knowing decisions will have to be made about treatment have been hard to switch off from , but I think I am trying to accept a little more day by day what was happened and know that positivity plays a big role in this, and keep saying to myself that I am the same person I was prior to the diagnosis.

Good luck in your Brachytherapy I hope it works really well .

I was advised surgery by urology surgeons but was told by them I would also be getting an appointment with radiotherapy consultant to discuss their view on my treatment . Of course the surgeons suggested their advice was the best in my case , but I should get all the info before I decided. Luckily my brother came with me . I now have an appointment for surgery in 6 weeks time but if I want to change my mind I could .

I hope making a final decision will not be difficult, as I know like you something has to decided. thanks for your kind wishes hope all goes well for you in treatment Ken

[domani19]

Thanks Bob for your advice and kind reply , was the recovery period very long ?

Ken

[Sten]

A friend of mine, over 70, had PSA 27 and had surgery a year ago. He recovered quickly after the op.

[domani19 in reply to Sten]

Thanks for your reassurance Sten , I am still waiting to hear if there are any other suitable treatment options for me . But part of me thinks that removal may make me feel the most ok if that is best option despite the trauma of op . be well and thanks for your reply

Ken

[Sten in reply to domani19]

They say that each treatment center (hospital etc.) often has its own specialty - surgery, chemotherapy (Casodex and stronger), radiation. Also, the skill of the surgeon (in case of surgery) is important. - Surgery today seems very different from what it was say three or four years ago. If there is a PCa patients´ organisation in your country (or a nearby country), it is probably a good idea to join them.

[domani19 in reply to Sten]

thanks for your info Sten will have to make a decision soon , there is a good support system here for pc help in the uk be well best wishes Ken

[Dr_WHO]

Welcome to the group. Sorry that you are here, but know some of the greatest people belong to this group. You do have a lot of options and a bit of time. One very important thing to consider no matter what the treatment option(s) you go with is how many procedures the doctor has done. If you opt for surgery, for example, you would want a surgeon who has done thousands or at least the high hundreds of surgeries.

Please know that every procedure comes with some risk but that the vast majority come out OK.

We will all be pulling for you!

[Hidden in reply to Dr_WHO]

Great advice dr who!

[domani19 in reply to Dr_WHO]

Hi Dr Who wanted to thank you for your reassuring reply to me , still weighing up the options for treatment but surgery does seem perhaps the best in my case wishing you well ken

[domani19]

Thanks Dr Who so much for your reassuring reply , you are right that is a vey important question to ask , right now still not sure about treatment plan , hope it soon becomes clearer thanks very much Ken

[telboy15]

I have left comments on other places in this forum, but will do so again here. I had a PSA check back in August 2015, (my wife thought I should have a check even though I had no symptoms, aches or worries). That showed a count of 5, which is the top end of normal for a man in his 70's. I was 74 at the time. Biopsy showed Gleason of 8. MRI, CT and bone scans all clear with no leakage from the prostate. The Urologist said that as I appeared to be well and fit, he would offer radical surgery by the Da Vinci keyhole method. I accepted that and had the surgery at Kent & Canterbury hospital in Nov 2015 rather than undergoing lengthy radiotherapy treatment. Absolutely no pain at all during surgery. Home the next day. Bag for 8 days and pads for about 6 weeks. PSA since then is steady at 0.1 (un-recordable). Downside is total erectile did-function, but that is a small price to pay at my age and knowing that the surgery has 'cured' the cancer! I wish you well but my advice is to listen to the medics and take their advice. Surgery is the 'gold standard' treatment although other treatments can be effective also.

Terry

[domani19 in reply to telboy15]

Thanks very much Tell boy to your reassuring reply to me , I am still hoping to have surgery . My biopsy shows Gleason 7 ,T 2 , with no bone spread and have been told surgery is possibly best option for me . I have not had an oncology appointment to discuss radiotherapy but will have one soon before I make final decision ,

thanks very for your reply keep well Ken

[RonL]

Of course do your research but I'd suggest surgery is your best chance for a cure. Good luck with whatever path you take/

[domani19 in reply to RonL]

Thanks Ron , for your reply , the options for treatment are quite bewildering and causing me lots of added anxiety Ken

[Hidden in reply to domani19]

If you trust your doctor and you have a great surgeon,and they are telling you it's contained and surgery is#1 choice.I would do it for sure..

[Hidden]

So much info out there.Who do you follow?I wasn't a candidate for surgeryWish I was.Because you are means it's contained .High success rate of living a long life.You won't ever be exactly as you were and will need to find joy in different forms than before. You will most likely have a good outcome.

[domani19 in reply to Hidden]

Thanks very much Lulu700 for your reassuring reply , I am still getting all the information about the varying treatments but also trying to accept that surgery will be possibly the best option .

I liked your words very much thanks so much , wishing you well with your treatment choices Ken

[Hidden]

Congratulations,you made the right decision. Keep healthy..

[Hidden]

Wish I had found this resource when I was starting.These men can give you great advice from experiencing anything that will be offered to you..The fact is that it can be information overload at first.And don't fear,easy to say.Imwas near death and petrified.Fear can turn into anger.I went down that road..If you can find acceptance and don't stay in the other phases of denial ,anger.You will heal better if you gain a peace of mind..