I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 48 (3+3=6 Gleason - PSA was 7.5 and was only discovered through routine lab tests, I didn't have any symptoms). I received short term hormone therapy, short term IMRT and prostate brachytherapy at the University of California, San Francisco, which is also where I work, in the Cardiology Division. I am now 58 years old and PSA is still undetectable. And hope it remains that way!
And I also have a dog named Gino.
with ten years out from your first treatment, I'm sure that you and Gino will have a long and happy life together. An older guy with your gleason and psa might have been offered a watchful waiting approach, but as a younger guy, sounds like your early detection got prostate cancer out of your life. How is your quality of life, ED, urine control, etc?
I hope you're right PhillyP. I think once a person has dealt with cancer there is always that fear that lingers. I listened to this talk not long ago that helped me with some concerns: cancer.ucsf.edu/podcasts/20...
I'm going through a very difficult time at home right now and I've been concerned that the stress of the situation might impact me. I think I need to listen to the podcast again.
Luckily I have not had a lot of problems with ED or urine control. I started taking 25 mg of Viagra every night for two weeks after my brachytherapy, then I dropped to once a week. Then I went to once a month. I just wanted to keep things "going on" down there right away. Not that I was feeling very sexual at the time but just for therapeutic reasons. I don't use Viagra anymore. I did have some rectal mucus for about a year after treatment and at 2 years I had some hematuria and upon cystoscopy the doctor said I had some radiation burn on my bladder. I've been ok since then.
Let me know if you have any other questions, I think it is always interesting to hear about other's situations and trials.
Gino looks particularly smart in blue! What a great outcome for both of you.
Thank you! Gino is a Chiweenie, which is a mix of Dachshund and Chihuahua. And he does indeed look quite smart in his blue harness. ; ^)
I hope so , too--I',m several years out now myself and it's still undetectable--best of luck to you!
And best of luck to you too Jim. I wish you many more years of undetectable PSA tests!
UCSF is certainly one of the best. Why did they give you adjuvant IMRT and HT? That's unusual for a low risk diagnosis. I'm glad you're doing well.
I kept a copy of the consultation report, it indicated: "Given his age, rising PSA (it had risen from 7.5 to 10.2 in 3 months) and diffuse involvement of his gland, I would favor being more aggressive than usual and favor the use of neoadjuvant hormone therapy followed by pelvic nodal radiotherapy and an implant."
The radiation oncologist described me as a "tweener" I was in between low risk and intermediate risk. A friend of mine said the treatment was overkill, I don't know, I just wanted it treated effectively.
Pelvic LNs too! It's not standard of care, but if you got the treatment you wanted, that's what counts. The important thing is how you are doing now. Are you doing any kind of penile rehab to maintain good function?
The only thing I did initially was the 25 mg Viagra nightly after the brachytherapy and then scaling back in the following months. I did Kegel exercises after the treatments as well. But everything seems to be working well now so I'm no longer doing anything as far as rehab. Although I have always made it a point to masturbate or have sex weekly (usually masturbate). I figure it is therapeutic. One of the docs I was seeing said "use it or lose it" so I've been following his advice.
Weekly? For proper therapy you have to do it every day - doctor's orders!
Doctor knows best! ; ^ )
Thanks for the intro. When I first got my diagnosis at age 52, just under a year ago, I initially felt that I was too young for this as the info I first was reading lead me to believe I wouldn't need to think about this for at least another 10 years or more. So, I was a bit stumped by it all. Thankfully, this group of guys here -- well, in the other forum that sort of preceded where we are now -- helped me to meet so many other guys that were in a similar situation and let me know that I wasn't alone.
So, I'm curious how that was for you, being very young at 48, ten years ago? Were you feeling "too young"? Feeling represented in informational materials?
Thanks for introducing us to Gino too!
--- Cornell
I was so surprised Cornell. Any time I had a rectal exam the doctor would tell me my prostate was fine. But then I had gone for a routine exam and routine blood work and since I work at a medical facility I decided to get the blood work down the hallway from me. My coworker had been a nurse previously and she said "why don't you add on a PSA too, you're close to 50 and your father had prostate cancer", so I did add the test onto the requisition and was shocked when the result came back at 7.5! I had no symptoms and yes, I didn't think this was anything I was going to have to deal with for a long time. The urologic oncologist (I actually saw two of them when I was trying to decide what treatment to go with - in addition to the radiation oncologist) said that since my father had prostate cancer and my mother had previously had breast cancer, it put me (genetically) at a higher risk of getting prostate cancer. But, yes, I did feel like I was too young and then wondered how it would all affect me in the future. And now.....while I've been in a relationship for a long time, my partner is now dying of lung cancer and doesn't have long to live, so I wonder what my life will be like once that happens. Not that I'm already thinking of looking, but when I think of my future (we've been together 38 years) I just have a lot of uncertainty with what my life will be like. I hate cancer.
Good day Blue, glad to hear of your excellent results with treatment. Keep on the same path. (Gino needs to meet my Sparky and Zippy!) Randy
Blue, I just read through your thread of posts, learning your partner is in the throes of lung cancer. As heart wrenching this is, I'm glad you are there for him, no doubt your love rises above all else. Sending hugs.
Thanks Randy. It is all terribly difficult and caregiving is a very hard task.
Sparky and Zippy look very cute, I bet Gino would like them.
Hi there. I was diagnosed with PC when I was 38 years old and decided to have prostatectomy surgery when I was nearly turning to 40. Both my grandfather and dad had prostate cancers.
I was initially diagnosed with prostate cancer with a PSA of 3.7. The repeat biopsy for a PSA of 5 with 15% free showed 2.1 cm of Gleason 3+3=6 tumor on the right only. My final pathology after surgery showed a 36 gram prostate with Gleason 3+3=6 in 3.3 cc of tumor bilaterally. Margins and nodes were without cancer, and i was staged as a T2c.
I'm now 49 years old and happy to have cancer free ever since. No cancer treatment nor chemo at all.
Questions about hormone therapy...
Prostate Cancer Status
From AS to treatment
Curious about Radiation Therapy Types
New diagnosis 
