Age factor

[tr305]

I have been reading the American Cancer Society's webpages on PC. AS far as treatments, they qualify a lot of them as saying "depending on age" (I have elevated PSA and waiting biopsy results). I am 65. Would my age play a role in treatment options?

[Tall_Allen]

None that I know of.

[tr305 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks, Allen

[fairyman]

You are young..it could be simply a wait and see approach

[tr305 in reply to fairyman]

Not feeling young! LOL

[fairyman in reply to tr305]

I hear that....Do what makes you feel good.

[darrelmw]

Most of my conversations with doctors started with a variation of "If you were in your 70s we'd be having a different conversation." I finally had to begin to stop them and assure them that, yes I realize that. Because I was 56 when I was diagnosed (initially Gleason 4+3, upgraded to 4+4 in a second opinion from Johns Hopkins), the protocol for treatment is more aggressive than if I was 20 years older. The reason is that, although the cancer appears from the Prolaris test to be non-aggressive, my (relative) young age meant that the cancer can easily become aggressive quickly. It also meant that, even if I successfully treated the cancer, the chances of it popping up years down the road were much higher. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in his 80s. He took a pill or something that barely affected him, because all they needed to do was make sure the cancer didn't progress quickly, since his expected future life span is much shorter at that age than mine was at 56.

[PSV60 in reply to darrelmw]

Thank you for the clarification & rationalization . I had RP surgery in Nov. 2017 at 57 yrs. old. Being overwhelmed with my diagnosis & all the stress it brought, I never felt I truly understood why surgery was prob my best option at that age. Now, in retrospect & a clearer mind, I found your explanation helped me better understand & reiterate that I probably chose the best treatment option for myself. Stay well and thanks for the “lightbulb “ moment.

[EdinBmore]

I'm not sure that age, per se, is a factor (except that it's unlikely that treatments would be offered to a man who is 85+ yrs old unless his PC is aggressive and causing him symptoms/pain). However, I was told, "well, if you were in your late 70s, we'd probably take a more wait and see approach." Basically, something else is going to kill you so don't fret about the PC. That being said, it seems that treatment options may depend upon other health issues (i.e., "comorbidity") that you might have.

You mentioned American Cancer Society. Take a look at: "Prostate Cancer Foundation" (pcf.org); "Prostate Cancer Research Institute" (pcri.org); and "National Comprehensive Cancer Network" (nccn.org) for more info/guidance. The NCCN provides the latest info re diagnosis to treatment guidelines.

Good luck to you.

EdinBaltimore

[JimVanHorn]

There have been a lot of advances in PCa therapy since I started therapy in 2007. I no longer hear about age as a factor, rather it has to do with your Doctor's opinion, your insurance, your country and maybe your age if you are over 90 years old. I was 63 when I started and needed 42 radiations. After 4 years I had stage 4 metastatic bone cancer in my hip area and they gave me 30 more radiations. I started Lupron injections for 6 1/2 years and now I am cancer free. Actually my life was pretty normal and now I am 74 years old. I wish you well in your journey, get a second opinion, and just keep truckin'.