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Prostate Cancer Community

Reply: Age 41 with a psa of 5.9 and not so smooth prostat...

My advice to all is find a doctor who does the biopsy under anesthesia. Mine does -...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

8 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Age 41 with a psa of 5.9 and not so smooth prostate :( My advice to all is find a doctor who does the biopsy under anesthesia. Mine does -...

Reply: Sex Oh Boy

Hi John: Lucked out. A couple weeks ago I posted my condition and indicated I...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

2 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Sex Oh Boy Hi John: Lucked out. A couple weeks ago I posted my condition and indicated I...

Reply: Newly diagnosed

Can only provide my history w/PC. Back in 1997 I had a PSA 4.2. I didn't get a...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

Can only provide my history w/PC.

Back in 1997 I had a PSA 4.2. I didn't get a biopsy then and my PSA went up a tenth or two and down a tenth or two until 10/2000 when it went to 5.2 and I got a biopsy, which came back positive in only one area (Left Apex - very small foci of cancer, less than 3%). It was graded a 3 4 = 7 Gleason (negative digital exam). With consultation of my Urologist I decided to wait and the PSA went down to 3.8 in 02/2001. In 03/2001, I got another PSA which went back up to 4.4 and got a second biopsy which came back negative in all areas. Over the next year my PSA went up a bit and I got a third biopsy 03/2002 which again came back negative in all areas. The PSA testing continued every 3-4 months and finally in 12/2004 it went up to 9.0 and I got the fourth biopsy which came back positive again in one area, left Apex (small foci) with Gleason 3 4=7 So I decided to treat the cancer with 40 doses of external radiation ending in 05/2005. My PSA dropped over several months to a nadir of 1.7 (never did get to under desired 1.0) .

Since then the PSA has remained steady or climbing slowly. Until it hit around 12.0 in 02/2012. I had an X-Ray, Bone Scan, and CT-Scan (which I had before getting the radiation treatment). All came back with no indication of metastatic cancer. I have advanced local cancer but it hasn't gone to the bones. The point I'm making is that it is now 15 years since I had the 4.1 PSA and 7 years since I had the radiation and I'm still enjoying a good quality of life (of course the radiation as does an operation affects sex life but not as much as getting hormones). I know that within a year or so I will have to start hormones if/when the cancer goes up but I'm still preserving quality of life which is very important to me.

Each of us make our own decision. Most of the time prostate cancer is very slow growing. There are arguments for getting the operation right away and others to wait. Same as selecting an operation or radiation. I would certainly get a second opinion in your case. I would also read and learn as much as I could about the disease. Dr Walsh's book on "Surviving Prostate Cancer" is a good place to start.

Good luck! We each make decisions we can live with. There is no one path.

Chuck
View Thread

Posted byMarineMustangPA

7 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Newly diagnosed Can only provide my history w/PC. Back in 1997 I had a PSA 4.2. I didn't get a...

For my friend Jn and others

A couple weeks ago I posted my condition and indicated I had a CT-Scam Bone Scan...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:For my friend Jn and others A couple weeks ago I posted my condition and indicated I had a CT-Scam Bone Scan...

Reply: For my friend Jn and others

Sorry I forgot to check - John and bone scan. Please forgive an old Marine...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:For my friend Jn and others Sorry I forgot to check - John and bone scan. Please forgive an old Marine...

Includes Expert Content

Reply: Radiation side effects

I agree - I personally have stayed away from hormones prior to and post radiation...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

4 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Radiation side effects I agree - I personally have stayed away from hormones prior to and post radiation...

Includes Expert Content

Reply: Had external beam radiation (40 treatments) in 200...

Further John, I got results back from CT-Scan and Bone Scan. CT Scan was clean...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Had external beam radiation (40 treatments) in 2005 Further John, I got results back from CT-Scan and Bone Scan. CT Scan was clean...

Includes Expert Content

Reply: Had external beam radiation (40 treatments) in 200...

Dear John: I too am so happy that you too are around. You have been so generous...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Had external beam radiation (40 treatments) in 2005 Dear John: I too am so happy that you too are around. You have been so generous...

Reply: Lupron 6 mo and prostate cancer

I have tried to stay away from LHRH to preserve quality of life. But I was treated...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

1 Reply | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Lupron 6 mo and prostate cancer I have tried to stay away from LHRH to preserve quality of life. But I was treated...

Includes Expert Content

Reply: Had external beam radiation (40 treatments) in 200...

Thanks - Do you combine LHRH with androgen? I know there are varying opinions on...

Posted by MarineMustangPA

9 Replies | Reply | Watch This DiscussionReport This| Share this:Had external beam radiation (40 treatments) in 2005 Thanks - Do you combine LHRH with androgen? I know there are varying opinions on...

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