Posted on 07/16/2022 8:23:56 AM PDT by fwdude
Just an update on earlier posts on my prostate cancer journey. Yesterday, July 15, was my 3-year anniversary of my radical prostatectomy surgery. So far, no recurrence is evident and my PSA still reads undetectable. Praise God!
I realize that others have seen different outcomes, and everyone’s journey is different, but this was a major milestone for me.
Yes, blood testing to measure PSA. Most combine that with a digital rectal exam. (Finger up the patootie.)
My cancer was not significant. In fact they had trouble finding any signs of cancer. It was low-grade but showed development into something more aggressive. Again, I had no symptoms at all. It was almost like a preventative procedure.
It was funny, right before my prostatectomy surgery I consulted with my Gastro enterologist for my upcoming colonoscopy. During our talk I mention my coming surgery and he said he had just had his Surgery for low-grade Gleason 6 “cancer” (there is ongoing debate on whether Gleason 6 even IS cancer.). His wife convinced him to get it done, otherwise they would always see it as a ticking time bomb inside of him. So his was definitely preventative.
“Most things are internal”
And you cut them out. Externally, one cuts the off.
Very happy for you!
Congrats!!
Same treatment timing here PSA .04 .11 .06 since radiation per 90 day testing.
Sounds like you’re well in the clear!
Four months here since surgery, first PSA undetectable, but leakage continues unabated. How long did yours last and what stopped it?
Every man with prostate cancer who consults with urologists eventually learns this. Damage caused by radiation is also a big problem, and no guarantee against recurrence. It’s a classic rock/hard place situation and any decision has serious consequences.
Been told that medical science recommends that men 70 and over stop getting annual PSA tests, and recommends against surgery for men 75 and over. And prostate cancer is very slow growing, even, apparently, with aggressive cells. That’s one way to see Stage 3 or 4. Good advice for any man 70 or over is to persist with the annual tests. That’s how mine was detected early.
My good friend was treated several years ago for prostate cancer. He was given a clean bill of health. Came back a stage four about 10 years later, and it
went to his hip bones. Got radiation and lupron shots. Doing good now. He’s been traveling and enjoying life. My husband just went thru 39 radiation treatments and currently eligard shots. His psa was 21, it’s now 0.03. Diagnosed with stage 3. There’s a lot that they can do for patients.
My PSA, at age 74, jumped from 4 to 7, and, thank God, my urologist was all over it, scheduling an MRI and biopsy that led to a Gleason 4/3 rating but fully encapsulated; CT and bone scan showed no spread, followed by my decision in favor of surgery. Got it all. Now it’s just the damn leakage. Glad for your news.
PSA’s aren’t absolute in terms of diagnosis, but an elevated one opens the door to further exploration via MRI, CT scan, and biopsy. It’s a tool, but not a guarantee.
I believe that PSA is not generally included in the kind of blood test associated with regular physical exams, but it makes sense to specify to your doctor to include it, rather than assuming it is. And, if your doctor is a good one, you should get a complete list of the results, along with a comparison of each number to its corresponding normal rating or range. It can also be requested through a urologist, which is usually a better way to follow one’s prostate health.
I’m not a doctor and would never recommend a course of action, but my understanding is that a range of PSA results over time is more significant than a single reading. But you and your urologist should probably become close.
My opinion: Any questions in this area are best dealt with by contacting a (good) urologist. They are the key to the PSA/MRI/CT/biopsy/bone scan door.
You never know. I’m hopeful. A close friend was 30 years after breast cancer al when it returned as metastatic. She survived for a year after that.
All you can do is take it day by day, which I do.
My PSA was always around 7 when I was in my 50’s but over the years it started going up finally reaching 10. The Urologist could not find anything with the finger probe so I did not do anything. One day I could not urinate!!! Terrible thing when you have to go bad and can’t! Finally a little came out and gradually it started working. Went to Urologist and he did a more thorough exam and found the back side of the Prostrate had a quite large tumor. So at age 80 he would not remove it but instead sent me for Radiation. The radiation killed it and now 4 years later my PSA is .05, it is only by the grace of God it did not spread. So far so good. My advise is if your PSA is above normal have a more thorough exam done not just the finger test. Stop it early.
When regular checkups are forbidden by the government for two years.
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How can that be when you rate an annual physical and all the doc has to do is the digital (finger) check and/or the blood psa test?
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