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PROSTATE CANCER - ANYONE BEEN THERE & DONE THAT?

prostate@58
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Hi, I have just been told by my Consultant that I have Prostate Cancer.

I am aged 58 years old and married and live a relatively fit & healthy lifestyle and have been healthy for all of my life (except having my appendix removed years ago!) so it has come as a bit of a shock to the system.

I had 3 x sets of biopsies and cancer was found in the 3rd set with a Gleason Score of 4:4, a total of 8, which is quite high.

I have just has an MRI & Bone Scan and am awaiting the results before going back to see my Consultant where we will discuss the severity of the cancer, whether it has spread outside my Prostate, my overall prognosis and the way ahead with whatever treatment(s) may be suitable.

I am staying upbeat and optimistic and I really just want to know what it is that I have and how I can try to make it better.

There is a LOT of stuff out there to read on Prostate Cancer and some of it is very scarey indeed and I appreciate that I need to know the full picture before I start to worry about "what and if", so I don't worry - yet!

I wondered if there are any gents out there who have already been through a similar experience and if so, if you have any advice or pearls of wisdom to pass onto me?

Many thanks.

  • Offline in reply to telemando

    Hi Telemando. Thanks for the reply. I have decided that if I post then it will probably be on the Prostatecanceruk website rather than this. Wishing you all the best. I have a custom 63 tele reissue by the way but no mandolin !

  • Offline in reply to Prosixty

    The Prostate Cancer UK site is a fine option for all prostate cancer related issues; I have directed quite a few people there myself, although I prefer to hang around here. 

    I think you're the first person to recognise my avatar as a mandolin! I hope your tele is getting a lot of playing! 

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    Hi my dad had prostrate cancer 2 yrs ago he had radiotherapy for 9 weeks and it went he had no side effects until 18 months later he had a stent in kidney n one in bile duct when they cut him open because he had bad constipation hey found his intestines were fused together through radiotherapy and now they said he got bile duct cancer and got 6 months to live so that’s my story I wish you all the best and ask questions write them down and when you see consultant ask everything  good luck

  • Offline in reply to charlenesmarmaris

    Hi Charlene,

    I am Prostate@58 and started this chat link in 2014 when I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer. I am so sorry to hear about your Dad's sad circumstances and all you can do is to be there for him - and tell him how much he means to you.

    I am still around nearly 5 years later (obviously!) and although I will never be the same physically after the operation, radiotherapy and hormone treatment, I am living an active and fruitful life and am grateful to everyone who cared for me in the NHS and at home until I was well again.

  • Offline in reply to prostate@58

    Hello thanx for replying I’m glad you recovered well knowing all the check ups needles in stomach and everything else that goes with it like I said even the consultant said he was unlucky with his insides getting frazzled through chemo but that’s life I wish you all the best and never give up as there’s always someone going through something worse happy Easter n god bless you 

  • Offline in reply to charlenesmarmaris

    Thank you and I hope you have a good Easter weekend too.

  • Offline in reply to telemando

    I am having a biopsy on my prostate next week and I am getting a little bit nnnervous ccccan anyone put my mind at ease 

  • Offline in reply to Royston48

    Hi Royston48. Welcome to the forum. 

    Sorry to hear you're in this worrying situation. Would you care to tell us something about yourself? 

  • Offline in reply to Royston48

    If anyone is right at the start of their journey I would be pleased to help if I can . I have just completed my 37 sessions of radiotherapy and will have frequent check ups . I started on hormone treatment 6 months ago . Your prostate specific antigen is almost meaningless at the early stage I have come across scores of nearly 4000 and there was no cancer detectable . The Gleason score is the significant figure just now . It ranges from 6-10 . This number is based on how agressive your cancer is 6 would not warrant any thing other than watchful waiting  usually .The DRE digital rectal examination should be done woth a professional with long fingers !! If the prostate , usually the size of a walnut is smooth and squashy that is a goodn sign because if cancer was growing inside the prostate it often feels hard and irregular . The biopsy is the most important as about 12 tiny samples of your prostate are taken UNDER LOCAL ANAESTHETIC  and I only found this mildly discomforting . The samples are taken by compurter guidance throughout the prostate and then analysed for changes in a normal prostate cell . You can have up to 24 different types of prostate cancer and they calculate the most numerous cancers and add the two highest grades together . For example mum were 4 , the highest and 5 the next highest . These figures are added together to make 9 which is usually taken as being highly agressive . This is when you start thinking of arranging your funeral but is completely the wrong idea . The very highest is 5 plus 5 =10 and anything from 8 warrants powerful treatment immediately before it metastises , spreads outwith the prostate . My cancer had spread up into the seminal vesicles but no further which is really good and is called locally advanced prostate cancer . Another 6 months and it would have been a different story . I have some medical experience , being a sufferer helps as I have many examples to ask questions of . Advnaced cancer is nowadays not the death sentence it was and many such sufferers are living another 20+ years . I welcome ALL questions on this site . 

  • Offline in reply to Tonybear

    Hi its nice to have someone medical on this sting there's me, telemando, and woodworm who normally reply to new people, just a note my psa was 1581 gleason 8 stage 4 it is in the bones and was in 1 lung before cemo as you should now it's not curable I've had it over 3 years now living on hormone therapy and cemotheropy, hope more come to talk soon. Best wishes.

    Billy

    P.s what was your readings..?! 

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