Hi Craig,

I also like you was diagnosed with prostate cancer over six years ago. My psa was 70 with a gleeson score of 3+3. I wasnt give a choice regarding treatment as my psa was so high; I was just told that I was going to be be given hormone therapy for two years with 37 radiotherapy sessions a few months after starting the hormone therapy.  After a few weeks of treatment finnishing, my psa was only 0.01, the lowest that can be measured so the combination of the two treatments was very sucessful.

Just bear in mind, your psa is still very low. For someone my age 72 it should be 3.5 to 4.5 Mine is slowly creeping up its now 1.4 but my oncologist said it would in time and he doesnt expect it to go any higher than 3.5. I have a psa test every four months at present.

I wish you all the best with your treatment. Take care and let us know how you get on, Brian.

Thank you Brian. Were the radiology sessions expensive? On top of my diagnosis friday,my insurance runs out this month... have you had surgery,or still have your prostate?   did you have many side effects?   My doctor only suggested I have the radiology, because he said at my age,59,he wants to try and get it all if he can..Please get back to me if you can.

Craig

Hi Craig,

I live in England and all my treatment was on our good old N H S and was free. I still have my prostate. With regard to side effects, most came from the hormone therapy which was Zoladex. I had a lot of hot flushes and still get them at night even thogh all treatment ended over 4 years ago. I also suffered from mood swings. By that I mean if I heard or read something sad, I would just burst into tears and there was nothing I could do to stop it. As a man I found this very embarassing but taking the whole picture into account a small price to pay when I truley believe the treatments save my life.

The side effects from the radiotherapy were a small blood loss from my bowels. I was told that as I'd had piles years ago, the radiotherapy may well have aggrevated it. But after using suppositories fro a while this stopped and I have thankfully not had any further problems.

My treatment took place six years ago. I hope you are sucesfull in getting your psa down. I wish you all the best and if you have any questions please dont hesitate to ask, Brian.

Hi Brian,

My duaghter in law lives in the UK<Suffolk..My son is in the miltary...small world..Thank u for getting back tom,I pray that you keep having success and will keep you updated on my situation. I am praaying that the number I am presently at is not to high,and that getting this done when it rose to 0.13 vesrus the 0.24 it presently is. Lets keep chating..

Craig

Mine used to be 3.5. However imisseed a couple of checks. I now have bladder infection and a PSA of 70 which I'm extremely worried about. I am on an emergency list and waiting. Any advice anyone?? 

Hi pauly  , yes 70 is High but you said you've got an infection as well try to relax your on the list to be seen, when they found mine Feb 2016 my psa was 1581, and it was four months of scans and things before they started treatment there the experts trust them, best wishes.. Billy 

Thanks Billygoat, that's somewhat reassuring. Didn't realise psa could get as high as yours. I am losing a few pounds, but could be worry. Thinking of joining a gym, seems silly, but my thought is twofold, as a distraction and to get a bit healthier. Am off to GP tomorrow. Have some questions for him any additions? 

Could probably ask if your going to have any scans to check things properly,, psa can only be a rough check there are notes of people with psa in thousands and no cancer highest recorded psa is about 30.000 which is very high, hope things go well,.. Billy 

Once again thanks for your concern Billygoat. Will keep you updated. Good to have someone to talk to. Speak soon. 

Hi pauly, good luck for tomorrow.