Hi Merve,

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer about six years ago. I has a psa of 70 while my gleeson score was the same as yours 3+3=6. Because my psa was so high I was only offered hormone therapy with radiotherapy. Six months after starting H/T my psa came down to 3.18 and after 7 1/2 weeks of R/T my psa came right down to 0.01, the lowest they can measure. Yes I have suffered from side effects of the H/T but I look on it as a small price to pay for I believe it has saved my life. Now just as my oncologist has said, my psa is rising slowly but is still only 1.4 which is very low so I am not bothered as my oncologist said it will probaly go up to about 3 to 3.5.

Hope this helps and if you have any questions, please do not hesite to ask. Please let us know what decision you come to, kind regards, Brian.

Hi Brian,

many thanks for your response, and detailed input, it's most appreciated. You supply another piece of the jigsaw in the decision making process, particularly with the info regarding Hormone Therapy. That's an alternative that hasn't even been mentioned to me here, but perhaps that might be either because of a difference in our respective PSA levels, or, "Africa" hasn't caught up with that option yet.

I have so far had, what I consider knee *** advice, from a combination of medical professionals, and family, which is to have a total prostactectomy. Emotions ruling realities at this early point I reckon, and certainly too drastic a step until all possible information is "in", and assessed.

Am seeing a specialist prostate Oncologist on friday, so will certainly present him with your own experience, amongst other questions, if that's OK ?, and see what his response is.

Meantime, thanks again, and if anyone else out there has had experience of similar decision making processes, would be great to hear from you.

Best,

Merve

Hi Merve,

Something else I shpuld have mentioned. A friend of mine was in a similar situation to you and the surgeon wanted to remove the prostate while the oncologist was against it. Have read up on things there are pros and cons for each method as both have side effects. I have heard it said by removing the prostate you will ensure a cancer free future but I have recently heard of someone who had it removed but still had cancer return. I dont envy you having to make this decision and am glad mine was made for me. My father in Canada also had prostate cancer and same treatment as me and is still cancer free nearly twenty years on.

Best wishes to you, Brian.

Hi  Merve,

I was diagnosed with Prostate cancer in January this year. I new something was wrong for some time as I was not producing semen which is the carrier for sperm from the testicle. I ignored it for a time but new I had a problem for maybe six months.

I had a Biopsy and all other checks MRA scan, Bone Marrow and the biopsy produced a gleason score of 3/4 which is high and a PSA of 37.8.

I was told that the cancer was in the Seminal vesicles that join the prostate but my prostate was fairly normal. I could wee OK but did have symptoms of night wees. Not too frequent but maybe once or twice.

I was also told that the cancer had spread to a nearby Lymph node.

I was started on Bicalutamide tablets, one a day at a regular time for about four weeks, this may have been because I delayed the bone scan and then whilst taking the last ten days tablets I had a monthly injection in the stomach wall of the slow releasing drug of Zoladex.  The bone scan was clear.

I have had about four injections and yesterday I went to see the Doctor concerning a blood sample I supplied about eight days ago and was told my PSA had dropped to 0.3 which I found quite remarkable.I was ecstatic.

The Doctor is changing me to a 3 monthly injection of the Zoladex (with three times the dose) which I will start in June.

These are great results and I've had no surgery or radiotherapy etc. I'm also aged 68.

I've read that if cancer has spread it cannot be cured. I'm unsure on this and trying to find out more.
Have I done anything differently in my life to date? Well, maybe eaten more greens and tried a daily dose of ginger in block or sliced in tea form.  Not saying it has made a difference but we all reach out for info and so I'm set on modifying my diet.I don't eat a lot of processed food. Not a regular drinker  and don't smoke. As for sex well its not easy to abstain but the drug suppresses the urge even though mentally I'm as frisky as ever but I try not to have those thoughts as they say that testosterone feeds the cancer. I didn't feel great after one departure from my rule but we Men are programmed!   Doh!