Prostate cancer diagnosis - terrified of what’s to come!

My husband has been unwell for a few months. He didn’t tell me just how bad as he didn’t want to worry me. I myself have Spina Bifida and we have two sons. It’s prostate symptoms and signs. Anyway he’s had numerous blood tests and an scans. Psa rising constantly and mri showed a mass of something abnormal. He’s been told to prepare himself that it most certainly is cancer in some form. Yesterday he had the TRUS biopsy. He was told there is definitely an abnormal mass on the top of his prostate but it’s in a tricky place and they not sure they got enough cells. Apparently the hospital review tests on a Wednesday and despite it being Wednesday today it won’t be till next week as yesterday’s biopsy results won’t be ready. He may need another biopsy under anaesthetic if not enough cells were taken. I’m going out of my mind worrying and can’t get my head around why they give us bits of information and yet we now have to wait a further week before a team will even look at the biopsy results. He’s 47 years old and surely the longer it takes to get the ‘official’ diagnosis the longer it gives any mass longer to grow. Apparently for his age his psa should be no more than 2.2 and yes currently 3.85. He also has a strong family history of prostate cancer, having lost a grandfather and two uncles to the disease in recent years.  Has anyone been in the same situation. I don’t want to keep talking to my husband about gowhow I feel as it’s about him not me but I’m completely terrified. 

  • Hi, 

    I do understand how you feel. When I was diagnosed my PSA was 70 with a gleason of 3+3=6 But with fantastic treatment from our great NHS my psa ended up at 0.01 the lowest thay could measure.

    That was about 8/9 years ago and treatments have improved since then.

    My father had also had prostate cancer which increased the risk of me getting it.  

    Hope that when you get the results they are okay. Please let us know how things turn out, Brian

  • Hi Claudia, I was in a similar situation to you 18 months ago. It can take a while to get the correct diagnosis, I've found out since that this is normal (not just prostate). Re prostate, my husband was first advised it was likely prostate cancer, the confirmation was a few weeks later May 2017 with a final diagnosis in August 2017. Treatment started 3 days later. My advice would be to go to the prostate cancer UK website as it explains the different types, and stages. Your husband is young and early diagnosis has better outcomes so you have hope. We had some hope even though the diagnosis was bad, hope kept us going. I agree with woodworm, the developing treatments are amazing and we have benefited from the clinical trials and better diagnosis of exactly where the cancer was. It seems you are hungry for information, there's lots available online. I found it incredibly useful, hubby not so keen to research but was interested in what I found out and it helps at the consultations as you understand a bit and can question what you don't. I think it was the conversations at the consultations that saved my husband's life, seriously. If caught early the prognosis is good, if not (as for us) things can still work out OK. I hope all works out for you all.