CSN Login
Members Online: 20
CSN Home › Cancer specific › Prostate Cancer

Father in law finished surgery but cancer was not contained...

rockys
Posts: 1
Joined: Apr 2003
Apr 08, 2003 - 3:04 pm

My father in law just had his prostate removed. Prior to the surgery, he had a gleason score of 6 and a PSA of 6.2. The surgery was nerve sparing.

After the surgery, the Gleason Score was raised to 8 and the tumor grade was 3. The margins were not clean.

His bone scan and cat scan showed that the cancer had not spread. The lymph nodes also came up clean.

His doctor is recommending radation, giving his a success rate of 90%. Does that sound right? My mother in law is reading that with a gleason score and tumor grade so high, that localized radation may not do enough or anything. She is thinking maybe to wait until the PSA number rises again.

We are also getting conflicting thought on hormone treatments. To do them and when to do them?

Any thoughts? This is all so scary.

Raquel
jls05
Posts: 2
 Joined: Apr 2003
Apr 08, 2003 - 5:36 pm
Re: Father in law finished surgery but cancer was not contained.

I had surgery 6 years ago. My PSA was 15. I went along 5 years thinking everything was OK. My PSA never went to 0 however. Finally one year ago my PSA rose to 1 and I went through radiation. My PSA has gone to 0 for the first time. My recommendation is to go through all the treatments ASAP. Prolonging and waiting are much to depressing and nerver shattering. I had harmone treatment prior to surgery and for 3 months post surgery. I would opt for all at once and ease your mind.
nutt
Posts: 140
 Joined: Sep 2001
Apr 09, 2003 - 11:58 am
Re: Father in law finished surgery but cancer was not contained.

The following is just opinion since you have not indicated age, overall health and etc... factors to also consider.

Firstly, the overall objective is to rid the body of cancer.

Secondly, the procedure is the next important consideration as each will have their own potential quality of life affects.

If, there were any doubt that the original procedure did not get all of the cancer I would consider two things:
1. a second opinion

2. additional radiation / Chemo if deemed necessary

You need to be careful on which doctor you ask these questions of. Fortunately, my doctor was all for surgery