PSA 43

Connie1954
Connie1954 Member Posts: 4
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
My Daddy is 81 yrs. old. His PSA is 43 and was told today that his only options were chemo or do nothing. He is a diabetic on 4 shots a day. Does anyone have any knowledge of a person his age taking chemo??

Comments

  • txbarton
    txbarton Member Posts: 89 Member
    #2
    Fathers
    Connie,

    Please take this in the positive way it is intended.

    My father was diagnosed at 82. He chose to have seeds implanted. He had no symptoms prior to the diagnosis. What he got from the therapy was incontinence for the final 4 years of his life.

    My father-in-law was diagnosed at 83. He did nothing. Nothing changed for him the final 5 years of his life.

    Neither died of prostate cancer.

    If I knew then what I know now I would have advised my Dad to do nothing.

    Prostate cancer, or any type of cancer, is not a pleasant way to die. Trew recently witnessed a friend die of prostate cancer. In my Dad's case prostate cancer was not what was going to take him; his health wasn't top notch as it was.

    Tough choices but the final decision is your Dad's. When my Dad was diagnosed all I could think was to get rid of the cancer, without thoought of the repercussions of the therapy. Do all you can to get him, and you, as informed as possible oshe can make the right choice for him.

    VB
  • bdhilton
    bdhilton Member Posts: 848 Member
    #3
    txbarton said:

    Fathers
    Connie,

    Please take this in the positive way it is intended.

    My father was diagnosed at 82. He chose to have seeds implanted. He had no symptoms prior to the diagnosis. What he got from the therapy was incontinence for the final 4 years of his life.

    My father-in-law was diagnosed at 83. He did nothing. Nothing changed for him the final 5 years of his life.

    Neither died of prostate cancer.

    If I knew then what I know now I would have advised my Dad to do nothing.

    Prostate cancer, or any type of cancer, is not a pleasant way to die. Trew recently witnessed a friend die of prostate cancer. In my Dad's case prostate cancer was not what was going to take him; his health wasn't top notch as it was.

    Tough choices but the final decision is your Dad's. When my Dad was diagnosed all I could think was to get rid of the cancer, without thoought of the repercussions of the therapy. Do all you can to get him, and you, as informed as possible oshe can make the right choice for him.

    VB

    Quality of life?
    I agree with your thought. My father had PC in his early 60’s and it came back when he was around 79 and he choice to do nothing and died of something else at 81…His choice was based on quality of life..

    Best to all
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,339 Member
    #4
    Chemo
    As I understand, chemo is a big deal.

    My Mother who is 91 was recently diagnosed with breast cancer....She had the cancer removed in Nov. ..........she was offered radiation afterward, however she decided not to have the radiation, because of quality of life, she did not want to go though the radiation process....this was my mothers decision.

    By the way is there something else that your father can have done.....ie hormone shot.

    Ira
  • Connie1954
    Connie1954 Member Posts: 4
    #5
    hopeful and optimistic said:

    Chemo
    As I understand, chemo is a big deal.

    My Mother who is 91 was recently diagnosed with breast cancer....She had the cancer removed in Nov. ..........she was offered radiation afterward, however she decided not to have the radiation, because of quality of life, she did not want to go though the radiation process....this was my mothers decision.

    By the way is there something else that your father can have done.....ie hormone shot.

    Ira

    chemo
    The Dr. said that implanting seed or freezing the prostate would not work. Daddy has already taken Lupron shots and they didn`t work. He stays pretty active, bowls on a league every week! Because he is a diabetic, we see how weak he gets when he prepare for a scan or testing. I am afraid that he wouldn`t do well on chemo. I have ask him to get a second opinion but he says that he has already seen 5 Drs. and doesn`t want to see anymore. So, ultimately, it is going to be his decision. We are trusting that God will direct him in the right direction. Thank you all for your replys. It is so good to talk to someone who understands!
  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    #6
    Connie1954 said:

    chemo
    The Dr. said that implanting seed or freezing the prostate would not work. Daddy has already taken Lupron shots and they didn`t work. He stays pretty active, bowls on a league every week! Because he is a diabetic, we see how weak he gets when he prepare for a scan or testing. I am afraid that he wouldn`t do well on chemo. I have ask him to get a second opinion but he says that he has already seen 5 Drs. and doesn`t want to see anymore. So, ultimately, it is going to be his decision. We are trusting that God will direct him in the right direction. Thank you all for your replys. It is so good to talk to someone who understands!

    Connie, your Dad has reached
    Connie, your Dad has reached a very nice age. It is always nice to live longer, but perhaps your dad is thinking a few good quality years is better than what treatment looks like to him. I am only 61 and I see the look of concern my cancer has given my family, so I do the treatments. But IF I was in my 80's right now, I'd be bowling and that kind of stuff a lot, too. In my 80's I don't think from what I know from experience that I would take the shot, or radiaiton, or sugery. I think I would walk as much as possible, go bowling, savor every meal, and enjoy each day.

    But that would be me.

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