New diagnosis - just had first hormone shot

Tweety50

I was diagnosed about two weeks ago. PSA 5.6 and Gleason 8/9. CT scan and Bone scan were fine. Based on Gleason scores and large volume of tumor doctors did not think surgery was the best option. T2b or T2c tumor. Started hormone shots and will have IGRT in a couple of months. Has anyone had a similar situation? Any advice?
Thanks,
Don

lewvino

Don,
Sorry to hear about
Don,
Sorry to hear about your numbers. It is good news that the CT scan and bone scan came back good though. I'm sure someone will respond that is in a similar situation as you.
Good luck on your treatments and hang in there. I was curious how old you are also if you care to share.

Larry
age 54
PSA 5.1
Gleason 7 (3 cores at 4+3 and 2 cores at 3+4)

Tweety50

I'm 58

I'm 58

lewvino

Tweety50 said:

I'm 58

I'm 58

Don,
You might want to check
Don,
You might want to check over on another forum I'm on called http://www.healingwell.com/

then go to their prostate cancer section. They have some very active guys and ladies on the site with men in various stages of the disease. I look at both forums very often.

Larry

gaburrell

Hormone treatment
Don,

Hang in there buddy.

I start Hormone Treatment in 3 days.

My PSA just jumped from 6.4 to 10 in the last two weeks. My Gleason Score is still 7 (3 + 4).

How do you feel? Anything feel diferent? Let me know.

Gil

2ndBase

My psa was 24 and gleason 9. I took one Lupron shot and the 40 radiation treatments starting a month later. I was given about a year to live over 5.5 years ago. That is all the treatment I've had and probably will refuse any more. My success is due to getting all the stress out of my life. I really do not dwell on the cancer, which is still there and getting worse. I stay busy doing things I enjoy, be it work or play. You are right to skip the surgery option as it has very likely spread by now. The radiation will kill all the cancer in the prostate as it did for me. Just do what the doctors have told you and enjoy life every day.

gaburrell

2ndBase said:

My psa was 24 and gleason 9. I took one Lupron shot and the 40 radiation treatments starting a month later. I was given about a year to live over 5.5 years ago. That is all the treatment I've had and probably will refuse any more. My success is due to getting all the stress out of my life. I really do not dwell on the cancer, which is still there and getting worse. I stay busy doing things I enjoy, be it work or play. You are right to skip the surgery option as it has very likely spread by now. The radiation will kill all the cancer in the prostate as it did for me. Just do what the doctors have told you and enjoy life every day.

Thanks 2nd Base,

What you say makes alot of sense.

I really have been doing alot of things I wasn't doing for a while, Like exercising more.

Gil

Tweety50

gaburrell said:

Hormone treatment
Don,

Hang in there buddy.

I start Hormone Treatment in 3 days.

My PSA just jumped from 6.4 to 10 in the last two weeks. My Gleason Score is still 7 (3 + 4).

How do you feel? Anything feel diferent? Let me know.

Gil

Hormones
Gil,

It's been a week and I don't feel anything yet. I don't know when I should expect something. I'll post when I notice a change.

Good Luck with yours.

Don

Medcomglen

New Diagnosis
Hi Tweety50,

I was diagnosed as a gleason 7, PSA 14.7 but decided on just hormone therapy due to the extent of my disease. I wasn't a candidate for surgery and the Radiation Oncologist said he couldn't radiate my whole body and to save radiation for bone pain if and when that happens.
Are you taking Lupron injections and or Casodex? Some of us on these boards have started with a new hormone therapy called Firmagon.
You can read our experience's...http://csn.cancer.org/node/170142

Wishing you the best,
Glen

Tweety50

Medcomglen said:

New Diagnosis
Hi Tweety50,

I was diagnosed as a gleason 7, PSA 14.7 but decided on just hormone therapy due to the extent of my disease. I wasn't a candidate for surgery and the Radiation Oncologist said he couldn't radiate my whole body and to save radiation for bone pain if and when that happens.
Are you taking Lupron injections and or Casodex? Some of us on these boards have started with a new hormone therapy called Firmagon.
You can read our experience's...http://csn.cancer.org/node/170142

Wishing you the best,
Glen

New Diagnosis
Hi Glen,

I'm just on Lupron. Had my first injection a couple of weeks ago. I've been reading on the boards a lot about Casodex and I'm going to ask my Dr about it. Hadn't seen much about what you're taking, but I'll ask him about that too. I'm going to get another opinion on the 26th so I'll have some information to compare. The bone scan didn't show anything and the Radiologist Oncologist thinks perhaps it hasn't spread, but the Medical Oncologist seemed to think that at a Gleason 9, it has spread and we just can't see it yet. I don't have any pain or symptoms. I had the biopsy based solely on the PSA going from 2.8 to 5.6 in a year. I haven't noticed anything from the Lupron yet. Thanks for your info.

Take care,
Don

Medcomglen

ProstaScint scan
Glad to hear your bone scan was clear. I had a ProstaScint scan that detected the extent of my disease so you may want to ask your Oncologist. Here's a link on ProstaScints...http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/staging/pscint.htm

Good luck!
Glen