cancer treatment centers of america

greg56

hello,

i am new here and nice to meet everyone on the board.
i have been diagnosed with prostate cancer in feburary and then had biopsy april. came back as cancer . gleason score 3 + 4 = 7. my psa before surgery was 0.97. post psa 6 weeks later was 0.55 and then month later was 0.39. now in october its 0.45 . no my uro/surgeon sent me to a radiation oncologist and said radiation therapy is my option. now got second opinion and said ct, bone scan, prostascint scan. now after the tests radiation and hormone therapy.my uro/surgeon says, radiation , but no hoermone therapy, because studies not complete. now eveyone is not on right page. so think about cancer treatment centers of america. what is your thoughts on them?.they found a margin on my path report.i like to talk to ctca and decide on them or the radiation oncologists

muttsrule

cancer treatment centers....
Hi, Greg56, and welcome to the club. First, I don't know anything about CTC. I would like to say or ask a couple of things, though.

Are you doing any research on your own? There are many options out there for someone with numbers like yours, yet I get the impression your surgeon is pushing radiation and ruling everything else out. Ask him why. I would certainly consult with CTC, to collect some more viewpoints. RE: your own research, I recommend two books: 100 Questions and Answers about Prostate Cancer, 2nd. ed, by Pamela Ellsworth, MD. Sudbury, MA: Jones and Bartlett, 2009. My uro gave this one to me, but I reckon it's easily available from a bookstore.

2nd book: Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer, 2nd ed. New York: Warner Wellness, 2007. This one comes from the Johns Hopkins online Health Alerts service. Google "Johns Hopkins Health Alerts."

Finally, I had access to my high school reunion email list, and when I put out the word on my plight, the overwhelming recommendation was radiation seeds. Even so, I chose cryosurgery. Obviously, the recommendations came from all varieties of PSA scores, Gleason numbers, etc., but, FYI.

Good luck and please keep us posted. John in Seattle

janeebe3

CTCA
Greg My husband and I are currently at CTCA as I type. He is 55 with metastatic advanced prostate. Pre surgery Gleason 6 Post DaVinci Gleason 9. This place is awesome they are caring and quick to supply info and treatment plan. Beside helping to build the body with natropathy (to help fight the consequences of treatment) he will have both hormone therapy which will help to surpress the cancer growth And TOMO radiation to kill the cancer cells. We have spoken to numerous patients and care givers that we have met up here and the overall care is supurb. If you would like to chat let me know. janeebe3@bellsouth.net.

Just-tired

Off the page
I'm sorry about your plight. I am writing to you regarding what you said about the doctors not being on the same page. It is very very important for you (or your partner) to stay on top of these doctors. My husband has an inoperable prostate tumor. He had radiation last year, it helped shrink the tumor a little. About a month ago he fell and broke his femur. Turns out after he had surgery, tests etc., it metatasized to his bones.
The doctor's send each other written reports, but they don't talk to one another unless you press it. Tell them to discuss your treatment in unison and then tell you their opinion to allow you to make a decision. Good Luck!

gator880

Choice of Physicians
Hi,
This is tough. Is there one physician with whom you have a rapport, or whom you trust? In my husband's case, it's his urologist. He may not have the full bag of treatments, but he is knowledgable and up front about options. His oncologist pushes chemo, but acknowledges that it will decrease quality of life and is a last resort. He previously pushed a clinical trial elsewhere for which my husband wasn't eligible, and which has had poor results! The urologist gave us a third opinion dr., who was the most experienced. The oncologist pitched a fit, but it's not his life, is it??
Don't settle for a doctor just because he or she is "a doctor." Look around and get referrals from friends/support groups until you find one who knows you as a patient rather than just your PSA! Good luck.

Trew

My 2nd Choice
I was impressed with the way CTCA responded to my inquiry, and their follow-up interest even though I went somewhere else. Quality care is important with PC.

My first choice was Loma Linda University in S Calif because I was hoping to be able to treat my cqancer with proton only.

One thing I did learn from talking with dozens of men with PC is that there seems to be little correlation between PSA numbers and gleason scores.

I wish you well on your choice.