My grandpa, 81yrs- told has Prostate Cancer/ PSA of 25 from LAB Work / he's waiting for me to tell h

kesley

My grandpa, 81yrs- told has Prostate Cancer/ PSA of 25 from LAB Work / he's waiting for me to tell him what to do next. HELP!!!!

My grandpa has had Type 2 Diabetes for years now and does not watch it as well as he should. He does not get regular check ups either. He is scared to death of any diagnostic procedure and has procrastinated for years to have anything checked. He finally went to see a doctor because the extreme numbness in his feet and lower legs. The doctor did some blood work and the Lab results revealed the "High" PSA level of 25. This was 3mo's ago and he still has not made any appointments to have it further checked out. He just told me today actually. Can anyone confirm for me that this is a huge deal? Please if anyone has gone through this can you tell me your experience and opinion. I realize every case if completely different, but any first hand information you can offer will help me better assess this situation. I want to be informed to the best of my knowledge of the reality of this situation. Should I really push my grandpa to get a definite diagnosis, or at his age if he really is too scared to seek help should I back off and let him enjoy his remaining years peacefully not knowing the unknown. Any thoughts will be so appreciated. God Bless

hopeful and optimistic

Hi
Your grandfather has apparently made his own decisions about his health......I know that I would seek medical attention , but I'm me and he is he. Kesley, if you are a male I would have my Psa checked and get a digital rectal exam since prostate cancer can run in families.

Ira

shane59

hopeful and optimistic said:

Hi
Your grandfather has apparently made his own decisions about his health......I know that I would seek medical attention , but I'm me and he is he. Kesley, if you are a male I would have my Psa checked and get a digital rectal exam since prostate cancer can run in families.

Ira

To be honest
well i have worked with many elderly men at his age there is not a lot options some docs give hormone injections that seem to help ,heck hes made it to 81 .Some people say at that age it may not be what kills him .All I can say is let him decide ,sorry i cant tell you anything you dont already know it all comes down to quality of life at his age .Best wishes and hope all goes well Shane59. ps as also stated if its in the family get all the men checked for there own peace of mind your Grandad may have saved his family

Kentr

Kesley
At his age, I think I'd leave things alone. As Hopeful noted, he's already made his decision by default. Without a baseline PSA reading there's no way of knowing how long his PSA has been elevated so it could be he's been in that range for YEARS. I'd be more concerned about his diabetes situation and the numbness in his feet and lower legs.

Our thoughts and prayers are with you both.

Kent

bdhilton

Your grandfather sounds like a wise man
81 and still whistling …pretty good…the advise seem sound on this string right now…be more worried about his quality of life with diabetes and get yourself checked out for PC before you are 40 with a history in the family…best of luck

active surveillance

Hi Kesley
Yes your last words inscribe the truth in what you MUST do... Let him live the joy of his remaining years without the nightmarish protocols of battling Prostate Cancer -- and for him there is no point anyway! I hope he is continent in these years.
I am wide read in all of this crap including Diabetes 2, I wish I had never been forced into these arenas but "something will arrive in this life to carry us to the next". So find some Alpha-Lapoic acid tabs , at least 300 mg or more per day and see if his nerves feel better or symptoms decrease. He should take this his remainder of days.. Give him tons of pomegranite juice, green tea, aloe, and
Lycopene , i.e. , lots of antioxidants for both maladys heretofore mentioned.
My favorite less $$ supplements come from Swansons' on line .
Take his mind and eye off the storm in favor of the joys of the gentle rain.
Love and healing

tr008

Grampa
I think you are getting good advice from this forum. It takes someone who has had to make that decision to understand completely. At his age with his other problems I'd say that prostate cancer is NOT what he is going to die from. My father just died last summer at very nearly 99 yoa. He'd had high psa numbers for quite some time, going back to some 40 years ago when they didn't know what to do and frequently did nothing. He did not die of Prostate Cancer.

Tom

Evagirl

Kelsey
Kelsey


My DH has had a high psa for years...

and had 2 negative biopsy...was just recently diagnosed with Prostate C.
medium to low grade...I believe very slow growing...

a high psa is not a definate C. diagnosis, but could be...Only God Knows

I feel your pain...Your wondering if you should push it or not...
maybe talk to his dr. and find out how long he has had the high psa..
Has he had any urinary trouble?


I kind of concur with the above suggestions....Pray...give him good nutrition and
if he has not major urinary problems...let him paddle on in life w/a smile on his
face...if he knows the good Lord...then he only has heaven to gain...
Boy wont it be wonderful to make enter , where there will be no pain or the big C!

erisian

Evagirl said:

Kelsey
Kelsey


My DH has had a high psa for years...

and had 2 negative biopsy...was just recently diagnosed with Prostate C.
medium to low grade...I believe very slow growing...

a high psa is not a definate C. diagnosis, but could be...Only God Knows

I feel your pain...Your wondering if you should push it or not...
maybe talk to his dr. and find out how long he has had the high psa..
Has he had any urinary trouble?


I kind of concur with the above suggestions....Pray...give him good nutrition and
if he has not major urinary problems...let him paddle on in life w/a smile on his
face...if he knows the good Lord...then he only has heaven to gain...
Boy wont it be wonderful to make enter , where there will be no pain or the big C!

If he wants to know
It sounds like he doesn't, but if he does, then another PSA test would be enough to get an idea of the aggressiveness, or lack thereof, of the cancer. The high PSA number by itself is not enough, but another test now after the three months would show whether or not it is changing rapidly. If it isn't, then you (and he) can stop worrying about it. Chances are that it is not aggressive, because the older a man is at diagnosis, the more likely it is to be slow-growing.

socks

2 do?, or not 2 do?
Hey there. I have just finished with my prostate radiation. (38 treatments)every day except wknds. I hope this is the last of it. But if i was 81 i would not have had the surgery or the rads. If he's got good control of is continence don't even think of any kind of surgery or radiation. Just deal with his diabetes and let him enjoy the rest of his life however long that may be. My father had surgery @75yrs, wish he hadn't done it. i think it cut his good time down considerably, he was ok but not like before the surgery. Now, i know it would have been better just to do nothing. He died at 82. Oh by the way i am 62 now had the surgery at 61. For me it was the right thing to do. (i'm pretty sure.). Hey Ur good!

finbar

Grandpa
I've Well,Kesley, I've read the replies you've received to your HELP.
I guesss I'm the contrarian.
Last year I was 83 and diagnosed with prostate cancer. In generally good
health, I've had type 2 diabetes for some 20 years. My urologist informed
that the cutoff date for surgery is the age of 74 and set up an appointment
with a radiologist who spoke of radiation, of injections and the insertion
of radioactive seeds. I asked about all the side effects and on hearing these
I said to myself "no way, I'm getting a second opinion".
I knew of the 10 year rule and I figured I had more to live and I wanted the
damned thing o-u-t.
I undertook robotic surgery and here a year later, I'm feeling terrific; my PSA
is zero and my diabetes is under control.
I remember the line in a fairly recent movie: 'either you get on living or you
get on dying". I chose to live and live well and I'm 84 now.

Of course, it's your granddad's choice.

randy_in_indy

finbar said:

Grandpa
I've Well,Kesley, I've read the replies you've received to your HELP.
I guesss I'm the contrarian.
Last year I was 83 and diagnosed with prostate cancer. In generally good
health, I've had type 2 diabetes for some 20 years. My urologist informed
that the cutoff date for surgery is the age of 74 and set up an appointment
with a radiologist who spoke of radiation, of injections and the insertion
of radioactive seeds. I asked about all the side effects and on hearing these
I said to myself "no way, I'm getting a second opinion".
I knew of the 10 year rule and I figured I had more to live and I wanted the
damned thing o-u-t.
I undertook robotic surgery and here a year later, I'm feeling terrific; my PSA
is zero and my diabetes is under control.
I remember the line in a fairly recent movie: 'either you get on living or you
get on dying". I chose to live and live well and I'm 84 now.

Of course, it's your granddad's choice.

Finbar
You prove that each persons situation is just that...and anything or any way is really an option.....I feel it is really in how one approaches it with attitude...doing what you believe in usually seems the way to go.... but then again I hear and see storys of people who just seem to be very unlucky and have misfortune day after day. Congrats on your choice and outcome!

Randy_in_indy

bdhilton

socks said:

2 do?, or not 2 do?
Hey there. I have just finished with my prostate radiation. (38 treatments)every day except wknds. I hope this is the last of it. But if i was 81 i would not have had the surgery or the rads. If he's got good control of is continence don't even think of any kind of surgery or radiation. Just deal with his diabetes and let him enjoy the rest of his life however long that may be. My father had surgery @75yrs, wish he hadn't done it. i think it cut his good time down considerably, he was ok but not like before the surgery. Now, i know it would have been better just to do nothing. He died at 82. Oh by the way i am 62 now had the surgery at 61. For me it was the right thing to do. (i'm pretty sure.). Hey Ur good!

Socks
How long was it from your surgery to radiation treatments? Thanks

JR1949

I agree
Kesley,
I agree with all of the comments in this forum. From my experience and what I have read in my research, I would suggest that your grandpa get another PSA and I would talk to his doctor about it. It is my understanding that at his age prostate cancer is not likely what will cause his death. Of course only grandpa and/or the family can make the final decision regarding treatment. I agree that you should definitely concentrate on treating the Type 2 diabetes. May God bless grandpa and show you the path to take.