going to deal with this

bspeed54

I was informed today that I have a low grade prostate cancer with my psa level at 30. This was done at the VA Hospital. I was told that the good thing is that its low grade but that high psa level is concerning. CT,bone scan was ordered, but didnt discuss anything about taking meds to see if we can get those psa numbers down. I felt like I was being pushed into getting the prostae removed in a sense, he mentioned to watch and see

Old Salt

Biopsy?

Could you please tell us more about the result of the biopsy? That info will allow us to give advice. But please be aware that we are not medical professionals.

 

PS: High PSA levels can result from prior sex, stimulation of the prostate (DRE), biking, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) etc.

VascodaGama

Doing things coordinately and timely

Bspeed

The PSA is high but it could be due to an added fact such as infection or hyperplasia. PSA is not only related to prostate cancer (PCa). In this respect, one should know that there are several variants of prostate cancer. Some are more aggressive than others, which may require a treatment more aggressive (combination therapy). The treatment, therefore, is decided with basis on the clinical stage of the patient. It resumes in getting the best available information regarding the type of cancerous cells and about their location. Has it metastasized?

Age of the patient, his fitness and other existing illnesses will also weight when choosing a treatment.
It is common for doctors to recommend their speciality as the prime choice. Urologists recommend surgery as much as radiologists recommend radiotherapy. Both treatments can provide cure but some may be more appropriate to a certain case than others. However, in the end, it is the patient that will give the final decision, therefore one should try to educate in the matter as much as one can. Getting second opinions on the data and consulting several specialists in each type of treatment is a must do thing before deciding.

If your cancer is that low grade then you have enough time to research in detail about the problem, about what is available and about the risks of the treatments and their side effects that may become permanent. Incontinence is common in surgery approaches. Radiation may cause colitis. You may become unable of fathering a child. Erection dysfunction is typical in PCa therapies. Etc, etc, etc. 
Low grade patients may postpone treatment controlling the case with Active Surveillance (AS).

 All decisions should involve the opinion of the family because those members will also be affected. Fortunately PCa does not spread overnight. One is what it is in the present not what will be in the future. In any case one should procure a solution/therapy most convenient to his case. Do things timely and coordinately.

Best of lucks in your journey.

Welcome to the board.

VGama

 

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

VascodaGama said:

Doing things coordinately and timely

Bspeed

The PSA is high but it could be due to an added fact such as infection or hyperplasia. PSA is not only related to prostate cancer (PCa). In this respect, one should know that there are several variants of prostate cancer. Some are more aggressive than others, which may require a treatment more aggressive (combination therapy). The treatment, therefore, is decided with basis on the clinical stage of the patient. It resumes in getting the best available information regarding the type of cancerous cells and about their location. Has it metastasized?

Age of the patient, his fitness and other existing illnesses will also weight when choosing a treatment.
It is common for doctors to recommend their speciality as the prime choice. Urologists recommend surgery as much as radiologists recommend radiotherapy. Both treatments can provide cure but some may be more appropriate to a certain case than others. However, in the end, it is the patient that will give the final decision, therefore one should try to educate in the matter as much as one can. Getting second opinions on the data and consulting several specialists in each type of treatment is a must do thing before deciding.

If your cancer is that low grade then you have enough time to research in detail about the problem, about what is available and about the risks of the treatments and their side effects that may become permanent. Incontinence is common in surgery approaches. Radiation may cause colitis. You may become unable of fathering a child. Erection dysfunction is typical in PCa therapies. Etc, etc, etc. 
Low grade patients may postpone treatment controlling the case with Active Surveillance (AS).

 All decisions should involve the opinion of the family because those members will also be affected. Fortunately PCa does not spread overnight. One is what it is in the present not what will be in the future. In any case one should procure a solution/therapy most convenient to his case. Do things timely and coordinately.

Best of lucks in your journey.

Welcome to the board.

VGama

 

VA

 Bspeed,

Sorry about your high PSA.  "30" is quite, quite high.  It is good that further tests are pending. As Old Salt mentioned, you need to forward more details for much of an informed response here.  I would get a paper copy of every test result of every test that is run, even if the results are available online.  Perhaps the most important number in PCa is your GLEASON SCORE, which comes from the biopsy report.

I have used the VA for my health care in the past (I do not use the VA currently), and was a vendor to the VA a few years ago. I know that most of their small clincs and some small VA hospitals do not have in-house oncologists, but subcontract to local cancer centers for most cancers.  Prostate cancer, both for the VA and civilians, is often handled by a urologist. But, as Vasco mentioned, a urologist is mostly going to know and recommend urological services, as in surgical removal.  IF you have cancer spread out of the prostate gland itself, surgery is usually a bad idea, and also will not be curative by itself.  And, you would need to see at that point either a radiation oncologist or a medical oncologist, or both.

If you were exposed to Agent Organge, be aware that prostate cancer is one of the cancers that automatically entitles Veterans to cancer care, without proof that the Agent Orange actually caused the cancer.  This also tends to sort of "fast track" VA cancer treatment generally.

Unless your doctor is very certain that no cancer has escaped the gland (he will need EVIDENCE to think this). I would not rush in to surgery. Instead, I would demand to see a medical oncologist.

Let us know your Gleason Score, if you have it available.

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/conditions/prostate_cancer.asp

 

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