52yo Gleason score of 3+4 in San Diego

sith55

I have a follow up call from my doctor about treatment, surgery, radiation or continued surveillance.

I'm a firefighter and in good health, workout almost every day.

Anyone receive treatment in San Diego?

I've read about other protocols; anyone try them during active surveillance?

Thank you in advance for any response.

sith55

Wheel

sith55,

If you are able to share more details from your Biopsy report regarding numbers of cores containing cancer and Gleason scores of each, any cribriform pattern, along with PSA history that would be helpful to members for their comments. In addition you mention continued Active Surveillance. How long have you been on AS? I don’t know about treatment in San Diego, but I imagine UCSD Medical Center, Moores Comprehensive Cancer center is good. Also you are not far from numerous comprehensive cancer centers of excellence in Orange county and LA, such as UCLA Jonsson, UCI Chao, USC Norris , City of Hope, Cedars-Sinai, along with numerous other top notch hospitals including Hoag Hospital. Being in Southern California you have a plethora of treatment centers depending on the treatment that you are looking for as some offer newer treatments that others don’t and you might decide to travel from San Diego to LA for a surgical technique or focal radiation procedure from a certain high volume experienced Surgeon or Radiation oncologist.

sith55

Hi Wheel,

So, I was diagnosed 3+3 in 2023 and this year I am now 3+4.

4 of the 12 samples are listed as Adenocarcinoma.

3+4=7 grade group 2 tumor length 0.8 cm core length 1.6 cm percent of biopsy 50%

3+3=6 grade group 1 tumor length 0.7 cm core length 1.5 cm percent of biopsy 47%

3+3=6 grade group 1 tumor length 0.1 cm core length 1.0 cm percent of biopsy 10%

3+3=6 grade group 1 tumor length 0.3 cm core length 1.8 cm percent of biopsy 17%

The rest state Benign prostate tissue

My PSA 2020 2.99 and 3.1

2021 3.78

2023 6.82, 5.88, 4.14

2024 5.19, 5.77

I haven't done a PSA since December 2024; my last biopsy was February 2025.

I'm in the Sharp system; how do I go about contacting places in LA or Orange County?

I'm very new to this and any help would be appreciated!

Wheel

sith55,

I don’t know if your urologist sent off biopsy tissue for Decipher testing, but that testing can help make any call about even considering staying on AS. It tests your genomic makeup of your cancer for aggressiveness. If they did not do this ask them to. Also the one core of 7(3+4) could be sent for a second opinion at John Hopkins to see if they were to downgrade to 3+3 which could also help in your decision about AS unless your Decipher score put your cancer into into the mid to higher aggressiveness which you would likely look at quicker treatment. As for Sharp I have heard of them in San Diego but believe your health insurance would limit you to treatment at their facilities. At an open season for health insurance usually in October you could opt likely if your employer offers options you could find a PPO instead of Sharp or another insurance plan that is not tied to specific hospitals. Its like if you are in Kaiser you have to go to Kaiser, or Sharp to their hospitals, while other insurance like Cigna, blue cross or others would allow you to see any of doctors at the other facilities if they take that insurance plan. Each of the major comprehensive cancer centers have their prostate cancer sections that will schedule you to see a doctor in their urology oncology by calling them or going through their website.