Genetic Marker for PCa?
I haven't logged on here for awhile and didn't see any previous mention of this.
Following a study at the UCSF Hellen Diller Comprehensive Family Cancer Center (where I was treated for PCa w/Cyberknife), a company is now marketing a genetic test to determine whether immediate treatment or active surveillance is the better choice. Based on the study of 400 PCa patients, the number of patients determined to be eligible for active surveillance increased from 10 to 26%. Of course, many men (like I did) decide to receive treatment (either surgery or radiation) even though their cancer is determined to be low risk and, although treatment for PCa may be unnecessary, this genetic test does not resolve the uncertainty and concern that accompanies a diagonsis of PCa -- low risk or not.
For a a discussion of this "new" test, see: http://www.sfchronicle.com/health/article/New-gene-test-guides-prostate-therapy-4497471.php
OBTW, for those who have been following my story in the past, my recent bout of urinary bleeding stopped on its own a couple of weeks ago. The "problem" fell w/in the patterns of delayed radiation effect, which in my case followed a little later than "normal" -- about 30 montns (rather than 18-24 months) following treatment.
I also started taking Flowmax in order to address urinary frequency and urgency issues that have persisted despite the radiation treatment. My prostate was noticeably enlarged (BPH) when the urologist did the cystoscopy in order to determine the source of the urinary bleeding (which was apparently located w/int he urinary tract w/in the prostate).
I swore that I would not take Flowmax (again) because of the "retrograde ejaculation" effect which causes the semen to flow into the bladder instead of out of your penis. However, my ejaculate flow was decreasing significantly anyway and I wanted to see if the Flowmax would reduce my PSA scores, which have not dropped below 1 since my CK treatment. My guess is that the BPH and urinary bleeding/irriation have been keeping the PSA scores up and that Flowmax "may" improve these conditions and cause the PSA scores to go down. Next PSA test is due the end of June and will know then if the drug had any effect on my PSA or not.
I also recently had 3 cortisone shots (2 in my spine and 1 in my hip) for back pain and am scheduled for double hernia surgery in a couple of weeks. It's a b*tch getting old and, if it's not one thing, it's another!!!! Oh well . . .
Comments
-
The other company doing the gene test for prostate cancer0
-
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 CSN Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 121.9K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 446 Bladder Cancer
- 309 Bone Cancers
- 1.6K Brain Cancer
- 28.5K Breast Cancer
- 398 Childhood Cancers
- 27.9K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.4K Kidney Cancer
- 671 Leukemia
- 794 Liver Cancer
- 4.1K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 237 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.1K Ovarian Cancer
- 63 Pancreatic Cancer
- 487 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.5K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 540 Sarcoma
- 734 Skin Cancer
- 654 Stomach Cancer
- 191 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.9K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.3K Lifestyle Discussion Boards