Newly Diagnosed; PSA 5.5, Gleason 8

Jane3132
Jane3132 Member Posts: 1
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
My husband was recently diagnosed with PC; PSA 5.5,Gleason 8, 7 out of 10 positive needles with 10 - 95% cancer; Bone Scan & CT Clear; Seeking 2nd Opinion (Surgery & Radiation) Next Week @ Fox Chase Cancer Center Questions: Has anyone else had those types of numbers and if so, what treatment did you select and how are you doing? Also, is surgery ruled out due to Gleason 8 and probability of PC outside the capsule?

Comments

  • rogermoore
    rogermoore Member Posts: 264 Member
    #2
    Good morning Jane,

    I'm sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis, however with his gleason score, there are more than one option available to him.

    First, I highly recommend as a resource purchasing the book "Prostate & Cancer" a family guide to diagnosis, treatment and survival. The author is Sheldon Marks, MD. It does an excellent job of explaining the different types and treatments available for Prostate Cancer.

    Certainly get a second opinion, and by ALL means select your surgeon, or Doctor carefully. You and your husband should be VERY comfortable with your (his) choice. My initial reaction to the gleason reading is that Surgery should still be an option, although that would be better evaluated by your Dr of second opinion.

    I am a 4 yr survivor of a radical prostatectomy and have resumed a completely normal life in all ways. Obviously, everyone is different and have different opinions, but I have never regretted taking the surgery avenue of treatment. I wanted to be completely free of the cancer.

    To answer your question, my readings were similiar, but I think my gleason score was 6. I am so pleased you found this site. It is an excellent source of support and feedback from others that have "been there done that"

    Feel free to e-mail if you like or to make other postings on this board, it is monitored daily by others as well as me.

    Roger
  • mbeavers
    mbeavers Member Posts: 28
    #3
    Jane,
    I was diagnosed in Jan. 2001. PSA 26 & Gleason similar to your husband. My cancer was already "out of the Box" I had Casodex & Lupron to shrink the cancer. Then 3-d radiation treatment at Southwest urology in Brunswick, Ohio. Dr Patel. I tolerated the radiation treatment well, I worked every day and walked 2-3 miles. The hormone therapy on the other hand was a bit more of an issue with me. I only had the treatment for 9 months and stopped. Psa numbers were way down after radiation and hormone therapy, but rose after I stopped. Went back on Hormone therapy with same results. after 9 months. Psa went up to 76 in 2003 had an Orchiectomy in fall 2004 and now am on Casodex only (just started) The cancer had metastacized to my spine and several ribs with some discomfort when I overextended myself. Shoveling snow & scrapinfg wallpaper. (did I mention our century home) I have only been on Casodex for about a week and I swear the back and rib pain is lessening. Latest PSA was 3.3 go for another test in a month or two.
    Four years and fighting. Good luck to your husband, he is in my prayers

    mbeavers
  • 2ndBase
    2ndBase Member Posts: 220
    #4
    My PSA was 23 with Gleason of 9 in Nov.02. I had one shot of Lupron,Casodex for one month and the maximun radiation after that. Since then I lost my job and ins. but my last psa was less than .5. Im taking vicodin for pain and my doctor wants a cat scan on my brain due to some balance issues but Im waiting till I get ins. again which could be in about 3 months. I have outlived my original dx. so its hard to complain. Best of luck to you and just do what you think is right and be willing to accept the consequences. Its not easy to go through but you will make it.
  • lindatn
    lindatn Member Posts: 229
    #5
    My husband had a psa of 60 cancer in six of the eight core biospies, graded a seven. In any case ct and bone were clear. That was 2 years ago psa is .3 He chose radiation with the new conformal for 16 of the treatments, 42 all together, lupron while he was in radiation and he was to have it for six months but hated it and chose not to but for thirty days after radiation. This was done at Vanderbilt and it is beginning to look like the cure rate is about the same as with surgery. No major side effects. Just one more thing to consider and remember diet does play a part in pc. we no longer eat any red meat or sugar, lots of vitamins and mineral. He is 65 so we pray for more years. I am a three years bc survivior so we have checked out a lot about cancer, more then we ever wanted to know. Good luck in what ever you decide, and God Bless Linda
  • travler
    travler Member Posts: 1
    #6
    lindatn said:

    My husband had a psa of 60 cancer in six of the eight core biospies, graded a seven. In any case ct and bone were clear. That was 2 years ago psa is .3 He chose radiation with the new conformal for 16 of the treatments, 42 all together, lupron while he was in radiation and he was to have it for six months but hated it and chose not to but for thirty days after radiation. This was done at Vanderbilt and it is beginning to look like the cure rate is about the same as with surgery. No major side effects. Just one more thing to consider and remember diet does play a part in pc. we no longer eat any red meat or sugar, lots of vitamins and mineral. He is 65 so we pray for more years. I am a three years bc survivior so we have checked out a lot about cancer, more then we ever wanted to know. Good luck in what ever you decide, and God Bless Linda

    Dear Linda Sorry about your husband..Had a PSA of 5.2 with a Gleason 8 ..went to mayo which suggested radical surgery, Went to Southwest Oncology Scottsdale AZ Dr. Gorden Grado MD.
    underwent 5 weeks radiation, Lupron, and Bracheytherepy (seed implants) about 3 weeks ago.
  • russwhot
    russwhot Member Posts: 13
    #7
    I had a 5.6 with gleason 6. I chose homeopathic treatment for a year, then took conventional radiation. A year and 8 months after treatment, my psa is 0.6. My cancer was weakened by homeopathic treatment. Also, I used hormone therapy on my own, even though the conventional doc said I didn't need it. www.arcnutrition.com has a product called Prostate-Res that is the latest and best herb blend that offers apoptotic possibilities. I am glad I took the route I did. My prostate is still functioning. My diet helps. However, conventional medicine will not recommend any homeopathic therapy, even though, up to 80 years ago, homeopathic was the only road to travel. If your husband wants to deal with the possible side effects, surgery is probably still an option. Depends a lot on his age. It's tempting, because IF the surgery gets ALL the cancer cells, your husband will be free of prostate cancer forever. If surgery does not get it all, then there is still a very good chance radiation can finish the job. After all your investigation, you will realize that everyone reacts in their own way to the different treatment options. What works for your husband may not work for me, and vice versa. Good luck and try not to worry too much about it.
  • kurtk
    kurtk Member Posts: 1
    #8
    I am going on 5 years after treatment. My numbers were similar but a bit lower. My wife, bless her, is an insatiable researcher and between the two of us read everything we could get our hands on while I was going through the process of evaluation. Full body X-ray and ct scans were all clear. The cancer was contained in the prostate. Long story short, I sellected the seed implant treatment and am thrilled with the results - not to mention the proceedure itself.

    I went into the hospital on Friday morning (8:00 AM) and went home at 3:30 PM. I was a bit sore an Saturday, felt almost normal on Sunday, and went back to work Monday. I have had absolutely NO side effects, and the PSA is at 1.2. My wife and I met 25 years ago when she was 21 and I was 41 and our sex is as good now as it was then. And, although I do use 1/2 of a Viagra pill, I think that has more to do with age than the cancer treatment. Please don't let your husband elect surgery until you thoroughly research the seed implants, or unless his condition would absolutely demand it.
  • BarbaraNoonan
    BarbaraNoonan Member Posts: 1
    #9
    Jane, my husband was diagnosed in November (2004)with PSA 7.7 and Gleason 6. He chose, after much research to do the 3 pronged attack: Lupron, external beam and the seeds. He has completed 15 treatments with 10 to go. So far so good. Lupron causes hot flashes. We joke--welcome to my world!
  • artguy
    artguy Member Posts: 3
    #10
    hello, i'm 57, and in january 2oo1 my psa was5.5 and my gleason 8 i had a radical prostatectomy,followded by radiation treatments, and currently i,m on hormonal .therapy a friend, told me "donot become a victim, this has helped my thinking and my resolve. i'm with you wishing you the best

    artguy
  • Photon
    Photon Member Posts: 57
    #11
    Dear Jane

    This message will be too late for your Husbands treatment decision. My numbers were almost the same as his low PSA all 10 needles Gleason 8s &7s. I had a RP, post op psa 0.3 which continued at that level for 5 months was then given 31 sessions of radiotherapy. Scan is now clear and psa 0.22. I hope his treatment has gone well.

    However I also believe that my body is my responsibilty and wanted to continue the fight against this dreaded disease therefore changed my diet after having read the book "Your Life is Your Responsiblity" by an English Natural Science Professor, Jane Plant, whose breast cancer would not go away after all the medical treatments. The bottom line of the book is that diary and red meat contain insulin growth hormones that have been linked to the increases in the hormonal cancers. I cut out all diary and most red meats... I now eat occasional organic welsh lamb. I also eat only organic products. By the way I replaced cows milk with organic soya...its ok. Her cancer went away with this diet and her basis for this is the low incidence of hormonal cancers in Asian countries that have a low diary intake and high soya diet.

    I wish you and your husband the best..keep fighting

    Best wishes
    David
  • Bluehen
    Bluehen Member Posts: 1
    #12
    PSA
    All should read and research a supplement called Zyflamend, www.newchapter.info
    tested a Columbia Medical School.
  • Butch1969
    Butch1969 Member Posts: 25
    #13
    BarbaraNoonan said:

    Jane, my husband was diagnosed in November (2004)with PSA 7.7 and Gleason 6. He chose, after much research to do the 3 pronged attack: Lupron, external beam and the seeds. He has completed 15 treatments with 10 to go. So far so good. Lupron causes hot flashes. We joke--welcome to my world!

    Welcome to my world

    wife and I have competing hot and cold flashes . It results in a lot of laughter !

  • Butch1969
    Butch1969 Member Posts: 25
    #14
    PSA 6.5 / Gleason 8i

    I'm doing brachy seeds, radiation treatment and homones.   So far so good.  Only the hormones are annoying.  Hot flashes with wife and I competing who has the hotist hot flashes.  I hope it works. 

    My question to the oncologist was how do you know if you killed this or not ?  His answer was .."well if you're alive in 10 years then we killed it.  If not, then , we didn't !"   It made me laugh but the clarity of the answer was the truth.  The doctors just don't know when it comes to cancer. The statistics for 5 years are good, but, beyond that ....who knows ?

     

     

  • Swingshiftworker
    Swingshiftworker Member Posts: 1,017 Member
    #15
    Butch1969 said:

    PSA 6.5 / Gleason 8i

    I'm doing brachy seeds, radiation treatment and homones.   So far so good.  Only the hormones are annoying.  Hot flashes with wife and I competing who has the hotist hot flashes.  I hope it works. 

    My question to the oncologist was how do you know if you killed this or not ?  His answer was .."well if you're alive in 10 years then we killed it.  If not, then , we didn't !"   It made me laugh but the clarity of the answer was the truth.  The doctors just don't know when it comes to cancer. The statistics for 5 years are good, but, beyond that ....who knows ?

     

     

    Stop Posting to Stale Threads!

    Butch, you really need to stop posting to stale threads, like this one that are many years old.  I think this is the 5th or 6th post that you've recently posted to a stale thread.

    Please look at the date of the final post in the thread.  If it's over a year, it's basically dead.  If you have something to say or have a question, please start a thread of your own.

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