New to all this and scared

I am so sorry to hear about your husband's problem, and certainly your fear and apprehension are quite normal. But you will not really know much of anything until after the biopsy. Typically there are a few other side tests, but the results will be presented together, when you will get the whole package so to speak. Granted, his PSA is sky high... far beyond anything that could be caused by an infection or prostatitis or anything other than cancer. But everything comes down to the biopsy. We were all "new" to this at one point. We learn as we go along. I suspect it would be safe for you to begin researching advanced prostate cancer or perhaps locally advanced (stage 3).

Most insurance only initially pays for an ultrasound guided biopsy. These have a evry high rate of false negatives, meaning that often they fail to produce any sample of a tumor (which happened in my case). There will also be a bone scan, which is very important in your husband's case. This will give a general idea whether or not any cancer has spread to his bones, which is stage 4 metastatic cancer. Depending on the results of the biopsy and bone scan, there may be additional tests, such as a CT or PET scan or more likely an MRI, to identify the exact location and extent of the tumor.

There is considerable discussion about why the insurance companies do not start with the MRI, which is a non-invasive test and instead insist on poking needles into and thru the prostate, which has the potential to actually CAUSE it to spread. Your husband is on the young side to have advanced cancer. Typically it first appears on men in their sixties. I hope for your sake that his test results come back as something simple, but I fear that is unlikely. You will need to be very strong throughout this process, so be gentle and supportive. There will be some powerful emotions, especially if he ends up on long term hormone therapy or perhaps even chemo. Most treatments for prostate cancer revolve around surgery, several forms of radiation threatment, and as I said, androgen deprived hormone therapy. Chemo is generally a last resort.

Do lots of research, and become familiar with the terminology. Start with Googling the TNM staging scale. And good luck with what is to come.

Redhead,

I'm sorry for the situation that you and your husband are faced with.

ustoo is an international organization that sponsors local support groups. I suggest that you google them to find a support group near where you live for emotional support and knowledge.

Read books, internet. Keep on asking questions here. We are here for you.

Prostate cancer is NOT spead by biopsies. This is a wifes tale....I've had six of them so far (I am in an Active Surveillance program).

As a medical profession, I'm sure that you know that that you need to receive printouts of all tests to share with specialists, etc.

Please note that there is a T3 MRI that uses a 3.0 magnet; this is the the most powerful in ciinical use and provides definition that will show if there is extracapsular extention, that is if the cancer has escaped the prostate. There is also a a bone scan that is recommended for men with a Gleason 8 and above to see if the cancer has traveled to the bone.

You need to read about the Gleason scale so you will know what the doctor may talk about if cancer is found in the prostate.

I strongly recommend that your husband make an appointment for a colonoscopy before treatment, if necessary, since if he receives radiation, a colonoscopy may be more difficult. (I guess from your post that this has not happened, along with other routine tests, that also need to be done). If he is diagnosed with porstate cancer, a bone density test (as a benchmark may be considered). 

Best

H

At this point, I'd say just wait. 

It's too early to tell what you need to read and do research on without a specific diagnosis.  This is especially so since your husband has seemed to developed so many other problems at the same time.   On top of that you don't even know if your husband has prostate cancer yet or not. 

Doing research on available treatments would be a waste of time and cause unncessary worry without knowing exactly whether your husband has prostate cancer or not, how aggressive the cancer is and how extensive it has become.  

You really can't plan to do anything until you know these things.

So, while it will be difficult, try to relax.  Do things to take your and your husband's mind off the problem until you get the biopsy results.  THEN you'll have the information you need to target your research and to make the hard choices that will ultimately follow.

Good luck!

BTW, also try not to worry about the biospy.  Many men go through it painlessly and without any notable difficulties.  That's the way it was for me.  Doesn't mean that it will be the same for your husband but worrying about it will not help.  There really is no other choice.  Just make sure that he takes the Cipro he's given to take before and after the procedure.  Infection is really the greatest risk because the samples are taken transrectally.

After the biopsy, there can be blood in the urine for a few days and blood in semen for a few weeks.

The day of the biopsy, I rest afterward and may use some tylenol. I feel physically fine the next day.  There may be a variance in discomfort by patients after the biopsy.

I live in the So. CA. area, get the biopsy 35 miles from my residence and am driven back (although, sometimes I am the driver) via the freeway where I have to sit in the car for two to three hours, and am very uncomfortable in my seat as the injection to desensitive the prostate wears off,  However two days later would be no problem; in fact one year, a day after the biopsy,  I had to fly  across the country (which was pushing it)

"Mother Redhead" You know who has to be in charge now!!

As far as diet most of us have changed diets after being diagnosed. Basically it is recommended to eat "heart healthy" . Heart healthy is prostate healthy. In fact, heart disease is epidemic and we are more likely to die from heart disease than prostate cancer. Those who have been diagnosed with prostate cancer are less likely to have heart disease because of life style changes.

Dairy and red meat is determental for prostate cancer. I for one now eat a veggie diet with some fish. Others who post here follow a mediterranean diet. There is a dvd that you may wish to view FORKSoverKNIVES, or if you wish a book, The China Study by T. Colin Campbell. Also consider reading the book Eat to Live by Joel Furman, MD. Additionally UCSF had published a complete listing of healthy eating, that SSW first posted at the forum,  however I was not able to locate it right now. Hopefully SSW will share this. However here is a post from UCSF that may be useful...   https://www.ucsfhealth.org/education/heart-healthy_diets/

Best,

H

redhtz said:

wait or not?

Good to hear about your biopsy experience.  Yes he will be taking his Cipro.

I will continue to read and research, it is just my nature.  Hopefully the time spent will be a waste of time.

Do as you please.

All of us could provide you with info that could easily overwhelm you if we did not limit it to the info that you and your husband will actually need after diagnosis.

If you want to read my long "introduction" to prostate cancer treatment for men diagnosed w/a low grade Gleason 6/7 cancer, you can find it in my Feb 10, 2017 post in this thread: http://csn.cancer.org/node/307947

I won't bother reposting it here (as I have frequently elsewhere on this forum) because I do not know if it actually pertains to your husband's treatment needs or not, but it will give you an overview of the basic choices available to men for whom such treatments would be appropriate.

You need to get a radiation oncologist and a medical oncologist on your team right away. You can listen to what the urologist advises, but your husband's situation is unfortunately (!) beyond what urologists are supposed to treat.

It's likely though that androgen deprivation therapy (ADT; hormone therapy) will be in your husband's immediate future.