Decision Made

Tech70
Tech70 Member Posts: 70 Member
edited November 2017 in Prostate Cancer #1

To recap, about a month ago I received the result of a prostate biospy.  Here are all my stats:

Age 69

PSA 3.7

12cores taken, 1 showed cancer in one core, 10% of the core

Gleason score 6

Prostate volume 87 cc

PSA density 0.4

Free PSA 0.8

Stage T1c

MRI showed no lesion of concern

Results from Oncotype DX testing on the positive sample were not yet available, but based on the above my urologist and I decided to persue Active Surveillance.  PSA tests will be done every 3 months.  A cofirmational biopsy will be done in 4 months.  If there are no crazy increases in PSA's the plan is for yearly biopsys.

Having finally made this decision, I feel like a weight has been lifted off me.  Thanks to everyone here for suggestions on source material which was very helpful in arriving at this conclusion.  Psychologically I have no problem going forward living with cancer knowing that I will be watched carefully and have other options if things turn negative.  It beats the anxiety of potential side effects possible with more aggressive treatment.

Comments

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,209 Member
    #2
    Time to move on

    Hi Tech,

    Good, sounds like keeping an eye on the bandit is the correct decison base on your "homework". Doing what you want based on the facts is not a wrong decision.

    Dave 3+4

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,530 Member
    #3
    Good decision!

    You have our support and we wish you the best.

  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,346 Member
    #4
    .

    Welcome to the Active Surveillance club.

    Keep on learning. ...

    Hope that you will  post here from time to time.

    Best wishes

     

     

  • ASAdvocate
    ASAdvocate Member Posts: 193 Member
    #5
    You are not taking a chance

    You are doing precisely what the NCCN guidelines state is the default action for your pathology. Any "radical" treatment would need a justification, or your insistence.

    With AS, you can continue to live a normal life, and, hopefully the treatment options will get better while you are on that protocol.

     But, AS is indeed an "active" course. You should have more testing soon, and regular testing the rest of your life.

    You can Google the AS protocols of Johns Hopkins, MSKCC, and Sunnybrook to understand what a formal AS program involves.

    Good luck.

     

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