Newly diagnosis

mhl
mhl Member Posts: 9
in Prostate Cancer #1

My husband and  I  live in New Jersey he is 66 years  has a PSA of 76 yes 76 this was checked twice  and yes he was getting a exam every year.  His rectal exam was negative and he has had no symptoms inspite of such a high PSA  We had a biospy done and all the sections showed cancer. His gleason score is 3+4=7 and after having a a bone scan and CT  he has no metastasis  thank God.  Can't remember the stage but I thnk it is s T1.

My urorlogist recomemde the he have a total prostectomy and I am not sure it this is the course we should take. I was also wondering if anyone knows the reputataionof Dr. Isaac Kim the surgeon at Robert Wood Jonhson in New  Bruanwick NJ  we have been referred to .  

Thank you

Myriam and Eldridge Larkin

Comments

  • lighterwood67
    lighterwood67 Member Posts: 393 Member
    #2
    A New Journey

    Good luck on your journey.  A lot of folks struggle with their type of treatment for one reason or another.  However, in most cases with cancer, no decision is a decision in itself.  I too talked to folks, that I knew growing up or from church in my hometown, about surgery or radiation.  The surgery folks told me they would do it again if they could go back.  Two of the radiation folks, told me they wished they would have had a RP.  One of the radiation/hormone folks has since passed away.  Anyway, it is always your decision, every case is unique.  No matter the results, you will have to live with it.  Do the best you can with the cards you are dealt.  I am 68; Gleason 4+3=7;  RARP (Robot Assisted Radical Prostatectomy) 3/18. I am fully continent;  75% recovered from ED (no add-ons).  Stay focused on quality of life as you weigh out the side effects of treatment.  Good luck.

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,180 Member
    #3
    Choices

    Hi,

    First of all the choice is up to you,your husband and doctors.  Not to discourage you but all treatments(radiation & surgery) have great results and some have bad ones.  Hopefully yours will come out on the good side by looking for the best doctors and facilities you can find. My doctor has checked my psa for years to get a good baseline and when it started to go over the magical 4 number we took action which I feel kept my life as close to normal as possible even after surgery.  Kind of surprised that his doctor took his psa and it was 76, does not sound like it was being checked every year.

    If you feel you need to go for second opinions, most doctors don’t mind. I had surgery almost five years ago and would do it again, psa has been undetectable for the whole time.  I was a 3+4 and my cancer was very close to escaping the gland.  Once you do your “homework” you should all come to the best form of your husbands treatment based on all of the circumstances. Radiation and surgery can have very good results once the data can be analyzed for the best plan of attack going forward.  We are here for you if you have more questions, lots of good people willing to help.

     

    Dave 3+4

  • Georges Calvez
    Georges Calvez Member Posts: 547 Member
    #4
    Lucky

    Hi there,

    Your husband sounds similar to my case, I had a PSA of 133 on diagnosis with a Gleason ( 4+ 3) with cancer in all sections but no symptoms and no detectable metastases.
    There is not a close relationship between the level of PSA and the activity of the cancer, it is possible to have a high PSA and not a lot of cancer and vice versa.
    I had a total prostatectomy, no nerve sparing and my PSA fell to 2.
    I have since had radiotherapy and hormone therapy for sixteen months now and my PSA is below the limit of detection for the moment.
    I recovered quite quickly from the incontinnece but obviously I cannot get an erection because of the loss of the nerves.
    Quite where I will be when I stop the ADT is a moot point, some men recover their testosterone and some elements of their sexuality, others do not.
    Your husband may need salvage radiation and hormones immediately or some time after the operation.
    Urologists tend to adapt the treatment as it progresses.

    Best wishes,

    Georges


  • mhl
    mhl Member Posts: 9
    edited August 2019 #5
    Clevelandguy said:

    Choices

    Hi,

    First of all the choice is up to you,your husband and doctors.  Not to discourage you but all treatments(radiation & surgery) have great results and some have bad ones.  Hopefully yours will come out on the good side by looking for the best doctors and facilities you can find. My doctor has checked my psa for years to get a good baseline and when it started to go over the magical 4 number we took action which I feel kept my life as close to normal as possible even after surgery.  Kind of surprised that his doctor took his psa and it was 76, does not sound like it was being checked every year.

    If you feel you need to go for second opinions, most doctors don’t mind. I had surgery almost five years ago and would do it again, psa has been undetectable for the whole time.  I was a 3+4 and my cancer was very close to escaping the gland.  Once you do your “homework” you should all come to the best form of your husbands treatment based on all of the circumstances. Radiation and surgery can have very good results once the data can be analyzed for the best plan of attack going forward.  We are here for you if you have more questions, lots of good people willing to help.

     

    Dave 3+4

    newly diagnosed

    Thank you for your comment. My husband was going for yearly  exams and we are still trying to understand how this happened. We go see the surgeon in 1 week will update

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