My journey

newshound103
newshound103 Member Posts: 4 Member
edited June 2023 in Prostate Cancer #1

I have been reading, and wasn't going to, but figure there are others like me. Not diagnosed yet, but on the journey..

49 (for a few more weeks anyway), otherwise healthy.

Routine PSA, first time being checked, 5.4 ng/mL.

1 month later, 5.7 ng/mL with a PSA Free % of 9%.

Was told I would get a urologist appointment in 12 weeks (Seattle area), said hell no and took a trip to my home in Ireland and got a MRI done privately under a urologist referral from a friend in less than a week.

MRI showed areas of concern, so had a biopsy 2 days later. Was grateful to be able to shortcut that process. I know not everyone can.

Now waiting on results. I see lots of thing in this forum that gives me confidence for the long term even if the biopsy comes back suggesting PCa. Thank you everyone for sharing.

(Did manage to get my Seattle appointment pulled into 4 weeks rather than 12 and the office said they would take my MRI and Biopsy results and start from there. That appointment in next week.)

Will update..

Comments

  • Ivie25
    Ivie25 Member Posts: 7 Member
    #2

    I’m glad your able to move quickly. Prayers for good results.

  • Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3
    Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 Member Posts: 3,817 Member
    edited June 2023 #3

    Welcome, news

    Nothing you've described so far screams "PCa!", but better safe than sorry. The two PSAs a month apart are statistically identical. IF you have PCa, what data you do have so far strongly suggest a mild, early stage situation.

    I mostly write at the Lymphoma Board, and a close friend of mine there who has had three relapses (of lymphoma) and received over 25 different chemo drugs over the years says that Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center in Seattle is one of the absolute best on earth. ( Data Point: Lymphoma, as a blood cancer, is treated almost exclusively with chemotherapy, but PCa uses chemo only in limited situations. What is used for curative effect against PCa is overwhelmingly either therapeutic radiation or surgical removal. ) Good luck with everything,

  • Rob.Ski
    Rob.Ski Member Posts: 172 Member
    #4

    The biopsy will let you know where you stand as far as confirming PCa and give an indication of what the progression is if any. The waiting can be difficult but, you seem to have bypassed much of it. good luck on the results.

  • newshound103
    newshound103 Member Posts: 4 Member
    #5
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1706235#Comment_1706235

    Definitely in the better safe than sorry mode and trying to keep the other fears/anxieties at bay. I am confident that even if positive, it should be very early case and lots of good choices. Reading here helps a lot. And yes, Fred Hutch will be on my list if/when confirmed. Great reputation in the region.

  • newshound103
    newshound103 Member Posts: 4 Member
    #6

    Just got my biopsy results. Yes there is PCa, but 3+3 in only one core and its 1.5mm. Recommending Active Surveillance.

    Is it possible to be relieved to be told you have cancer? I certainly am a happy man today. Last few weeks were stressful the C word brings out all the fears and emotions, who hasn't lost someone you love to cancer?, but reading the forums and studying all the available resources certainly helps you realise that prostrate is (generally speaking) not always like the others and there can be good outcomes.


    Good luck to everyone else on their journey.

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,505 Member
    edited June 2023 #7

    Thanks for your report.

    Although cancer was identified, finding only one (Gleason 6) lesion is good news under the circumstances. Be aware though that a biopsy samples only a very small portion of your prostate and that some cancer may be hiding elsewhere. The active surveillance protocol should identify those, now or in the future.

    Best wishes with the follow-ups.

    For encouragement, I will mention that there's one fellow on this forum who has been 'doing' Active Surveillance for something like a decade.

  • On_A_Journey
    On_A_Journey Member Posts: 132 Member
    #8

    Hello newshound 103,

    Your story so far is somewhat similar to mine. I was basically the same age as you and had a similar-ish PSA. But, you have the advantage that you went ahead and got an MRI to guide your biopsy - I had two TRUS biopsies before I had an MRI, both of which didn't reveal cancer. My trans-perineal biopsy, guided by MRI, finally resulted in diagnosis. I should have known better. Anyway, Gleason was 3+3 and PSA was over 7 by then. This was two years after initial consultation. Being told that I had cancer didn't upset or concern me at all, because I suspect that I had probably been living with it for a while anyway! I was happy to remain on active surveillance but it was only several months after diagnosis that my PSA spiked to 10.6 and I decided to have surgery then. The surgical report stated that Gleason was 3+4 and I was stage T3a. You can read the rest of my story here: On_A_Journey's journey — Cancer Survivors Network

    I would suggest that active surveillance is appropriate for you now as long as you remain symptom free and your PSA doesn't jump up suddenly like mine did. Good luck!

  • newshound103
    newshound103 Member Posts: 4 Member
    #9

    Interesting, brought my results from my diagnosis in Ireland to a Urologist in the US and he was 1. wanting to make sure we have the whole picture, which I am 100% in favor of and 2. was definitely leaning towards surgery, which kind of surprised me given everything I am reading says AS is the way to go with my readings.

    He did say there was no rush, but in the next 12 to 18 months for sure. I will keep reading and learning. Will continue with the AS for now, but have started a lot more reading on surgery and side effects for an almost 50 year old.

    Dave

  • centralPA
    centralPA Member Posts: 322 Member
    #10
    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1706275#Comment_1706275

    Some questions…

    How many cores did they take in your biopsy? What percentage of the positive core was cancer? What was the size of your prostate? Your MRI should provide that.

    Sure sounds like AS would work fine for a good while. LDR brachytherapy would be a treatment possibility too.

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