State of the art Biopsy

hopeful and optimistic
hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,339 Member
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
Today I had another Biopsy....I will meet with the doc next week for the results.

This biopsy is the state of art, and can more readily find tumors, not random as most convenional biopsies....this machine is three dimensional and one can go back to the exact spot in the future.


Basically an MRI that I took last month as well as an ultrasound that this machine provides were used to pinpoint suspicious lesions for testing..........at the end the doc showed me the screen which pin pointed where I should be tested, and where the cores were taken......

Anyway this test is more likely to find cancerous cores, and determine the gleasons....so for example in my case, if there is a gleason that is a 7 or higher instead of a 6 I will probably have to seek Active treatment.

The biopsy machine that was used compares to a standard biopsy......like say a 1985 personal computer to the newest and best high speed computer that is currently on the market.



I have to make an appt to receive the results of this test........it will be next week.....this is a big deal ...especially if a more aggressive cancer is found.........and I will have to get active treatment....I believe that this will be the future for biopsies.

Ira

Comments

  • randy_in_indy
    randy_in_indy Member Posts: 496 Member
    Ira
    It's Obvious you are all over your care and seeking the best of the best. I wish you luck in determining the path best suited for eliminating cancer and keeping the side affects to the minimum. We will all be holding our breath with you next week until the results are known.

    Randy in Indy
  • Kongo
    Kongo Member Posts: 1,166 Member
    Ira
    I do hope this procedure gives you the information you need to make the right choices. You've certainly done all your homework.
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,339 Member
    Stoked
    Today I received the results of my biopsy..........there were 15 cores taken of which 3 were targeted based on the MRI that I took.

    None of the cores showed any cancer........NONE......I asked the doc to send the pathology to another institution for a second opinion.

    Too be honest I was very apprehensive this week since this three dimension biopsy was so directed......... when I got the results, I told the doc that this was U N F ...K I N G Believable.......it just came out.

    I have an appt to see this doc in six months as part of the research study that UCLA is doing........they draw some blood and do an exam.....probably another biopsy in a year.

    The doc told me that this test confirms the treatment option that I have selected, and hopes to be around in 20 years treating me.

    I received copy of the blood work that they did, and will examine very closely, probably speak to my internist about it.

    These test results, to me was better than hitting a bases loaded grand slam outside the park in the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh game of the world series to win.

    Ira
  • DanKCMO
    DanKCMO Member Posts: 42

    Stoked
    Today I received the results of my biopsy..........there were 15 cores taken of which 3 were targeted based on the MRI that I took.

    None of the cores showed any cancer........NONE......I asked the doc to send the pathology to another institution for a second opinion.

    Too be honest I was very apprehensive this week since this three dimension biopsy was so directed......... when I got the results, I told the doc that this was U N F ...K I N G Believable.......it just came out.

    I have an appt to see this doc in six months as part of the research study that UCLA is doing........they draw some blood and do an exam.....probably another biopsy in a year.

    The doc told me that this test confirms the treatment option that I have selected, and hopes to be around in 20 years treating me.

    I received copy of the blood work that they did, and will examine very closely, probably speak to my internist about it.

    These test results, to me was better than hitting a bases loaded grand slam outside the park in the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh game of the world series to win.

    Ira

    Congratulations on the great
    Congratulations on the great news!

    Dan
  • griff 1
    griff 1 Member Posts: 114
    Kongo said:

    Ira
    I do hope this procedure gives you the information you need to make the right choices. You've certainly done all your homework.

    info
    this will help you decide what to do and that is when i decided is after my biopsy. good luck and be postive. griff
  • georgek
    georgek Member Posts: 1
    hi -am facing quandry of another 12 poke biopsy and recently
    learned of the tesla 3.0 mri spectroscopy machine that is in the office
    of dr wheeler in sarasota fl
    dr w uses the machine to pinpoint the problem bEFORE HE DOES BIOPSY +claims this yields much good more accurate info about a possible tumor and reduces the number of pokes need for biopsy


    by any chance are you a patient of his?

    appreciate if you could tell me what sort of MRI machine was used in your scan biopsy ?
    I live in miami fl and would like to find something like that that i ALSO covered by medicare

    dr wheeeler has opted out and it is an out of pocket of app $5200 to begin and then 25-30 k more if he performs hifu
    hifu will end ph 3 clinicals end of 2010 and submit to fda so it might be available in usa not just offshore and covered . thanks for your help george
  • Kongo
    Kongo Member Posts: 1,166 Member

    Stoked
    Today I received the results of my biopsy..........there were 15 cores taken of which 3 were targeted based on the MRI that I took.

    None of the cores showed any cancer........NONE......I asked the doc to send the pathology to another institution for a second opinion.

    Too be honest I was very apprehensive this week since this three dimension biopsy was so directed......... when I got the results, I told the doc that this was U N F ...K I N G Believable.......it just came out.

    I have an appt to see this doc in six months as part of the research study that UCLA is doing........they draw some blood and do an exam.....probably another biopsy in a year.

    The doc told me that this test confirms the treatment option that I have selected, and hopes to be around in 20 years treating me.

    I received copy of the blood work that they did, and will examine very closely, probably speak to my internist about it.

    These test results, to me was better than hitting a bases loaded grand slam outside the park in the bottom of the ninth inning in the seventh game of the world series to win.

    Ira

    Great News
    Ira, that is truly fantastic news. I am so happy for you. Now that you are basking in the glow of a zero cancer biopsy, is there anything in your diet or medications that you are taking that you might attribute this to?

    Wishing you continued success in this battle.
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,339 Member
    Kongo said:

    Great News
    Ira, that is truly fantastic news. I am so happy for you. Now that you are basking in the glow of a zero cancer biopsy, is there anything in your diet or medications that you are taking that you might attribute this to?

    Wishing you continued success in this battle.

    Well
    During the last several years, I have been eating a heart healthy diet.........very limited meat, mostly fish, vegies, fruits, good carbs, and exercise pretty much on a daily basis to include hiking and cardio at the gym and resistance activities...my weight has been in the normal range.

    This last year I hurt myself, and developed spinal stenosis , which severely limited my activies so I gained fat while losing muscle mass. For a while my diet was not as clean as it had been, I've had two epidurals, so not nfortunately I am only able to get around like an average American . My acivites are limited, however I do a lot of stretches that I learned in physical therapy, 20- 30 minutes of easy upright biking a day, and some swimming, not very much walking at this time...only walking and standing required for day to day living. I am kinda back on track and my weight has stabilized.

    The changes that I I have made to my diet in the last year are:

    putting tomato sauce on almost every thing; also eat lots of tomatoes; drink pomogrates juice in the morning; take a vitamin d3, just started taking a calcium pill, I have been taking a multivitamin, but I read that its a good idea to switch to one that is prescibed for women...I forget why , but apparantly there is some extra ingredients in those for men that are not so good for you...(my source is Dr. Moyad of Michagan, a well know and respected nutritionist from michagan who specializes in prostate cancer.

    As far as milk, I had been drinking non fat milk for years, but after reading your posts , I have eliminated milk...A few weeks ago I tried soy milk which I liked...I plan to continue

    When I was diagnosed, I thought why , what is the reason....one thing that came to mind is thatI had been avoiding the sun a lot and using sun screen.....I stopped using sun screen and I stopped wearing hats...I had been using protective hats.

    I thought of taking avodart, but have decided against it.....(some doctors prescibe this while thers do not.........I think that its pretty new, and I would like to see a trial for those with low grade prsotate cancer before taking, which is not available.

    Anyway this is what I do......

    Additionally, even though cancer was not found this time around I still have cancer, and I hope a very small amount, but one never knows.

    Ira
  • Kongo
    Kongo Member Posts: 1,166 Member

    Well
    During the last several years, I have been eating a heart healthy diet.........very limited meat, mostly fish, vegies, fruits, good carbs, and exercise pretty much on a daily basis to include hiking and cardio at the gym and resistance activities...my weight has been in the normal range.

    This last year I hurt myself, and developed spinal stenosis , which severely limited my activies so I gained fat while losing muscle mass. For a while my diet was not as clean as it had been, I've had two epidurals, so not nfortunately I am only able to get around like an average American . My acivites are limited, however I do a lot of stretches that I learned in physical therapy, 20- 30 minutes of easy upright biking a day, and some swimming, not very much walking at this time...only walking and standing required for day to day living. I am kinda back on track and my weight has stabilized.

    The changes that I I have made to my diet in the last year are:

    putting tomato sauce on almost every thing; also eat lots of tomatoes; drink pomogrates juice in the morning; take a vitamin d3, just started taking a calcium pill, I have been taking a multivitamin, but I read that its a good idea to switch to one that is prescibed for women...I forget why , but apparantly there is some extra ingredients in those for men that are not so good for you...(my source is Dr. Moyad of Michagan, a well know and respected nutritionist from michagan who specializes in prostate cancer.

    As far as milk, I had been drinking non fat milk for years, but after reading your posts , I have eliminated milk...A few weeks ago I tried soy milk which I liked...I plan to continue

    When I was diagnosed, I thought why , what is the reason....one thing that came to mind is thatI had been avoiding the sun a lot and using sun screen.....I stopped using sun screen and I stopped wearing hats...I had been using protective hats.

    I thought of taking avodart, but have decided against it.....(some doctors prescibe this while thers do not.........I think that its pretty new, and I would like to see a trial for those with low grade prsotate cancer before taking, which is not available.

    Anyway this is what I do......

    Additionally, even though cancer was not found this time around I still have cancer, and I hope a very small amount, but one never knows.

    Ira

    Happy
    Ira, so happy it's all working for you. I too have been eating a lot of tomatoes. I stopped the pomegranate juice when I read it interfers with the statins I'm taking for an elevated chlorestoral...but I think the elimination of dairy helps a lot and it seems to have a significant impact rather quickly. Keep on keepin' on!
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,339 Member
    georgek said:

    hi -am facing quandry of another 12 poke biopsy and recently
    learned of the tesla 3.0 mri spectroscopy machine that is in the office
    of dr wheeler in sarasota fl
    dr w uses the machine to pinpoint the problem bEFORE HE DOES BIOPSY +claims this yields much good more accurate info about a possible tumor and reduces the number of pokes need for biopsy


    by any chance are you a patient of his?

    appreciate if you could tell me what sort of MRI machine was used in your scan biopsy ?
    I live in miami fl and would like to find something like that that i ALSO covered by medicare

    dr wheeeler has opted out and it is an out of pocket of app $5200 to begin and then 25-30 k more if he performs hifu
    hifu will end ph 3 clinicals end of 2010 and submit to fda so it might be available in usa not just offshore and covered . thanks for your help george

    Hi George
    Welcome to the discussion site. There are several here who are here to provide support and information.

    Apparently you have been treated for a while....you might want to post listing your numbers.

    I live in Southern California. I am being treated at UCLA. UCLA has a 1.5 and a 3.0 Tesla machine.

    Orignially I had been diagnosed at a different institution 2/12 , 3+3=6 with less than 5 percent involvement in each..my psa is steady in the 2.0's

    Laat year when I first came to ucla. I had an MRI with a spectroscopy with a 1.5 tesla machine..the spectroscopy is considered investgational and is not covered by medicare and my ppo...there was a 900 charge that I had to pay.

    during the year my psa was steady.........in may when I went to my doc, a surgeon there, he referred me to a active surveillance program that UCLA is doing......it is a research project where blood and urine is taken at each visit to measure what is going on with me....there are a bunch of things that are measured, also I had to fill out a questionaire and a release to them.

    Basically there are a few institutions in the US who have a three dimensional guided biopsy machine...the biopsy rather than a psa is used to measure how the patient is doing...a mRI is taken and then a biopsy is done using this information to target.

    The current MRI was done with a 3.0 tesla machine......ucla has both.

    It sound like Dr Wheeler and UCLA are doing pretty much the same.....

    I can't comment on the treatment that you are considering since you did not give enough informaton.

    I hope that this helps......please let me know if you need more info.

    Ira
    Active Surveillance
    Diagnosed 3/09 for 66 birthday
    By chance doc found a bump in the cavity , not on the prostate(which turned out to be non cancerous)
    PSA's had been at 2.26/2.27 for a few years
    Biopsy 3/09 Gleason 3+3=6 2 of 12 cores positive- 5 percent involvement in each
    second opinion john hopkins
    4/09 MRI with spectroscopy, no nodule involvement, staged t1
    Aureon molecular test on biopsy, 97 percent chance will not progressin next 8 years
    PSA Jan 2.2, JUly 2.5, November 2.6, February 2010 2.0
    Entered in a research study for active surveillance at UCLA.
    PSA at UCLA, 5/24/10....different institution than had previously used (will go back to the other group that I had been going to better compare PSA's over time
    June 2010 ...MRI
    June 2010.....Three dimensional targeted biopsy ( based on MRI and ultrasound ability from this new type biopsy machine)......15 cores of which 3 are targeted....no cancer
  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,339 Member
    Kongo said:

    Happy
    Ira, so happy it's all working for you. I too have been eating a lot of tomatoes. I stopped the pomegranate juice when I read it interfers with the statins I'm taking for an elevated chlorestoral...but I think the elimination of dairy helps a lot and it seems to have a significant impact rather quickly. Keep on keepin' on!

    I don't have my notes in front of me, but
    there are other juices that have oxidents, that are comparable to pomogranate juice..........by the way it's not a good idea to drink too much juice, since one gains weight from the sugar content...........natural fruits are a better choice.

    In a previous post I believe that you had mentioned that you have changed your diet and lost weight.........there is a very good chance that your total chlorestoral will drop while, and if you are exercising your hdl ( good cholorestoral) will become higher. In my opinion this is a more imporant focus for us since heart disease is a number one killer. To be honest, it's my non medical opinion that it's important to eat heart healthy foods. A lot more of us will die from heart problems than from prostate cancer.

    I forgot to mention that I limit sodium since my blood pressure tends to be somewhat elevated.

    I know tht the jury is still out with reference to milk, but if it's comfortable not to drink , why not.

    Although it good to eat , eating tomatoes (tomato sauce more concentrated and a better choice) and some of these other foods is a good thing to do; I doubt that it will cure any of us of cancer.

    Ira