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OT -- Don't get this -- Prostate Cancer

retsio

Well-Known Member
Feb 18, 2003
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Naples, FL
In 2016, my biopsy at Vanderbilt had a PSA of 9.2 with only one area registering a Gleason score of less than 6 -- recommendation -- watch and wait.

Last August my PSA spiked to 16, Cardiologist said ' Do Not Ignore, Get This Fixed' !!

Penn State wanted to start from scratch, but no place to stay for extended treatment. The big cancer names required - come here, patient first then we discuss. My insurance paid for my own MRI and Mayo Clinic, Rochester offered a complete virtual discussion of all possibilities, and invitation for immediate treatment - just get here. The Doc's recommended Radiation and found the top Urologist and Oncologist in Naples, where I live to make treatment easier.

No DRE necessary, but additional CT scan, bone density (full body) scan, hormone shots (expensive) and 28 sessions of Radiation. The 7 minutes of Radiation each day does not hurt, but the side effects and the after effects knowing your guts are being fried really take your frustration to the most upper limit. You will leak front and back at any time of day, and it hurts to expel anything, even with meds that relax the bladder or prostate. There is no comfort for the colon. Depends is a fantastic product. Tired, no appetite, chills or heat flashes, no sleep as the urges may come every 15 minutes until they lessen with time. I wanted to give up several times as this is clearly not quality of life.

But in 3 weeks time, the Radiation will be finished, and the 28 sessions are supposed to kill the cancer material, the hormone shots will deaden the PSA to less than 2 with blood tests every month. I cannot wait to return to normal -- that is sleeping thru the night and being sort of regular. Normal will take weeks to months, but worth it in the end. I am told the cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, but is considered aggressive to the point cancer kills. I intend to live as long as possible with my second Covid shot next week, my 4 stents in my Right Coronary Artery from my heart attack 22 years ago, and the hopeful return of business possibilities.

For any age (I'm 78) ------ Do Not Wait for anything -- make sure the PSA value you have in a blood test (normally you have to ask for your PSA in a normal blood test) -- is known to your GP and any specialist you may need. I can tell you Mayo Clinic, Rochester will help anyone, anywhere, just contact them -- I will provide Doc's name for anyone interested for virtual, phone or computer connection.

Take care of yourself and stay healthy -- as best you can !
 
Yes, always stay on top of your PSA. My dad had it at 55 and I figured I would get it one day. My dad is 95 now. I found out I had prostate cancer in 2013. I had a PSA of 4.5 and then a Gleason of like 7.5. Cancer was in all four quadrants of the prostate. Was really lucky to know someone who fastracked me with Dr David Lee of Penn. He is arguably on of the best robotic surgeons in the world. He removed the prostate and was able to spare 90% of my nerves. Cancer was all contained and I had/have almost zero side effects. I know guys always are afraid to not be able to have sex, well my girlfriend is about half my age, and with Viagra, we go for hours. 😮
 
Stay positive and continue to advance forward one step at a time.

You might want to check out this organization:


Best wishes to you and yours!
 
Did you consider just having your prostate removed? Was that an option? That's what my father did decades ago and he hasn't had any problems since.
 
My dad also went through similar treatment .... 10+ years ago.
Luckily Prostrate Cancer is one of the most treatable.
 
In 2016, my biopsy at Vanderbilt had a PSA of 9.2 with only one area registering a Gleason score of less than 6 -- recommendation -- watch and wait.

Last August my PSA spiked to 16, Cardiologist said ' Do Not Ignore, Get This Fixed' !!

Penn State wanted to start from scratch, but no place to stay for extended treatment. The big cancer names required - come here, patient first then we discuss. My insurance paid for my own MRI and Mayo Clinic, Rochester offered a complete virtual discussion of all possibilities, and invitation for immediate treatment - just get here. The Doc's recommended Radiation and found the top Urologist and Oncologist in Naples, where I live to make treatment easier.

No DRE necessary, but additional CT scan, bone density (full body) scan, hormone shots (expensive) and 28 sessions of Radiation. The 7 minutes of Radiation each day does not hurt, but the side effects and the after effects knowing your guts are being fried really take your frustration to the most upper limit. You will leak front and back at any time of day, and it hurts to expel anything, even with meds that relax the bladder or prostate. There is no comfort for the colon. Depends is a fantastic product. Tired, no appetite, chills or heat flashes, no sleep as the urges may come every 15 minutes until they lessen with time. I wanted to give up several times as this is clearly not quality of life.

But in 3 weeks time, the Radiation will be finished, and the 28 sessions are supposed to kill the cancer material, the hormone shots will deaden the PSA to less than 2 with blood tests every month. I cannot wait to return to normal -- that is sleeping thru the night and being sort of regular. Normal will take weeks to months, but worth it in the end. I am told the cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, but is considered aggressive to the point cancer kills. I intend to live as long as possible with my second Covid shot next week, my 4 stents in my Right Coronary Artery from my heart attack 22 years ago, and the hopeful return of business possibilities.

For any age (I'm 78) ------ Do Not Wait for anything -- make sure the PSA value you have in a blood test (normally you have to ask for your PSA in a normal blood test) -- is known to your GP and any specialist you may need. I can tell you Mayo Clinic, Rochester will help anyone, anywhere, just contact them -- I will provide Doc's name for anyone interested for virtual, phone or computer connection.

Take care of yourself and stay healthy -- as best you can !
you know the Mayo clinic is run by a PSU alum, as well as my neighbor I walked to school with every day.


Mr. Bolton is Mayo Clinic’s chief administrative officer and serves as secretary for the Mayo Clinic Board of Governors. In collaboration with Gianrico Farrugia, M.D., president and chief executive officer of Mayo Clinic, Mr. Bolton coordinates overall institutional strategy and stewardship of Mayo resources, overseeing administrative operations of Mayo Clinic. Mr. Bolton is responsible for administrative functions in the clinical practice, research and education, and enterprise shared services including development, enterprise risk management, facilities, finance, human resources, information technology, planning services, public affairs and security. Pennsylvania State University; University of Pittsburgh Board member since 2011 Mr. Bolton previously served as the chief financial officer for Mayo Clinic. Prior to joining Mayo Clinic, he held various finance-related positions at Carnegie Mellon University, including vice president for Business Affairs, Planning and CFO. Prior to that, he held positions at the University of Pittsburgh and the City of Pittsburgh. He serves on the board of directors of Resoundant, DMC Economic Develop
 
My MD said the value of regular PSA screening is questionable without an early baseline measurement.
Thankfully, I got my PSA checked initially in my early 40’s ( 59 now ).
I am not sure what most urologists are now advising about PSA screenings.
 
I'm a big believer that if something is starting to go wrong, take care of it as young as possible while your body can still heal easily.
 
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Did you consider just having your prostate removed? Was that an option? That's what my father did decades ago and he hasn't had any problems since.

Surgery was ruled out since the MRI was inconclusive whether the cancer had spread to the Seminal Vesicles, the additional scans showed no spread, so radiation in place was the best to contain the cancer. The Doc's say once the radiation is over, the cancer will be completely killed. Hope to have more l life t live.
 
In 2016, my biopsy at Vanderbilt had a PSA of 9.2 with only one area registering a Gleason score of less than 6 -- recommendation -- watch and wait.

Last August my PSA spiked to 16, Cardiologist said ' Do Not Ignore, Get This Fixed' !!

Penn State wanted to start from scratch, but no place to stay for extended treatment. The big cancer names required - come here, patient first then we discuss. My insurance paid for my own MRI and Mayo Clinic, Rochester offered a complete virtual discussion of all possibilities, and invitation for immediate treatment - just get here. The Doc's recommended Radiation and found the top Urologist and Oncologist in Naples, where I live to make treatment easier.

No DRE necessary, but additional CT scan, bone density (full body) scan, hormone shots (expensive) and 28 sessions of Radiation. The 7 minutes of Radiation each day does not hurt, but the side effects and the after effects knowing your guts are being fried really take your frustration to the most upper limit. You will leak front and back at any time of day, and it hurts to expel anything, even with meds that relax the bladder or prostate. There is no comfort for the colon. Depends is a fantastic product. Tired, no appetite, chills or heat flashes, no sleep as the urges may come every 15 minutes until they lessen with time. I wanted to give up several times as this is clearly not quality of life.

But in 3 weeks time, the Radiation will be finished, and the 28 sessions are supposed to kill the cancer material, the hormone shots will deaden the PSA to less than 2 with blood tests every month. I cannot wait to return to normal -- that is sleeping thru the night and being sort of regular. Normal will take weeks to months, but worth it in the end. I am told the cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, but is considered aggressive to the point cancer kills. I intend to live as long as possible with my second Covid shot next week, my 4 stents in my Right Coronary Artery from my heart attack 22 years ago, and the hopeful return of business possibilities.

For any age (I'm 78) ------ Do Not Wait for anything -- make sure the PSA value you have in a blood test (normally you have to ask for your PSA in a normal blood test) -- is known to your GP and any specialist you may need. I can tell you Mayo Clinic, Rochester will help anyone, anywhere, just contact them -- I will provide Doc's name for anyone interested for virtual, phone or computer connection.

Take care of yourself and stay healthy -- as best you can !
Thank you for sharing. As a colon cancer survivor I can definitely relate to your experience. Stay strong and God Bless You!
 
I've read that a lot of doctors say let it run it's course if you're at a certain age. I guess the idea is that a 70 year old man will probably die of something else before the prostate cancer kills him (assuming it hasn't spread to other organs).

That said, I know a number of men who have all been advised to have it removed.
 
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In 2016, my biopsy at Vanderbilt had a PSA of 9.2 with only one area registering a Gleason score of less than 6 -- recommendation -- watch and wait.

Last August my PSA spiked to 16, Cardiologist said ' Do Not Ignore, Get This Fixed' !!

Penn State wanted to start from scratch, but no place to stay for extended treatment. The big cancer names required - come here, patient first then we discuss. My insurance paid for my own MRI and Mayo Clinic, Rochester offered a complete virtual discussion of all possibilities, and invitation for immediate treatment - just get here. The Doc's recommended Radiation and found the top Urologist and Oncologist in Naples, where I live to make treatment easier.

No DRE necessary, but additional CT scan, bone density (full body) scan, hormone shots (expensive) and 28 sessions of Radiation. The 7 minutes of Radiation each day does not hurt, but the side effects and the after effects knowing your guts are being fried really take your frustration to the most upper limit. You will leak front and back at any time of day, and it hurts to expel anything, even with meds that relax the bladder or prostate. There is no comfort for the colon. Depends is a fantastic product. Tired, no appetite, chills or heat flashes, no sleep as the urges may come every 15 minutes until they lessen with time. I wanted to give up several times as this is clearly not quality of life.

But in 3 weeks time, the Radiation will be finished, and the 28 sessions are supposed to kill the cancer material, the hormone shots will deaden the PSA to less than 2 with blood tests every month. I cannot wait to return to normal -- that is sleeping thru the night and being sort of regular. Normal will take weeks to months, but worth it in the end. I am told the cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, but is considered aggressive to the point cancer kills. I intend to live as long as possible with my second Covid shot next week, my 4 stents in my Right Coronary Artery from my heart attack 22 years ago, and the hopeful return of business possibilities.

For any age (I'm 78) ------ Do Not Wait for anything -- make sure the PSA value you have in a blood test (normally you have to ask for your PSA in a normal blood test) -- is known to your GP and any specialist you may need. I can tell you Mayo Clinic, Rochester will help anyone, anywhere, just contact them -- I will provide Doc's name for anyone interested for virtual, phone or computer connection.

Take care of yourself and stay healthy -- as best you can !
Best wishes and God bless.
 
In 2016, my biopsy at Vanderbilt had a PSA of 9.2 with only one area registering a Gleason score of less than 6 -- recommendation -- watch and wait.

Last August my PSA spiked to 16, Cardiologist said ' Do Not Ignore, Get This Fixed' !!

Penn State wanted to start from scratch, but no place to stay for extended treatment. The big cancer names required - come here, patient first then we discuss. My insurance paid for my own MRI and Mayo Clinic, Rochester offered a complete virtual discussion of all possibilities, and invitation for immediate treatment - just get here. The Doc's recommended Radiation and found the top Urologist and Oncologist in Naples, where I live to make treatment easier.

No DRE necessary, but additional CT scan, bone density (full body) scan, hormone shots (expensive) and 28 sessions of Radiation. The 7 minutes of Radiation each day does not hurt, but the side effects and the after effects knowing your guts are being fried really take your frustration to the most upper limit. You will leak front and back at any time of day, and it hurts to expel anything, even with meds that relax the bladder or prostate. There is no comfort for the colon. Depends is a fantastic product. Tired, no appetite, chills or heat flashes, no sleep as the urges may come every 15 minutes until they lessen with time. I wanted to give up several times as this is clearly not quality of life.

But in 3 weeks time, the Radiation will be finished, and the 28 sessions are supposed to kill the cancer material, the hormone shots will deaden the PSA to less than 2 with blood tests every month. I cannot wait to return to normal -- that is sleeping thru the night and being sort of regular. Normal will take weeks to months, but worth it in the end. I am told the cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, but is considered aggressive to the point cancer kills. I intend to live as long as possible with my second Covid shot next week, my 4 stents in my Right Coronary Artery from my heart attack 22 years ago, and the hopeful return of business possibilities.

For any age (I'm 78) ------ Do Not Wait for anything -- make sure the PSA value you have in a blood test (normally you have to ask for your PSA in a normal blood test) -- is known to your GP and any specialist you may need. I can tell you Mayo Clinic, Rochester will help anyone, anywhere, just contact them -- I will provide Doc's name for anyone interested for virtual, phone or computer connection.

Take care of yourself and stay healthy -- as best you can !
Thank you for sharing
 
I've read that a lot of doctors say let it run it's course if you're at a certain age. I guess the idea is that a 70 year old man will probably die of something else before the prostate cancer kills him (assuming it hasn't spread to other organs).

That said, I know a number of men who have all been advised to have it removed.
depends on your Gleason score. Prostate cancer is normally slow spreading and contained within the prostate. So yes, there are quite a few men with prostate cancer that haven't had any treatment.

I also had mine get outside my prostate. I went to Hopkins for surgery and also had (17) lymph nodes removed along with a lot of nerve damage. They utilized an experimental contrast that they felt would light up any cancer cell like a Christmas tree, and performed an 'open' (manual) surgery rather than robotic.

Five and a half years ago, and so far no recurrence. Do still have leaking issues however.

Once you have radiation treatment you can't have surgery if you have a reoccurrence. I did surgery first, which left me with all the other options if I have a second battle.
 
Had it when I was 50. My generalist flagged my yearly PSA off my baseline and I had it removed. My Dr. did the traditional surgery vs. robotic because he felt he can control the separation and spare the nerves. I've never had any kind of issues. I've had friends get the robotic procedure and all had issues.
 
Little different perspective. My urologist is really top notch on Long Island. He would check my PSA every 6 months and a digital exam. Past 6 years PSA has been creeping upward to reading of 12. He ordered MRI scan of prostate which is then rated on scale of 1 to 4. 4 being "cancer very likely," 1 being "cancer very unlikely." Fortunately I received a one. Last PSA down to 6. Urologist said that I do not have Ca. PSA can elevate for a host of reasons, including enlarged prostate - which is my case. He indicated that sometimes doctors are too quick in aggressive treatment, especially with seniors (I am 77). I will have another PSA in a month. Hopefully no negative change.
 
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Diagnosed in fall of 2016. PSA was in high 7s. Gleason was 8 or so. Had prostate robotically removed in early 2017.

No issues for 18 months, then I had a small return on a PSA test. Doctor recommended that I do radiation (39 treatments) and a hormone injection every 3 months and a daily pill.

All PSAs since are Below Detectable Limit.

1 more injection and 3 more months of the pill.

Having some minor side effects, leakage, frequency, etc.

Now have blood (microscopic) in urine. Urologist appointment on 28th and I get scoped for doc to see what's going on. He thinks this is residual damage from radiation.

Other than this, health is fine.
 
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I have an unusual case. I've had prostate issues since my 30's. Now in my early 50's. My PSA is all over the place, but generally high aroung 6ish. I've had multiple MRI's, biopsies and they never find any cancer, thankfully. They're coming to the conclusion that I just have very large prostate and high PSA and will need to continue to monitor. My Dr. believes I am too young for surgery at this point, but I can tell you that it certainly has a negative impact on my life and my family, particularly since I am so young (relatively speaking for this issue).
 
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I too had prostate cancer. I was 56 and had just retired. I had a low PSA of 4 but Dr. wanted to do a biopsy anyway since it had changed from the year before. Good thing he did because 11 of 12 samples came back positive. I had both seeds and 30 radiation treatments but not surgery. Dr. told me even with surgery I would still have to have radiation so that's what I opted for. Radiation was not terrible but had to pee more often. Almost exactly a year after having the last treatment, I started to have issues of uncontrollable urge to pee. It got so bad that I couldn't leave the house. It lasted almost eactly a year and since then, no problems. That was almost 15 years ago. Everyone is different. Find a good Dr. and get that annual checkup. Stay strong retsio this too shall pass.
 
Prostate cancer is a big killer of Vietnam vets because of the exposure to Agent Orange. Procrastination is the killer. My PSA jumped from ~1 to around ~4 within a four month period. 4 isn't high but the jump up is. So I wanted a biopsy and out of 12 spots 3 had cancer, 2 Gleason 6s and one Gleason 8.
So my PCP and Urologist recommended radiation and I recommended robotic surgery to remove it. They said I was early stage 1 and I said the Gleason 8 will eat through the prostate wall and metastasize throughout my body and kill me. So April was blood work, May was analysis and debate, June was biopsy, wait six weeks for prostate to return to normal, August 1 was surgery.
I was Stage 3, the cancer was in the margin around the prostate gland, it had eaten through and was spreading. The Urologist took out the prostate, the margin area and biopsy'ed the bladder, etc in that area. He said he got everything.
December was the next PSA and it ran "undetectable". That was in 2013 and every PSA since has run undetectable. Also, the side effects of the operation are not nearly as bad as what I hear with radiation. Leakage is minimal and only when I am doing physical work like splitting wood. I was back to normal about six weeks after the surgery.
 
Hang in there
In 2016, my biopsy at Vanderbilt had a PSA of 9.2 with only one area registering a Gleason score of less than 6 -- recommendation -- watch and wait.

Last August my PSA spiked to 16, Cardiologist said ' Do Not Ignore, Get This Fixed' !!

Penn State wanted to start from scratch, but no place to stay for extended treatment. The big cancer names required - come here, patient first then we discuss. My insurance paid for my own MRI and Mayo Clinic, Rochester offered a complete virtual discussion of all possibilities, and invitation for immediate treatment - just get here. The Doc's recommended Radiation and found the top Urologist and Oncologist in Naples, where I live to make treatment easier.

No DRE necessary, but additional CT scan, bone density (full body) scan, hormone shots (expensive) and 28 sessions of Radiation. The 7 minutes of Radiation each day does not hurt, but the side effects and the after effects knowing your guts are being fried really take your frustration to the most upper limit. You will leak front and back at any time of day, and it hurts to expel anything, even with meds that relax the bladder or prostate. There is no comfort for the colon. Depends is a fantastic product. Tired, no appetite, chills or heat flashes, no sleep as the urges may come every 15 minutes until they lessen with time. I wanted to give up several times as this is clearly not quality of life.

But in 3 weeks time, the Radiation will be finished, and the 28 sessions are supposed to kill the cancer material, the hormone shots will deaden the PSA to less than 2 with blood tests every month. I cannot wait to return to normal -- that is sleeping thru the night and being sort of regular. Normal will take weeks to months, but worth it in the end. I am told the cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, but is considered aggressive to the point cancer kills. I intend to live as long as possible with my second Covid shot next week, my 4 stents in my Right Coronary Artery from my heart attack 22 years ago, and the hopeful return of business possibilities.

For any age (I'm 78) ------ Do Not Wait for anything -- make sure the PSA value you have in a blood test (normally you have to ask for your PSA in a normal blood test) -- is known to your GP and any specialist you may need. I can tell you Mayo Clinic, Rochester will help anyone, anywhere, just contact them -- I will provide Doc's name for anyone interested for virtual, phone or computer connection.

Take care of yourself and stay healthy -- as best you can !

Hang in there...sounds like there's light at the end of the tunnel!

I had robotic surgery at Hopkins three years ago and have been fortunate to do well since then...though I'm overdue for my latest follow-up PSA check.

The good news with this cancer is that the long-term survival rate is very high, and lots of guys end up dying "with" the disease rather than "from" it...not even knowing they have it in fact.

The bad news is that in its more virulent form, it's still a killer...and there are so many scenarios, so many variables, so many treatment choices, and so many different opinions, even among the "experts," that sometimes the whole thing feels like a crapshoot.

One thing for sure: if you opt for treatment, whichever type it is, you definitely want the most expert and experienced docs available. Surgery, in particular, is very tricky business in that area of your anatomy.

Good luck the rest of the way!
 
Oh boy, could write you a letter on this one.

When I was 50, trying to bump up insurance for my family. So the independent company comes out to take blood and gives the report. My doctor folded his practice two years earlier to go work at Walter Reed, said he was sick of the insurance bullshit, but forewarned me that with my family's history of prostate, I should be vigilant.

PSA count was 13, Gleason was 7. Advised by doctor to go to a uroligist and get a biopsy. If you are ever advised to get a biopsy locally, SAY NO! Get put under. It was absolute torture for 12 snips.

Anyway, had the prostate removed robotically, the air they pump into you to access organs were promblematic after the surgery...will never be embarrassed about farting again in my life. Had it done at Johns Hopkins. Head surgeon, Dr. Ted Schaeffer has moved on from Hopkins to being the top guy at Northwestern.

Leaking is a side effect, but should subside. My cancer was Stage 3, and thank the good Lord he intervened when he did, or it could have spread to the bladder.

God bless you my man, if ever you need an advocate for how to navigate this stuff, please let me know. Can tell you the rest of the story if you wish,...had the injections, and 30 days of radiation. But I'm alive! Keep the faith and be strong!
 
The effects of external beam radiation therapy for prostate carcinoma is what killed my father in law. Not surprisingly he developed radiation fibrosis in the pelvis years after he was treated, which involved his ureters (drain the kidneys into the bladder) eventually causing urinary obstruction requiring chronic stent placement for treatment. Once the stent treatment no longer was an option, it was a matter of weeks before he died.

He did have his radiation therapy performed at a small, local (rural) hospital against my advice, because he didn’t want to drive the 20-25 minutes to a nearby city where he could have received more state of the art radiation treatments. I believe his therapy was done with an old fashioned cobalt unit, raising the risk of long term effects. I don’t know if he was a candidate for brachytherapy (radioactive seed implants), but he still could at least have had treatment from a more modern piece of equipment such as a linear accelerator that could have provided more sparing of the tissue adjacent to the prostate. His main mistake was waiting until a late age to get a PSA with a strong family history of prostate cancer, which his father died from at a relatively young age (near 70). My PSA’s have been normal for years, but I have no family history of prostate cancer.
 
And for the doctors who say the PSA test is inconclusive, I say so what. If its a marker, that might extend your life, its a simple blood test...AND DO IT! Prostate surgery is life altering, but prolongs your life. If you want to watch PSU win the national championship again...DO IT, and let me know if I can be a prostate advocate/advisor.
 
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Had the linear accelerator treatment. Every time I get tested, I hold my breath. But as usual, its always in the Good Lord's Hands. Cancer helped me reconnect with my Saviour.
 
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In 2016, my biopsy at Vanderbilt had a PSA of 9.2 with only one area registering a Gleason score of less than 6 -- recommendation -- watch and wait.

Last August my PSA spiked to 16, Cardiologist said ' Do Not Ignore, Get This Fixed' !!

Penn State wanted to start from scratch, but no place to stay for extended treatment. The big cancer names required - come here, patient first then we discuss. My insurance paid for my own MRI and Mayo Clinic, Rochester offered a complete virtual discussion of all possibilities, and invitation for immediate treatment - just get here. The Doc's recommended Radiation and found the top Urologist and Oncologist in Naples, where I live to make treatment easier.

No DRE necessary, but additional CT scan, bone density (full body) scan, hormone shots (expensive) and 28 sessions of Radiation. The 7 minutes of Radiation each day does not hurt, but the side effects and the after effects knowing your guts are being fried really take your frustration to the most upper limit. You will leak front and back at any time of day, and it hurts to expel anything, even with meds that relax the bladder or prostate. There is no comfort for the colon. Depends is a fantastic product. Tired, no appetite, chills or heat flashes, no sleep as the urges may come every 15 minutes until they lessen with time. I wanted to give up several times as this is clearly not quality of life.

But in 3 weeks time, the Radiation will be finished, and the 28 sessions are supposed to kill the cancer material, the hormone shots will deaden the PSA to less than 2 with blood tests every month. I cannot wait to return to normal -- that is sleeping thru the night and being sort of regular. Normal will take weeks to months, but worth it in the end. I am told the cancer did not spread to the lymph nodes, but is considered aggressive to the point cancer kills. I intend to live as long as possible with my second Covid shot next week, my 4 stents in my Right Coronary Artery from my heart attack 22 years ago, and the hopeful return of business possibilities.

For any age (I'm 78) ------ Do Not Wait for anything -- make sure the PSA value you have in a blood test (normally you have to ask for your PSA in a normal blood test) -- is known to your GP and any specialist you may need. I can tell you Mayo Clinic, Rochester will help anyone, anywhere, just contact them -- I will provide Doc's name for anyone interested for virtual, phone or computer connection.

Take care of yourself and stay healthy -- as best you can !
in a similar situation [as many of us are] and I don't want to burst your bubble, but don't expect to sleep without a "number" of breaks and don't expect to come off the hormone therapy anytime soon. Otherwise PC seems controllable if you keep it out of your node or bones.
 
Agreed/ out of the prostate MARGINS are key to stop the spreading. Enough from me...reliving a tough time in my life. Let NeilPage know if any of you need advice or experience.
 
I've read that a lot of doctors say let it run it's course if you're at a certain age. I guess the idea is that a 70 year old man will probably die of something else before the prostate cancer kills him (assuming it hasn't spread to other organs).

That said, I know a number of men who have all been advised to have it removed.
My father developed slow-growing prostate cancer around 80 or 85. When he was 94 and in real bad shape anyway, the prostate cancer grew much more aggressive and killed him. He had told me 3 years earlier that he had lived too long, so his death was not a tragedy when it occurred.
 
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My father developed slow-growing prostate cancer around 80 or 85. When he was 94 and in real bad shape anyway, the prostate cancer grew much more aggressive and killed him. He had told me 3 years earlier that he had lived too long, so his death was not a tragedy when it occurred.
Losing a parent is always tragic but 94 was a great run. My father died from cancer at 71. His loss was especially difficult for me because my kids barely remember him.
 
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