Prostate Concerns - PSA Results

[geoloco]

Hi all,

I am one of those who never has much to say. I am on this board every day reading all the posts and getting quite the education re: retirement. I am grateful for all the excellent info available here.

The reason for my posting here is to make sure that we all realize that what's true for one does not apply to all. I am a 60 yr. old male who was diagnosed at 54 with prostate cancer. At the time my PSA was only 4.2!
I did however have some other indications of a problem. When my biopsy was done I only had 2 of 8 cores that showed positive for prostate cancer. My Gleason score was a 6 which is about the middle of the road. Being young and in good health otherwise I decided to have the surgery. To everyone's surprise including my surgeon's my pathological biopsy showed extensive cancer in all areas of the prostate. Fortunately for me it was contained within the prostate.
I had been getting the digital exam for about 5 yrs. and it always seemed normal. It was until I started having some urinary and erectile problems that I had the PSA test done.
Thank God that I was diagnosed when I was otherwise I could have really been in trouble.
Please be aware of your body and anything that doesn't seem right. We guys all like to think we're indestructible and dislike going to the Dr. but it could save your life.
Thanks for reading this and if anyone has any ?? I'd be happy to answer them for you.

geoloco

 

[rogerc1944]

I was diagnosed with protate cancer 7 years ago at age 57. My PSA was only 2.05. My doctor thought he detected a hardness using his finger and was unsure whether I needed a biopsy. I told him that I probably did need the biopsy and my father and uncle both died of PC. The biopsy showed 3 out of 11 cores with cancer but not in the area of hardness. The discomfort of he biopsy was about like a bee sting. A bee that stung me 11 times in the same sensitive area! Anyway, I had a rather high tech treatment for PC called "High Dose Radiation" at California Endocurietherapy in Oakland, CA. Radioactive seeds are implanted but only for a few seconds. None are left in permanently. I had to have my treatments spaced a week apart. I came home and took the dog for a mile walk, had no trouble urinating, or anything else. My last PSA test showed a level of <0.1 and it has been his way for the last 5 years. CET recently published a paper on survival rates and it was running 100%. Of my friends who have been treated surgically for PC, one is dead and the others have a variety of problems (pain, adult diapers, etc). If you're afraid to get a digital exam, be sure to go to a female urologist (they have small fingers!).

 

[Ol_Rancher]

Geoloco & rogerc1944,

Thank you both for your informative replies.

I expected to hear from a few survivors who would share their first-hand knowlege. Reading reports and articles never has the same impact and are always so hedged with qualifications that they are almost no help. Almost three-quarters of all men who reach their mid 70s will have prostrate problems.

Considering the large number and the demographics of the visitors to this site, I figure you have most likely moved some of us here to monitor this aspect of our health more closely. You may even save lives.

I hope other survivors will do likewise. If this topic gets 10 percent of the posts that paying off a mortgage early gets, then many men here will have a better quality of life.

Again, thank you both and God Bless -