12 of 12 cores positive. Is it a death sentence? Weeks? Months? I'm scared.

Here's the pathology report.

A. Prostate, left base: Prostatic Adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 4+4=8, involving 2 of 2 cores and 80% of tissue

B. Prostate, left mid: Prostatic Adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 4+5=9, involving 2 of 2 cores and 70% of tissue

C. Prostate, left apex: Prostatic Adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 5+4=9, involving 2 of 2 cores and 80% of tissue with probable perineural invasion

D. Prostate, right base: Prostatic Adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 5+4=9, involving 2 of 2 cores and 50% of tissue

E. Prostate, right mid: Prostatic Adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 5+5=10, involving 2 of 2 cores and 80% of tissue with perineural invasion

F. Prostate, right apex: Prostatic Adenocarcinoma, Gleason grade 5+4=9, involving 2 of 2 cores and 80% of tissue

If I was scared before, I'm beyond scared now.

Mike

Thanks, David.

Mike, that is a tough biopsy report, but it's not over till it's over. Once the initial shock is past, you can make good decisions about your treatment. There are many options, the members here can provide you with many perspectives and knowledge. Please hang in there, better days are ahead.
Randy

Thanks, guys. I'll try.

Mikee219,
The biopsy is saying that the tumour is extensive throughout the gland top to bottom both sides and comprises a high percentage of each core taken..............but I would hang on to the fact that they are cores, in other words plugs from within the prostate. You cannot be certain at this stage that the tumour has grown outside the prostate itself. Did it mention for example if the tumour went to the edges of the biopsy core (it mentioned 80% of the core). Adenocarcinoma is the usual type of cancer found in the prostate ....... perineural invasion is very common even with lower grade Gleasons and as such is not such a great concern. If I remember rightly your PSa was not particularly high and a bone scan had not shown any metastases so they are a plus. I am assuming further scans will be made in order to try and ascertain the extent , if any, outside of the prostate and then a treatment plan formulated. Don't despair, although the news is not that good there's plenty of life left in you yet. what was your docs next course of action?
Bill

Your biopsy is ugly.  But, there are some good treatments for those that ID their cancers and address it.  You need to find your best doctors and get a treatment moving.  You will find a lot of encouragement and good information from and through this site.  Most people even with the most severe biopsies can live for years - even indefinitely with the right treatment mix and a strong body.

The initial shock is the hardest part to overcome - all of us here feel for you.  Keep your chin up and focus on making the best decisions.  Blessings.

Thanks, Billy. I've got a little boy in Israel, turning 16 next month, whom I'm willing to fight this for. He would be devastated if I weren't here for him for the next few years.

Mike-

Please write to me at [email protected]

-Les

Mickey I had very similar pathology to what you have posted, I started with total urinary blockage that lead to diagnosis. Talk about omnious start even though you and I didn't have a clue 7 yrs. ago now (for me), what all that b.s. actually means. Well I am far from the finished line, and even went off all drugs for 2 yrs. just recently to see if psa would change, it looked that good-stablized and low psa, I got tested often because I have the option of a walkin hospital testing $15 anytime you want, so I did. I watched my results on different drug protocols and made the switch when I knew I needed better results...and I got them well enough that I took the 'vacation' off drugs.

Here's a program of armor for a newbie: prepare for questions to direct to your doctor, books, internet, tapes, forums, local support groups (www.ustoo.org)find one, seminars etc. Also, second or multiple opinions are a revelation in PCa world that a book cannot bring to you, highly suggested especially where you are starting get opinions (I got 8 in person and probably 4 more via letters or email consultations). Get copies of any thing done to you, start a journal and record stuff (psa, drugs etc.), learn to read abstracts and PCa lingo is real plus for any patients. No saying you need 8 opinions, I had alot of suspicions and comparitive docs opinions I had to weigh against what little I knew at that time. I got busy on the armor I just mentioned during that process, started into all that.

Coming up on 7 yrs. now since diagnosis, psa is .61 currently (month ago), maybe less I will have results to compare within a month or less and no doubt will be.

www.phoenix5.org
www.prostate-help.org
www.yananow.net

Great places to get busy with.

We love you man....we fight this as brothers and sisters...

*I also had 12 of 12 biopsies with 75-95% in everyone, gleasons 7,8,9's on both sides-fyi bpsa 46.7  (dx-2002)

Post Edited (zufus) : 1/13/2009 6:06:53 PM (GMT-7)

check out my post (want to tell a story chapters 1 and 2

Hi Mikee,

My pathology was similar to yours but the Gleason was a little lower. I can empathize with what you are going through especially since your doctor has not discussed the report with you. I felt the same as you do now when my doctor delivered the news. But take a deep deep breath and clear your head. You are going to need your wits about you as you research your options for treatment. It will be confusing to say the least and everyone seems to have a favorite. Once you make your decision don't second guess it and be sure you are comfortable with your choice.

I am now 4 months out from radiation and in the middle of a 2 year hormone program. I do feel that I am going to survive this for some time to come and you will also.

If your PCa is organ confined you have really good odds.

Take care,

Don

    Mike,  We will be watching for a update with some more info such as age, psa, family history and what your doctor suggest.  Just take a deap breath and take time to gather some information.

    Good Luck,  KW

Mike:  My biopsy wasn't quite as tough as yours but I wanted to see what the situation would be if there was PCa outside of the prostate so I picked up Dr. Snuffy Myers book "Beating Prostate Cancer: Hormonal Therapy and Diet" for a worse case scenario.  After reading that book I felt so much better because it lays out for you in realistic timelines different situations if the cancer has gotten outside of the prostate.

He is an oncologist who had a pretty bad case of PCa and has dedicated his life since then to beating the beast.  He's the only one I have read that seems to tell the "real deal" and the real deal is much better than most garden variety uro's spew out.

You don't know the extent of your total problem yet but reading that book, giving you worse case scenario's and realizing there is so much that can be done even if the PCa has escaped should help put your mind at a little bit of ease. 

Don't put the cart before the horse, get all of the information and then be ready to take action.  

David