2 different path reports

Hello and welcome,

Would definitely get still another opinion, too important not too. Please keep us posted.

David in SC

I agree that another opinion may at least settle the waters a bit. I am 56, and in July had a 7.4 PSA, but a really bad biopsy report (9 positive of 12, Gleason 4+3), so off to DaVinci. His numbers are infinitely better than mine, but careful attention at 54 might have given me more options. I can't look back now, but being 2 years further down the road, my advice is - do a better job than I did.

Thanks to all, we are seeing a doctor (Dr. Wein) on March 11th at HUP here in Philly. We just need to have confirmation of what is the right thing to do here. I have been doing alot a research it seems that there needs to be some improvement for men with this type of situation.

Will keep you posted.

Thanks Again,
Angela

Just returned from our appt with Dr. Wein at HUP and he's suggestion is to have an MRI then another PSA test before seeing him again on April 8th. They will be reviewing the biopsy slides also. He gave 2 options to my husband which is AS or surgery. Of course AS would only be if the MRI does not show more or a rise in the PSA. Did not recommend radiation since my husband is 53 which he felt surgery was the better option.

He does not do robotic and has his opinions of why it is not as good as the old fashion way.

So wanted to update everyone.

Worried,

I think you need to find another doctor in a big way. If that was the doctor's answer and attitude, then I agree with John above, find a new doctor. With what you posted so far on your husband's situation, he should have all options available to him, and there doesn't seem to be any time pressure to make a quick decision that may be regretted later on. It's even highly unlikely that an expensive MRI test is going to remotely show anything connected to PC at this point.

Definitely time for a sound second opinion and accessment of his situation. Good luck.

David in SC

Thanks for the responses. The funny thing is that this was a second opinion as the first uro said to wait for another biospy. This doctor we saw today is suppose to be one of the best in the area and was even told in the world. I just got the feeling that he is a surgeon that is what he feels is right. He did mention that he would have us speak with a radiation oncologist but his opinion is that surgery has a better cure rate. He was comfortable with AS as long as the PSA comes down to what it was before the spike.

I told my husband that he should still look into the other options especially since seeds was what he thought he would do first. Does anyone know about cryo for prostate? Where only the effected area is treated?

Thanks,
Angela

MRI is probably worthless test (especially)if you only have HG-PIN and usually worthless on alot of even higher parameters, it is a money maker for the hospitals and such. I had clear scans with much higher stats than average patients(urinary total blockage)- and plenty of PCa 12/12 biopsies all 75-95% in each one, psa 46.6, Gleasons 7,8,9's found (2-sets of them about identical too). Does clear scans mean no PCa?....no they don't, they can only detect so small like 1-billion cells or such, so if clear, yes is good to hear but doesn't mean it is in stone and definitive,  this is the ugly truth about PCa..no scan especially in the USA right now is that super accurate. Dr. Strum leading reknown PCa oncologist/specialist writes in his book(A Primer on Prostate Cancer) and papers about the wasted money alot of docs are doing on scanning low level disease patients..as it finds nothing and thousands of dollars wasted, better spent on other tests and things. You are not going to like the world of PCa, exceptions, non-definitives, conflicting opinions and such is just the beginning of the jungle...then comes treatments-side effects-monitoring etc.  Learn all you can is in your better interests, use your street smarts for listening to what you are told and varify everything is worth your time, get to know what is the truth of the matter. The Scans thing right away is a clue to look somewhere else, I smell bias, agenda and money spent for nothing, harsh aren't I...also witnessed and seen over the years, enough of cases of railroading patients w/o benefit of advising 2nd opinions(etc.), bad advise from some docs and errors-mistakes made even by my own uro-doc, whom got fired eventually. So, I am harsh for reasonable reasons and not unwarranted and I share this so other realize we are more like in the Twilight Zone, than you may think. There also are some fabulous docs, so how easy is it to pin-point them????

You did not say whom did pathology, you could have your slides sent to Bostwick, OppenHeimer, Epstein as they are the masters of expert pathology. Contact them and arrange their opinion on slides you have.
www.prostatelab.com (Oppenheimer)
www.bostwicklaboratories.com (Bostwick)
Google for Epstein

Dx-2002 March-April   (stats above-been one he__ of journey and still is)

Angela, For what it's worth..... My urogogist did a good job of encouraging me to explore all the options....with one exception. He does not have a high opinion of Cryo. Doesn't mean that it does not work...just find out as much as you can. Joe

Yes, we do have the path report from both labs (CBL and Hopkins). Epstein did the path also. It will now be reviewed by University of Pennsylvania path team as the Dr. Wein is there.

Thanks for the information and will continue to do our research.

Ok, we met with the doctor from HUP and the path team agreed with Hopkins path report.  My husband  has to go for a bone scan then make decision.  It's just crazy that something that measure .5mm can change your whole life.  We are just trying to make the right decison.  The doctor told my husband to take a few days to think what he whats to do AS or treatment. 

Chris...thanks for the info.

John,

We wondering if he offered AS as an option then why did he tell us that if we choose surgery then we need to schedule within the next 3 months.

Ang