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Gleason 6; PSA 8.3; Stage 1 or 2.. concerned son looking for answers

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Prostate Cancer
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Posted 6/17/2011 6:54 PM (GMT 0)
A concerned 21 year old son here is worried about his 57 year old dad.
He just got diagnosed with cancer a day ago. I'm so worried and concern about his health and I'm trying to look for the best CURE for him...

I've been reading a couple of topics here in the forum and can't find the best cure for him.

I'm also looking for the survival rate, is the cancer highly curable..
long term effect
short term effect.


I am so confused.. Can anyone please help me with my situation.. thanks.
Posted 6/17/2011 7:08 PM (GMT 0)

Joey - welcome to the site... You've found a good one.

Can you get a copy of the biopsy report and post back all of the results.

There will be a bunch of guys that will chime in and answer all of your questions the best we can.

Posted 6/17/2011 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
ok ok. I'll get the biopsy report from my dad as soon as he gets back from church..
Thanks Steve. can you visit my thread regularly.. I'm so worried here. and it's only day 1 after the diagnosis.
Posted 6/17/2011 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
First of ALL - relax... "It is what it is."

Prostate cancer is a real real slow growing cancer.... The gleason score of 6 is alot better then the 10 that's on the bad end of the scale.

I'm a 6 guy that had surgery three years ago and all of my PSA test since then have been undetectable.

Posted 6/17/2011 7:41 PM (GMT 0)
Two Books: "Guide to surviving Prostate Cancer" by Dr. Patrick Walsh and "Winning thr Battle Against Prostate Cancer" by Gerald Chodak, MD..Any library, bookstore or eBay/Amazon..

With Gleason 6, there is a very good chance your Dad will live long enough to die from something else..about a 90% chance.

Both Surgery and the various forms of Radiation Treatment offer a chance for a genuine cure..The skill of the doctor performing the treatment is the most important factor, not the type of treatment itself. Many PC patients base their treatment choice on the types and severity of the side-effects they are willing to endure..Each treatment path has it's own little house of horrors associated with it...

In the past, surgery was considered the "Gold Standard" for PC treatment. Today, a type of radiation treatment called brachytherapy (seeds) is frequently combined with beam radiation (IGRT) to produce results (cure rate) that the practitioners of this treatment claim exceeds the effectiveness of surgery..A recent, major study backs this up...

You do your homework and you make your choices..In the end, it will be up to your DAD to decide on a treatment path..

Welcome to the forum, we are all here to help any way that we can...
Posted 6/17/2011 7:50 PM (GMT 0)
Prostate cancer takes a long time to develop. He might have had the cancer beginning 20 years ago or more. He could take a month or 2 at least to decide what to to.

Initial treatment options are surgery (open, laparoscopic or robotic), radiation (external beam, etc. or implanted seeds), cryosurgery, HIFU (offered overseas $$$ or in trials), active surveilance (his numbers seem to high for this to me).

Good luck to you both, especiallly in deciding what to do.

 

Posted 6/17/2011 8:00 PM (GMT 0)
Your dads a lucky guy to have a concerned son like you.

The stats you've shared so far are such that it's likely your dad will be fine.

It sounds like it was caught early.

 

Posted 6/17/2011 8:10 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for the info guys..

Can you mark this topic until I get a hand on my dad's biopsy report.. I'm about to email his Dr for the reports..

Greatly appreciated.
Posted 6/17/2011 11:10 PM (GMT 0)
Joey, sorry you have to join us but you'll find lots of support and help on this forum.  Other than sympathy there is not a lot we can say until you give us the specifics from the biopsy report.  In the meantime, let's all hope it is low Gleason/early stage and then there are lots of options and high probabilities for cure.

Stay with us...

Tudpock (Jim)

Posted 6/18/2011 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
thanks guys

For the mean time here's the some of the report I know.


Gleason 6;
PSA 8.3;
Stage 1 or 2
Posted 6/18/2011 2:03 AM (GMT 0)
First of all, know that we are here for you long term. If your thread slides off the list, you can always start another because we care about people, not threads.

Everyone here has faced that "hit upside the head" feeling of a cancer diagnosis for either themselves or someone they love. Compared to many other cancers, prostate cancer is slow and very treatable. Your dad's numbers suggest that he is in the lowest risk group and that means that there are a number of good treatment options.

You asked about odds. One well respected source is the Sloane Kettering Nomograms
http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/10088.cf
As a generalization, any treatment will give your dad a ten year survival probability of over 80%.

If this group had a motto it would be learn, learn, learn. Use us, and the links at the top of the list for that journey
Posted 6/18/2011 2:15 AM (GMT 0)
It is too early to worry about stage 1 or 2, since those, until more tests are done, are just an indication of how the problem was detected, PSA from a blood test, DRE, or in an evaluation of material removed in a surgical environment. I didn't even have a "stage" until after surgery.

The biopsy results are much more significant.

As to time - there is time to study and make deliberate and considered decisions. Putting things off does not fall into those categories, neither does rushing to conclusions.

Welcome to HW. As has been said, let us know. You can post a reply to this thread at any time, and it will pop it back up for everyone to see.

Posted 6/18/2011 4:51 AM (GMT 0)
Joey - here is a reminder for YOU. PCA is familial. Since your dad has it, you will need to be checked for it earlier than most men. At 21 you are far too young to have to worry about it, but remember to tell your physician 15-20 years from now.
Posted 6/18/2011 2:20 PM (GMT 0)
Relax and Read...Learn. This is a great place for knowledge and support. I wish I would have found this place before surgery,I would have had a more informed surgery,but surgery non the less.
Take a deep breath,have a cock tail and keep us informed. I'm sure your dad is in good hands.
Posted 6/18/2011 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Joey - my heart goes out to you. I am a 60 year old dad, and my 18 1/2 year old son doesn't yet know of my cancer. We will be telling him soon, but he's been busy with something that's important. Wanted to let him focus on that, but tonight or tomorrow night I think we talk.

No son or father should have to share this bond, but it's there - let him know you love him and are there for him. With everything I know so far, your time together has hope for being a good, long time. Make the most of it -
Posted 6/21/2011 2:33 AM (GMT 0)
thanks you for the replies guys.. I'll be checking this thread regularly
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