Two years out from surgery today.

I saw my Uro' yesterday and I'm still "undetectable" However the new owners (Centura health) of the hospital/lab have switched the reporting from <0.04 to a new standard of <0.1 Not happy at all about the switch and neither is my Uro', no other labs in my little town so I guess I'll just have to either travel a bit or live with it.

I know all the arguments for/against the standard/ultra-sensitive tests, my only complaint is my treatment plan was based on seeing any bump at 0.05, now it will be 0.11 or whatever. My Dr has decided to keep me on 3 month testing for another year, at my last appt in August of '11 she was good with every 6 months, this makes me wonder a bit.

At two years out things are pretty good, no leakage and we only use meds occasionally for that extra oomph.

Life is good, this situation moved up our plans to buy a motor home and with signs of spring soon we'll be traveling a bit. Cancer definitely changes things, even with a good outcome (so far) perspective changes.

EDIT: fix typo

Best to all
Dave in Durango CO

_________________________________________________________

Diagnosed 12-09 age 55
07-06 PSA 2.5
01-08 PSA 5.5 (PCP did not tell me of increase or schedule follow-up!!!!)
09-09 PSA 6.5 Sent for consult with Urologist
11-09 Consult, scheduled for biopsy, found out about PSA from '08 (yes I was pissed)
12-09 Biopsy, initial Gleason 9 (4+5) later reduced to 8 with tertiary 5, ain't much but I'll take it.
01-10 Bone Scan, "appears negative"
03-01-10 RRP in Durango CO by Dr Sejal Quale and Dr Shandra Wilson, no naked eye evidence of spread, Vesicles and lymph nodes taken for microscopic exam.
03-16-10 Removal of cath' and pathology results of samples.
Multifocal carcinoma with areas of Gleason pattern 3, 4 and 5, Overall Gleason grade 4+4 with tertiary 5, Bilateral involving 21% of left lobe, 3% of right lobe, Invasion of left Seminal vesicle, Tumor focally present at left resection margin, 9 lymph nodes removed all negative, Tumor staging pT3b NO MX
05-03-10 1 week without pads
06-28-10 Success!!
Today pills are nice but not necessary.


04-23-10 PSA <0.04....... 06-07-10 <0.04..... 08-03-10 <0.04...... 10-26-10 <0.04...... 1-25-11 <0.04...... 5-03-11 <0.04...... 8-04-11 <0.04

02-29-12 <0.1 new lab standard :-(

Post Edited (daveshan) : 3/1/2012 5:47:44 PM (GMT-7)

Dave,

Sounds like a great 2 year report to me. Don't let the standard test bother you, you are doing very well for yourself.

david in sc

dave- your the man. congrats. try not to obsess over the numbers. you are doing great. i don't understand the catheter issue. i've had urination retention and decided on a suprapubic instead of the standard penile catherter. what exactly is conduit surgery. i'm interested because no doc on the east coast will do surgery on my catheter stricture.
good luck carrig from boston

Dave:
congrats on the anniversary - a zero is a zero is a zero ( PSA<0.10 - ther is no such thing as an absolute zero)
-here's to yearly testing down the road and clear sailing
all the best,
Bronson

Thanks guys,
I do realize how lucky I've been, and I've had a phone number for a lab that may do ultra sensitive testing about 50 miles away (Farmington NM) for a couple of days now that I haven't bothered to call yet, so I guess I'm not all that worried about the change in standard.

Here's wishing the best to you all, drinks of choice are on me.
Dave in Durango CO

Hello Dave,

I am glad to hear that you are still in the "Zero" club.  I am one month past my 2 year mark and am still in the zero club also.  I can relate to you concern with the lab changing your basic standard for the PSA test.  I live just south of you a few miles in Flora Vsita (just east of Farmington) and the local lab changed from <.004 they had used for over a year to <.064.  They didn't bother to tell the patients or doctors when they changed the standard which caused lots of worry.  This also bothers me as I am a high PSA (20+) gleason 8 and would like to know if things start moving the wrong way.  I plan on checking with the doctor at the Mayo clinic the last of this month concerning PSA test standards and length between psa tests.

Again, good news on still being in the zero club.  If you find a lab that does the more sensitive test I would like to know.

Bob

Great news. It gives me hope that things might work out for all of us.

All the best,
Andrew