New and very uneducated about Prostate Cancer

Relax and take a deep breath. In most cases prostate cancer is treatable. n the mean time try to get educated on all the options available you can make a decision. There are several books you can read. Dr Walsh's book is one of the best.

Welcome to our little corner of the world. Sorry you and your husband need to be here but it's a good place to be.

Shock is likely what you're going through. It's a bit of a slap in the face to hear those words - the 'c' word. First, take a deep breath and start learning all you can. With a PSA at that level you've got plenty of time to make the right choice for treatment. Don't rush into anything but don't ignore it. PC doesn't have the same level of urgency that other cancers do. Your husband will likely need treatment but this month or next won't make a difference.

The problem in your husband's case isn't really the PSA number but that there is a hard node and a positive biopsy. That is a low PSA to be associated with PC but to feel a node is worrying and no doubt why the Uro did the biopsy. It's the biopsy that tells the tale - PSA and DRE are just tools to decide if you need the biopsy.

For us to comment better we'd need to know more information - info that you'll get on Friday - the gleason score, staging, etc. Yes, it will be overwhelming information. Make a list of questions and take notes. You should both go to the appointment. It's easy to miss something the doctor will say so having two people helps.

I also recommend getting Dr. Walsh's book, "Surviving Prostate Cancer" as a place to start. It's good basic info. There are other sources that others will recommend including a few good websites.

Your choices of treatment will depend on the pathology report but likely it will be either surgery or radiation. Both are good options but which one to chose depends on a lot of factors. Before you chose you should talk to more than one doctor - a Uro and a radiation oncologist at the least. You may want to get a second opinion on the pathology report.

A good doctor won't push for a decision from you this week but might want to schedule another test or two - possibly a scan of some kind (CT, bone).

I hate to say too much right now because I know how overwhelming this can be. It takes time to digest it all and to get over the emotional shock of now having to deal with this problem.

If you have other questions let us know and keep us updated.
All the best,
Andrew

Thank you so very much to all of you. You all have given me some very valuable advise and information. I will definitely go out and get Dr. Walsh's book "Surviving Prostate Cancer" so we will both have a better understanding of what we have to look forward to! Thanks for your words of encouragement too! I will keep you posted. Words can not express my gratitude to you guys at this time just know your responses are really appreciated.
Kitty

Get info here now asap and see 1000+ patient histories/journies www.yananow.net    
Also these are helpful:
www.paactusa.org
www.prostatepointers.org
www.phoenix5.org 

Get a copy of the actual pathology report and tell others herein the details, they can help you understand what it means, do not panic or jump to am immediate treatment without some more knowledge and better yet, second opinions you seek on your own. Psa alone and with low numbers usually not much to harvest on disease parameters, look at pathology Gleason scores, percentage amounts of PCa found, PNI listed and type of PCa found.

Welcome to HealingWell. It's a great place for information and support.

You've already received some good responses Some things you want to ask the doc:

* What's the Gleason score, and how does it break down? (e.g., 3+3=6, 3+4=7 etc.) You'll get a score between 6 and 10. Lower is better.

* How many of the core samples were positive, and what percentage of each positive core sample had cancer? Fewer cores with low percentages is a beautiful thing.

* What are the treatment options, and what are the pros and cons of each option? Take good notes on this question.

* Is treatment necessary at this time? Sounds like a dumb question, but it could be the smartest question you can ask. Keep an open mind about treatments and non-treatments.

Whatever the doc tells you, you've got time to think about this stuff. Don't be rushed into treatment. Read a couple good books and read the threads here. Ask lots of questions on the forum. Find out what's what. Even if this does need to be treated, you've got a couple months to make a decision. Use that time wisely.

Finally, be good to yourselves. De-stress any way you can. Keep your sense of humor. You'll get through this. Your husband's condition is almost certainly VERY treatable, and may not even need treatment.

Hang in there, do your research, ask lots of questions (we'll do our best to answer them), and keep a good thought. This whole thing is a drag, but you'll both get through it.

Jonathan

Hi Kitty and I too will welcome you and your hubby to our little corner of the world. As others have stated you have come to a good place with immeasurable help and knowledge from those of us that have, "been there, done that" with respect to being told we have PCa, learning about the beast, deciding on a treatment path and moving on.

I will also echo what others have said - knowledge is key - when you meet with your doctor tomorrow do try and bring a voice recorder of some type; if that doesn't work for you then bring a note pad and take copious notes - there is a lot to take in and it's all new, take your time and ask about that which you don't understand. When I was where you are now, back in July of this year, I formulated a list of questions ahead of time to ask; rather than fill this post with that I would simply offer to send an e-mail copy to you if you'd like - my e-mail address can be found by clicking on my handle "A Yooper" in the top / left corner of this post.

As part of my journey to learn about the various treatment options I downloaded, copied, and purchased a number of studies and results that I would also be happy to share with you, so again if you are interested shoot an e-mail my way and I'll reply right away.

Along with forums such as this where you can learn from people that have and are going through what the two of you are, do as much internet research as you can. There are a number of great books out there as well - in addition to Walsh's book I would also recommend Strum and Scholz' "Invasion of the Prostate Snatchters" as a must read. When I was at your point in my journey I encountered the "paralysis by analysis" syndrome as I was spending several hours a day doing all of the above research and reading - but that's o.k. as it will put you in a better place in terms of decided when you need to have treatment and which treatment to have.

We're all out here to help - my very best wishes to you in this journey.

Fred,

I copied your post to a new thread:

https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=2546634

k1tty,

As others have said, take a deep breath. It's going to be okay. Take this time to read and educate yourself. Ask any questions you have here, as there many people here with lots of experience and knowledge.

Start a journal and keep all of your questions and notes from your consultations in it. Have all your questions written down and be sure they are answered and you understand the answers before you leave the office. Sometimes you have to be a stubborn to get the doctors not to gloss over what they are saying. They are there to help you and do not let them rush you. It's important that you get the right information and have a treatment that you are comfortable with. There are no do-overs.

Get copies of any lab reports and tests you have done. Find the very best doctors and radiologists you can. Take the time to explore all you options.

You can read what I went through by clicking on the link in my signature.

My best to you as you travel down this new road.

The amount of information can be overwhelming and you have a bit more to get. You won't have to make any decisions until after you see the Oncologist and get the scan results. Don't be surprised if the MRI doesn't show anything.

With those numbers treatment should start soon but you still have plenty of time to make the right choice and every possibility of a good outcome - ie beating the PC.

The problem I had at this stage was my constantly second guessing my choice of treatment and worrying if I picked the right path. Try to avoid that if you can (easier said than done, I know).

We'll be looking for your update.

All the best,
Andrew