Nodule on Prostate

Hello Board!

I'm new here; I read good things about this board from the Early-Retirement.org board :)

So about me:

59

Health Care: VA

Status: Nodule on prostate -size of pin head, 7 O'clock position- diagnosed by VA primary care doc on

Dec 7, 2011. Nodule confirmed by VA urologist on Feb 22, 2012. Biopsy scheduled for April 4, 2012.

History: General physical (Bangkok, Thailand) about 2005, doc found elevated PSA 4.4, DRE ok, sugested an ultra sound. Ultrasound ok- no cancer cells detected

2006: Annual physical, PSA checked 8.1. I got a same day second opinion at Bangkok Nursing Hospital. PSA there checked 6.7. Doc ordered Free PSA check, results greater than 30%. Doc prescribed 3 weeks of doxcyclene. Re checked PSA after antibiodicts, 1.27! Whew!

2008 Physical at VA PSA 2.3

For now, I am trying to educate myself about prostate cancer treatments IF that is indeed the case. I actually have never felt better. Spen the past nine years in SE asia, mostly in Thailand, back to the USA Sep 4 due to a death in the family.

I have no health insurance, so the VA is my primary health care option. My fall back plan is to have treatment in Thailand. So far, I've been pleased with the VA, my only complaint being the somewhat long waits for treatment. I have registered for the VA's "MyHea

lthyeVet" website and can see my health records online :)

Any and all advice is very welcome.

Billy

 

Welcome to the forum.
Wait till you get the biopsy back before you do too much work on possible treatments. The pathology report will point to the right way to go.

and you never know, they might not find anything.

There are some good books out there to read - maybe some of the folks here will recommend some. But for treatment options you basically have three - surgery to remove the prostate, radiation treatments (of different kinds) to kill the cancer and HT or drug treatments. Each depends on if you have PC, is it isolated to the prostate and how aggressive it is.

My father was treated through the VA for a number of issues and yes the big problem is the time scale at which they move - slow. Unless you're an emergency and then they can move fast if really motivated. But my dad did get great care and I was really pleased with 98% of the medical staff (there was this one doctor though... grrrr).

You'll get better answers after the pathology report is in. Keep us updated.
Andrew

Thanks guys. I'll know more after my April 4 biopsy. I have the prepatory meds (enema solution and anti biotics) form the VA and just standing by.

Again, thanks :)

BB

Purgatory said...
Welcome,

You will need that biopsy to confirm any prescense of PC, hopefully you don't. If you just want to read just one book to get yoru started, I would go for Walsh's "Surving Prostate Cancer", 2nd edition. You can buy it easily online, new or used, or perhaps in your library. This book is still a great one-volume encylopedia of sorts on all things PC. Good starting point for sure.

Best of luck to you, hoping you don't need to be a full member here, ever.

David in S.C.

 

Thanks Dave! I've been reading "Prostate Cancer for Dummies" I'll also check on the book you mentioned

Today I received some very welcome new- my biopsy was negative :)

From what I've read, sometimes cancer is found in subsequent biopsies but I'm still happy...

This is a great forum and thanks to every one that posted on this thread. Best wishes to every one here!

Billy

Billy,

Glad to hear about your good "negative" biopsy result news. Do keep a watchful eye on your PSA levels and your DRE.

Thanks guys and I'm learning that it not over- till its over.

In any case, the best thing for all of us -members or not- is to hang in there. Medical technology is improving and that's a good thing for all of us...

I went to a free men's health screening one Saturday morning. The URO felt nodules... I contacted a local GP for a second opinion. He could Not find the nodule.... BUT, he's an Asian man and is barely 5'6" tall... He sent me to another URO found too felt the nodule.

Still to this day, it bothers the heck out me about what things would be like if I went to the GP with real small hands FIRST.

Billy:

My FP Doc felt something on my prostate about 20 years ago. An ultrasound was negative and all other DRE's after that have been negative.. So apparently nodules can come & go. And a pinhead nodule is very small.

And, since you stated in your first post doxcyclenodules lowered your PSA , you must have had a low-level infection. So why not try a month on an antibiotic and see if your PSA drops, instead of having another biopsy in the future ??

Thanks for the feedback guys. My primary care doc at the VA was the one who first felt the nodule. I was referred to a Urologist- woman half my size- who also felt the nodule. The Thai doc was maybe 5'9" but I felt him going round and round and round my prostate :(

But the good news was that he said he tried but couldn't find the nodule. Any way, I'm going to stay on top of this and, again, thanks for the feedback.

Sawasdee pii mai 2556 (Happy New Year 2013- the Thai calender is the Budhist era +543 years)

Post Edited (billybaht) : 12/30/2012 8:51:15 AM (GMT-7)