Just had RP

Has anyone got anything to cheer me up?

Someone with similar that's doing well would be an inspiration.

Post Edited By Moderator (PeterDisAbelard.) : 5/30/2014 8:45:31 AM (GMT-6)

I'm sorry to hear this, Ronnie. Hang in there, bud. The guys with experience with HT should chime in soon.

Hey Ronnie,
Dude I am so sorry. I know that kind of news. I heard it 8 years ago. You don't have an expiration date man. I mean some day we are all going to go but you don't know when and neither does anyone else. My doc gave me a year. It's been 8 and I am in remission. Don't lose heart my brother. I was 42 years old. Cancer in my lungs bones lymph nodes and bladder. Gleason seven just like you. There is hope. Email me if you want. Regards.... Todd

Ronnie,
I'm not much with words just wanted say I'm very sorry to hear the results of your surgery, I know it will not be easy but you have to take susans advice and " fight, fight, fight". just know we are all pulling for you. you will be in our prayers.
carl

Ronnie,

Sorry to hear the details. Take confidence that there is a lot that can be done and more help is on the way. Important that you re-gain physical and inner strength to overcome the cancer. Brother Todd and others can help a lot based on their experiences. The HT should greatly improve the situation. Next step is to be certain that you are with a world class medical oncologist that has successfully treated many men in more advanced situations.

We are with you,

Jack

Oh, Ronnie, I'm so sorry. I've been there, more or less. Boy it sucks. Knocks a man flat.

At least they gave me a few weeks after surgery to get the bad news.

But since you asked for something to cheer you up and since my usual jokes don't seen quite enough just now, I will quote something that Tall Allen said in another thread yesterday.

In response to a request from MsWW, Tall Allen said...
MsWW,

There have been some intriguing recent studies on de-bulking in the case of metastatic disease. These are not RCTs - just analysis of the SEER database, so there may be selection bias.

In this one, they noticed that men who had an RP after diagnosis with mets had a 75% 5yr PC survival vs 49% among men who had no surgical or radiation treatment.

And in this one, they found a 72% reduced risk of death from PC.

The above also noted improvements from brachy treatment (they didn't look at EBRT, but I would expect similar improvements).

The natural history of disease progression seems to be that the cancer principally spawns from the prostate itself and continues to do so when the prostate isn't removed or zapped.

This is a very tough decision - to undergo the SEs of surgery for the survival improvement.

As you suggest, it also makes sense to me to shrink the tumors first with hormone therapy. The recent CHAARTED clinical trial demonstrated a significant survival advantage to beginning both Taxotere and ADT at the same time at diagnosis of metastatic hormone sensitive disease -- 3 yr overall survival of 69% with the Taxotere vs 53% with ADT only.

- Allen

So the good news there is that while you were hoping for a cure and didn't get one, you did get a helpful first treatment for your disease. You are not where you hoped to be but you are better off than you were. Having your prostate gone, and the original source of the cancer gone, you are more likely to respond well to HT and, possibly radiation.

It wasn't all for nothing.

Side note: As a moderator I can change the title of a thread if I want to. I've been thinking about coming up with a mark I can put in the title when there is a question I can't answer and I want Tall Allen (or some other smarty pants) to drop in. Do you think this looks like the "Bat Signal"?

-----------------------------("v")

.

... and thanks for that post Peter. It makes me think the RP may not have been in vain after all.

Ronnie
God Bless you! Surgery has at least gotten rid of a big piece of the problem. So now you can take on what's left with HT or whatever else is recommended. I hate this f... Ing disease!!!
Bob pt3b gl9

Ron, you don't know me but my wife and I will say a prayer tonight, as the others have said there is hope. GOD BLESS YOU AND YOURS

Ronnie,

Really sorry to hear about your results. You wanted to hear from someone in the same boat well here it is. I had my surgery on 2/19/2014 and although the Doc didn't come out and say it plainly, he eluded to the idea that he was under the impression that my cancer was already in my bladder and in my lymph nodes. My bone scan even showed a couple of hot spots before i had the surgery but the biopsies came back negative. So I am in this kind of limbo not really knowing if my cancer has spread, or if surgery got it all.

What I can tell you, is to make sure the doc gets you on some additional therapy immediately. Todd here has been fighting this thing for years and continues to do well, so it's possible that you can have a long life even with this disease. So keep positive. I know that's hard to do, but do it. Think about what you would like to do rather than dwell on the news.

Best wishes.

DX 10/04/2013 PSA 187.5
07/11/2013 psa 3.31
3/10/2010 psa 1.87
1/24/2006 psa .87
Biopsy 10/28/2013 4 cores positive gs 9 (4+5)
Bone Scan 12/09/2013 2 hot spots in spine
Hormone Therapy started 12/17/2013 22mg lupron, 50 mg Casodex
Bone biopsy 01/09/2013 negative
RALP 2/19/2014 Non Nerve sparing, Lymphovascular invasion identified
Pathology T3B NX, MX
Post Surgical GS 4+5 (9)
Bilateral cancer found involving 6% of prostate
03/07/2013 PSA .6
05/29/2014 psa <.01

Ronnie,

We're ready for an update. What's up with you. What sort of HT are you on? Casodex? Lupron? Firmagon?

The common brand names for those drugs in the US is Casodex and Trelstar. I was on that combination for 18 months. I'm glad they are getting you on HT, That will slow things down and give you time to get yourself righted and facing the right direction.

What sort of scan are they planning?