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Posted 8/3/2014 3:45 PM (GMT 0)
hi, everybody
i would like to ask what is the average survival rate of those who are diagnose with prostate cancer? as some of you know on december 18, 2013, i turned 40 yrs. old. on july 11th, i was told i have an elevated PSA level of 5.5.

when i was referred to my uro, he performed a DRE and didn't feel anything abnormal. so he scheduled a prostate biopsy for tues. aug 19th. my question is what is the basic survival rate of PC? also, my uro is a man by the name of peter nieh (Nieh is pronounced the same as the word "KNEE")

dr. nieh is a urologist at emory clinic urology in atlanta, ga. what do you know about this particular urologist as well as emory clinic urology? i understand that i have a point three percent chance of even having PC, but i won't lie, when i say i'm scared.
Posted 8/3/2014 4:07 PM (GMT 0)
Until you see the results of the biopsy and any scans they might order after that, no one can offer any survival rates based on reality. You are not really even diagnosed with anything other than a high PSA so far.

Did they do a "free PSA" test (also a blood test)? That was my next step after the initial PSA. There are other new tests that are available, and you might want to explore before the biopsy.
Posted 8/3/2014 5:30 PM (GMT 0)
no. the only thing i received as a DRE and a scheduled biopsy.
Posted 8/3/2014 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
You're much more likely to have an infection, and they're a little hard to clear up. They can cause similar PSA numbers as cancer does. A course of antibiotics may a prudent first step before a biopsy. Biopsies do carry their own risks, though fairly minor.

Don't panic yourself by visualizing serious scenarios until you have something that says so. You can make yourself crazy looking up stuff like this on the interwebs...
Posted 8/3/2014 6:42 PM (GMT 0)
thank you, redwing
Posted 8/3/2014 7:18 PM (GMT 0)
The Prostate Cancer Foundation says that men under 40 have a 1 in 10,000 chance of being diagnosed with PC. There are about 20,000,000 men in the US between the ages of 35-44. Lets say the chances increase to 1 in 5000 when you include some older guys. That's 4000 men with PC out of 20,000,000. 233,000 will be diagnosed in 2014, so 1.7% chance.

Great odds for you Sammas. Try to relax. It happens, but highly unlikely. And if by some remote chance it does happen, it's very, very likely to be low, low risk.
Posted 8/3/2014 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
thank you, hrpufnstuf
Posted 8/3/2014 7:58 PM (GMT 0)
Sammas was already universally advised to try antibiotics first in another thread.
www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3144069&g=3144700#m3144700

Apparently, it's not what he wants to do.

- Allen
Posted 8/3/2014 8:02 PM (GMT 0)
I assume this is your first ever PSA test? If not, then check and see if there is a rising trend of prior readings or if they were previously negligible and this is "out of the blue" so to speak. I agree with redwing; take short course of the appropriate antibiotic then re-test the PSA before the biopsy. The problem might go away on its own.

Also, keep in mind that before you do the biopsy there are things you should NOT do, things that give a falsely elevated reading. No bike riding, no sex for 48 hours prior. Don't have the dr. do a DRE prior to the blood test. basically anything that puts pressure on the prostate will push PSA into the bloodstream and give a false positive.
Posted 8/3/2014 8:32 PM (GMT 0)

Tall Allen said...
Apparently, it's not what he wants to do.

please don't speak for me. i have no problem with a biopsy. it's the possible outcome that bothers me. if you're tired of any of my posts, hit the "X" button and stop reading them. it was my understanding that none of you are medical experts, so i don't believe your input should be concrete.

yes, proscapt, this is my first PSA exam that i'm aware of that had an elevated result. i have no problem with a biopsy, i'm just a bit nervous about the outcome. this is all new to me.
Posted 8/3/2014 8:51 PM (GMT 0)
Sammas,
I was replying to others who were advising a route you are apparently not taking, so they wouldn't waste their time. Feel free to ignore me as well.
- Allen
Posted 8/4/2014 12:29 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sammas,
Sorry to hear your anxiety. I hope all goes well for you. But I'm just suggesting that you pay heed to anything Tall Allen posts, in this or other threads. You will see that he has a broader and deeper knowledge of PCa than nearly anyone else here.
Posted 8/4/2014 1:05 AM (GMT 0)
sammas, for what it's worth, I think you misunderstood Tall Allen's comment. He wasn't referring to an unwillingness to follow the path of biopsy,. He was referring to your (apparent) ignoring of, or unwillingness to try, the path of antibiotics before an invasive procedure like a biopsy.

He (and we) just don't want to see you rush into a biopsy before pursuing some alternatives that are much more likely. It shouldn't be surprising that many people have come here before with similar situations, so we're trying to share some of the experience of others. It's all meant to help you.

I've had 4 biopsies, and while they're not terrible they're certainly not fun. Fear of the outcome is very understandable, and that window between the biopsy and receiving the results is really hard. If the whole thing could be avoided by a course of antibiotics, I'd really recommend doing so.
Posted 8/4/2014 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
Sammas:

Being very afraid brought me to this forum. Then, some compassionate and extremely wise folks slowly calmed me down. They provided me with more and often better advice than I received from a urologist and a radiation oncologist.

They guided me through the most trying time in my life and helped me make a treatment decision that will be the rest of my life.

Remember that they have all felt your fear and have your best interests in mind. There are many on this site that, in my opinion, approach sainthood. None more so than Tall Allen and Ayooper. Heed their wisdom and vast experience.
Posted 8/4/2014 2:08 AM (GMT 0)
I also agree with the others here that a course of antibiotics after an elevated PSA is almost standard procedure BEFORE going to the extreme of a biopsy.

I have had 3 biopsies by 2 different doctors and every time it was done after having a second PSA preceded by a round of antibiotics to be sure I did not have an infection causing the rise in my PSA.

After finally being DX with PCa and having surgery, my surgeon told me I had a lot of scar tissue from all 3 of the biopsies. So a biopsy is more severe than just a finger prick.

As proscapt has stated earlier, having sex or riding a bicycle within 48 hours of a PSA test is not recommended either. Was that explained to you by your doctor? Most of them don't.

All of us are here to help our brothers that are going through now what we have already been through. This is not our first rodeo. We know the fears and apprehension that you are going through, we have all gone through it ourselves.

I know this does not answer your question about your uro or the clinic where you are about to have the biopsy. We are just trying to help you consider having the antibiotics and another PSA test before you have the biopsy. If your uro has not suggested antibiotics and a retest, then your question has been answered, get another urologist.

Bill from Florida cool
Posted 8/4/2014 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi. We're in your area. Sorry you had to seek us out.

I can see you're worried and your response to Tall Allen was pretty defensive. No need for that here. Also please don't underestimate the level of knowledge our members have.

I am curious as to why you're going straight for the biopsy at your age. Is there a family history?

My husband Paul is 47 and just diagnosed this year with advanced metastatic cancer. He's currently hospitalized for other issues we aren't certain are attributable to chemotherapy yet.

There are many others on here in the general Atlanta area that are amazing people and support that you may find helpful in the coming weeks.

I think many just want to make sure you don't rush into choices that are invasive and unnecessary and that you explore all options available.

I wish you the best. If I can help in any way I'll certainly try but with Paul still fighting for his life I am not sure if I'll be very useful.

I also echo what others said about tall Allen, he's an incredible man with more knowledge than many doctors that also is very familiar with resources all over, including Atlanta. I can't say enough good things about the support and kindness he showed me as well as the invaluable discussions about research that helped us choose the right option for Paul.

Best wishes to you
Posted 8/4/2014 4:28 AM (GMT 0)
PC survival prediction is based primarily on the Gleason score of any cancer found..That and the "stage" of the cancer...If it is still confined to the prostate gland then appropriate treatment results in a cure most of the time....Read Dr. Walsh's book to learn everything you need to know about prostate cancer...
Posted 8/4/2014 8:56 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Sammas

One thing that no-one seems to be saying is that there is a high risk of infection from a biopsy. It is a fairly standard practice for the doc to give you a bunch of antibiotics to take before and after the biopsy. However I have seen a couple of posts where these antibiotics are not given, so would suggest that you check with your Dr and find out if he is giving you the meds and if not, why not
Posted 8/4/2014 10:25 AM (GMT 0)
Sammas, I like most recommend that you try antibiotics first to eliminate the possibility of an infections or just an enlarged prostate. At your age, it is not likely that you have PCa. I know that anxiety and fear can lead to taking drastic actions but be patient. Even if you have PCa it is not likely at it will be advanced and requires immediate action.
Posted 8/4/2014 12:57 PM (GMT 0)
Sammas

Good morning and welcome to HW

You have come to a great place for information and support. The advice you have already received should lessen your anxiety a great deal. PC is a journey - if I am reading what you state about your situation, you have not even joined the club- just being evaluated. Hopefully you have an infection- not PC. My suggestion would be step back- take your antibiotics see what happens, if needed get your biopsy and then go from there.

Two items you should consider- turn your "bold" font off- in some circles that implies you are yelling.. I do not think that is your intention. Secondly and more importantly, you owe Tall Allen an apology. He is very knowledgable and respected here. Remember we are all guests here at HW.

My hope for you is that you do not get to join this club. You are cancer free and just go away because you do not need us. If not stick around and we will walk the journey with you a very long time.

Octorobo
Posted 8/4/2014 3:12 PM (GMT 0)
Greetings and welcome Sammas, sorry I haven't replied to your threads before now.

I would simply add my own opinion, based on a significant amount of time spent on understanding this beast. Looking at all of the medical studies, statistics and facts, and then adding your personal situation and statistics, I would simply suggest that you work with your urologist to rule out an infection before submitting to a biopsy. All of the information you have provided would point to the unlikelyhood of having PCa, and point to an infection.

You really have nothing to lose by first going the route of checking for an infection. If that comes back negative then you can proceed with the biopsy. If you go with the biopsy first, and it comes back negative, then you still have the unexplained high PSA and are probably back to looking at a possible infection.

I would also ask you to re-consider what Tall Allen posted - he brings an absolute wealth of knowledge to our little place and I also don't think he meant to insult you, just the way it may have come across - this darn internet versus talking face to face can be confounding!

Best to you.
Posted 8/4/2014 3:43 PM (GMT 0)
Prostate cancer survival: it depends.

For a very small percentage of diagnosed cases, men will die of the disease, but not until they have been carrying it around for many years. Sometimes they know they have been carrying it around, and in very rare cases they don't know that they've been carrying it around because symptoms of the disease do not show up until near the end.

For a very large percentage of diagnosed cases, men will NOT die of the disease. In fact, a large percentage of cases of men who pursue treatment are are classified as low-risk and their LIFE EXPECTANCY IS NOT SIGNFICANTLY ALTERED AS A RESULT OF SEEKING TREATMENT. For many of these men, the "harms" of treatment is greater (by almost any measure) than the "benefits."
Posted 8/4/2014 4:47 PM (GMT 0)
Sammas,
If your question is about your odds for survival:
The 10 year survival rate in the US is close to 100%
The overall death rate due to prostate cancer is 3%
A man Dxed with PC has an 84% probability during his remaining life of dying from something other than prostate cancer.
Prostate cancer is a spectrum of disease ranging from harmless to deadly. The very deadly versions are fortunately rare, but even the intermediate grade cancers can be deadly over a long period of time. Prostate cancer can only be deadly when it goes metastic, and as long as it remains in the prostate is usually harmless; this describes about 60% of the prostate cancers found. The remaining types can grow and spread slowly over the years and living a further 15 or 20 years without treatment is not unheard of. With treatment the vast majority of prostate cancers can be cured and the rest can have their growth significantly slowed by treatment.
So there is no rush to create a "bucket list", the odds are that you will still be with us for a very long time.
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