Now it's my brother's turn

CLocknut, the specific info for Epstein and Bostwick labs is in the 'newly diagnosed' sticky at the top of the forum.

However, Epstein is at Johns Hopkins, Baltimore. Bostwick Labs is an independent pathology lab. If you ask your brother's urologist to send the slides to one or the other, they will take care of it for you.

Thanks, guys. I appreciate it.

So that's two out of the six boys in my family affected by prostate cancer. I think that's more than a sufficient contribution to the statistics.

Current thinking is that one doesn't have to come off AS until the Gleason score reaches 4+3 (not 3+4). It's a tough decision.

clocknut said...
His time to make a decision and take action has arrived.

Maybe. Of course it's up to him, but I'm glad to hear that he's got someone like you to steer him to the 2nd opinion pathology reading first. If he's going to make a decision based on a single 3+4 core with low % cancer, I would think he'd want to be darned sure it's based on solid data. A single core 3+4 and with two 3+3 cores may be a candidate for downgrade by "the man."

He's lucky...not everyone has a well-informed relative to share the important, but sometimes obscure, knowledge of the true nature of PC.

sorry to hear that man. if G6 cancer never kills you how can it change to G7?

ed

Somehow, I feel that providing an answer to the "question" just wouldn't be welcomed...so I'll refrain. I'll just say that it's not the mystery it was a generation of knowledge ago...

Jack -- were you treated or are you doing AS? the correct answer depends on who you want to believe. there are just too many unknowns with this disease.

ed

clocknut, I misread your original post...I thought the new results were 3 cores positive, with one at 3+4. Thanks for clarifying. I'd say it is less likely for all 3 cores to be downgraded than it would be for one. The decision to remain on AS until treatment is needed would be a tougher decision for a man in his early 50s, I believe, than for someone 10-years older, even knowing that the evidence is strongly in his favor to do so.
Good luck to your younger bro!




Thanks for the clean-up, Jim/Tudpock. People resort to hyperbole and ad hominem attacks—attacks directed against a person rather than the position they are maintaining—when they realize their own arguments fail to measure-up. Unfortunate that you had to get involved...again.

halbert said...
Sorry about that...

Apology accepted

Hi, Aimzee. Great to hear from you. I think of our August 2010 group frequently, and am always glad to get updates on Ron and Paul.

I notice that Ron was 3+3 on his initial biopsy, but 3+4 on his post-surgical pathology. That has always been a concern of mine when new guys show up on the forum with a 3+3 biopsy and are told "don't worry, it's only 3+3, you have lots of time, you'll be just fine."

Sounds reassuring, but can certainly be misleading.

I think that you guys, An38, and I are in different parts of the world, (who's in Australia?) and we'll probably never meet, but as I've said, I'll always feel a connection with the August group.

Yoop, wonderful to hear from you. I was wondering if you were still regularly visiting the site. Thanks for the nice comments. I remember those meetings with you and Kurt very well, and how impressed I was by your studious approach to dealing with the disease and finding the treatment option that was right for you.

I've told my brother that it would be very advantageous if he could spend some time on the phone with you about the LDR approach. Please let me know if you'd be willing to do that. With you "pay it forward" philosophy, I'm pretty sure I know the answer. By the way, I know he has been "lurking" on HW and believe he may soon start posting himself.

Great to see the numbers in your signature. Bill

It feels weird to be typing this. My 58-year-old brother is in surgery this morning, wheeled into the O.R. at 8:20, and it's now 10:45.

I recall my own day of surgery 6 years ago, and I am hating the thought of my youngest brother having to go through this whole sad experience. I had hoped I would be the only one of the six of us to have to deal with prostate cancer, but it hasn't worked out that way.

So, here I sit, powerless to help him, and waiting anxiously for word that he's out of surgery and updates on his condition.

This disease really sucks.