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Six Years Undetectable

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Posted 9/14/2017 5:05 PM (GMT 0)
I just heard from my doctor that my PSA test result was again "undetectable" (<0.1). This is the 6th year past my RALP that I've had this outcome; so, I'm pretty happy about it! This was the main objective of having my prostate removed - to be as cancer-free as possible for as long as possible. Of course, the ED resulting from the surgery still remains and the incontinence was improved only through implanting as AUS. Still, the primary goal was to stay alive as long as I could and not to have to deal with prostate cancer again. So far, so good. turn

Mike
Posted 9/14/2017 5:25 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations on six years!!!

Soon you'll have seven.

Andrew
Posted 9/14/2017 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, Andrew! I'm keeping my fingers crossed.
Posted 9/14/2017 5:34 PM (GMT 0)
Hey, that's great! With a final report of 3+4 overall and no negative pathology, you'll probably never have to deal with it again.

As urologist Dr. Paul Shellhammer once said, there are 3 kinds of prostate cancer:
1. There is the kind that can be cured, but need not be cured.
2. There is the kind that needs to be cured and cannot be cured.
3. We all hope there is the kind that needs to be cured and can be cured.

Boethail, you are solidly in the 3rd group based on my interpretation of Dr. Shellhammer's comment.

Again, congratulations. (I've got 8-years under my belt, but I was probably in the 1st group.)

Post Edited (NKinney) : 9/14/2017 11:48:40 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 9/14/2017 6:43 PM (GMT 0)
Congratulations, Mike! That's the kinda talk we like to hear.

Enjoy your good health.

Jonathan
Posted 9/14/2017 7:06 PM (GMT 0)
Great news. I assume you are buying the drinks tonight??

Jack
Posted 9/14/2017 7:10 PM (GMT 0)
Mike, that's great news! Congratulations! I'm in the mood for champagne please...

Jim
Posted 9/14/2017 7:15 PM (GMT 0)
Congrats! I'd like a martini--that's usually my Friday night drink, but I'll make an exception tonight...
Posted 9/14/2017 7:24 PM (GMT 0)

Beothail said...
I just heard from my doctor that my PSA test result was again "undetectable" (<0.1). This is the 6th year past my RALP that I've had this outcome; so, I'm pretty happy about it! This was the main objective of having my prostate removed - to be as cancer-free as possible for as long as possible. Of course, the ED resulting from the surgery still remains and the incontinence was improved only through implanting as AUS. Still, the primary goal was to stay alive as long as I could and not to have to deal with prostate cancer again. So far, so good. turn

Mike

Yay, Brother Mike! yeah
Posted 9/14/2017 7:32 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to all you folks! Yes, I'm buying drinks for all of you. Every anniversary of "undetectable" is cause for celebration!

Right you are, NKinney! My uro told me that, considering my Gleason score and six years of undetectable, my odds of having recurrence are getting slimmer. I hope he's right. I got a blessing even right the surgery because my path report showed a Gleason of 3+4, rather than my biopsy result of 4+3. Not a big difference but it meant I was barely in the intermediate risk range. I was hoping that fact improved my chances pf beating PCa. So far, so good.

Mike
Posted 9/14/2017 9:35 PM (GMT 0)
Great news! Wishing you many more undetectables in the furture.
Posted 9/14/2017 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you, randrball1! I too am hoping for many more such test results and my demise someday is attributable to some other unrelated cause - many years off in the future!

Mike
Posted 9/15/2017 12:50 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for cheering me up Beothail. I am undetectable as of now, had surgery July 19th, and was worried about recurrence from what I have seen, especially at the Us Too support groups. I guess we'll always be biting out nails forever with these tests? Have you entered your data in this nomogram? Please do and report the results to us. It seems that the longer post surgery you are undetectable, the better your odds:

https://www.mskcc.org/nomograms/prostate/post-op

All the best,

Nick
Posted 9/15/2017 2:22 AM (GMT 0)
Nick, my primary purpose in posting my PSA results here on HealingWell.com is to give guys who are more recently dealing with PCa some hope that it can be beat. There are no assurances for any of us, of course, but we always like to have favorable odds of surviving this disease.

I entered my data in the nomogram and came up with the following results:

Probability of remaining recurrence-free after:

7 years 99%
15 years 99%

I LOVE those odds!

Mike
Posted 9/15/2017 2:29 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks! I am just 2 months out, so although all my other factors are excellent my odds presently are less, my 7 years is 59%. So perhaps if I can get to 6 years I can be 99% too!

Thanks,

Nick
Posted 9/15/2017 3:03 PM (GMT 0)
Nick, I hope you get to 6 years of undetectable and beyond! I felt the same as you did just after my surgery, unsure of just what the future held for me. I was hopeful, of course, but one never knows until time has gone by. With each year of getting undetectable on my PSA test, I became more optimistic. We're never entirely out of the woods on the possibility of recurrence but this is probably as good as it gets. I wish you many years of undetectable results from your PSA tests and hope you never have to deal with this disease again!

Mike
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