HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Newbie questions

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
1 2
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 12/29/2019 3:35 AM (GMT 0)
At this point, your PSA really doesn't matter. It just measures prostate activity--that could be PCa, or a lot of other things. Generally, a larger prostate produces more PSA. But a pathologist reading your biopsy is mainly concerned with looking at the cells and determining if they're cancerous--and if so, how differentiated they are from normal prostate cells. What matters now is your Gleason score--G6, G7, G8 and so on. That will let you know how aggressive your PCa is. In turn, that can help provide info for how to treat.
Posted 12/29/2019 12:01 PM (GMT 0)
Yes prostate cancer is prevalent in men and increases with age. Thankfully, most PCa is indolent and will never be a problem. However, the only way to determine the cancer and type is through the biopsy. I doubt that your T treatment or weight loss or other factors would be relevant to the pathologist. That professional is limiting the assessment to the tissue on the slides to determine whether there is any cancer, the location and extent of the cancer, and the Gleason grades and scores to complete the diagnosis. The reduction in the PSA could be for a number of reasons and will probably never be determined.

The basic fact is that you have been diagnosed with PCa. The Gleason 3 type is most always harmless and by itself usually does not require direct treatment. The Gleason 4 type can be dangerous and most always needs to be treated before it can grow, spread and mutate into even more aggressive cancer that will hurt and kill.

Hopefully the cancer has been found early enough that it is still in the prostate only. In that case you have several effective common treatment methods that either surgically remove the prostate and surrounding tissues or several radiation methods that are equally effective at eradicating the cancer without the invasive damage of surgery. Your next steps will be to visit several different specialists for their expert assessment and explanation of the method they specialize in. There is no substitute for this as you can not allow any one specialist to speak for some other specialist. The urologist can not and should not speak for the radiation oncologist and vice versa,

You have to be in control of the process and we are all here to help you through the process based on our own experience.
Posted 12/29/2019 2:14 PM (GMT 0)
Newbie, not to beat to death what the others have said, but don’t beat yourself up, you made the best decisions for your overall well being with the information you had. Furthermore, there is evidence, I don’t recall exactly, but it’s something like testosterone levels that are low, but not castrate level will have the same effect as castrate levels that are high. Increasing testosterone that are say above 150, to say 500 or 1000 will not promote PC any more than leaving T levels at 150. 150 is unfortunately enough t do the job. Somebody will help me out I’m sure on the specifics, it’s been is used here before. It’s called the Mullenberg (?) effect, or something like that.

More important, you’ve got enough on your plate. Your dealing with a new diagnosis which is hard enough. To add self depiction, and guilt to your burden is only making it harder obviously, and adding to your burden.
Don’t go it alone. I would encourage you to seek some professional help, you may only need it to get through this rough patch. I did it and it was very helpful.

Good luck, please keep us posted, we are all brothers in this fight.
Posted 12/30/2019 3:11 AM (GMT 0)
The study that links PC to T was done in 1946. It only was following 3 people. It would not even qualify as a term paper by todays standards. PC lives on T of up to 250. T of above 250 makes no difference. Amazing this study is still being quoted. Read: Dr Mulhall on this topic . PSA test;; did anyone tell you not to have sex, or ride a bicycle before the test? Those activities can raise your PSA. Surgery and radiation can cause ED. If during surgery your nerves need to be removed, the surgeon will not wake you and ask for your permission. Know exactly what ED is if your nerves are removed. Learn what penile rehab is required if nerves are removed. A penile implant only makes it stiff, and it does not replace sensitivity and blood filled engorgement that is lost. The experience with the clinic you are using sounds terrible. Sorry you are here at such a young age.
Posted 12/30/2019 6:19 AM (GMT 0)
newbie -- I had a 12-core biopsy and age 53 and all my cores were positive. the highest was 70%. I am also G7, 3+4 and I am in my ninth year of remission. you've probably had prostate cancer for years like me prior to diagnosis and in any case: that shipped done sailed.

you're doing the right thing. stick with it. take it easy on yourself and keep checking in here!
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12