Pathology Report - Stage IV

8 of 12 cores showed cancer with most being Gleason10. (PSA 23 - age 67) I am making appointments for two follow-up scans to determine the spread before treatment options are discussed.

Seems I am toast. Is there much hope?

Your cancer is probably not "curable," but it is likely "manageable" for years to come. Several members of this group had similar diagnoses and are doing well years later. Keep your hope up and seek out the best care possible.

Thanks for sharing your story.

Not sure if I want to fight - no wife/gf, no kids or grandkids. Am otherwise in great health but have little purpose.

R-man. I was diagnosed with 4+5 in July 2009. Prostatectomy + radiation, started Zytiga Nov 2013. Have been undetectable since then. Was 67, now 81. yes you will be depressed etc but don't give up hope, there is a lot that can be done now.

RacquetMan said...


Not sure if I want to fight - no wife/gf, no kids or grandkids. Am otherwise in great health but have little purpose.

“Just when I thought I was out they pull me back in”……

RacquetMan, although not posting, I am still reading the posts. Your posts got my coaching juices flowing.
You say you have little purpose. You seemed energetic enough before the results of the BX. Seems you may have lost purpose after that DX. What is lost can be found. The fact you say you are still energetic at 67 says a lot. I know men in their late 50s who are nothing but couch potatoes. With that energy, you can develop a new hobby, get out and make new friends. However, if you want a real pick me up, become a volunteer. Many organizations need volunteers. Schools need help in their classrooms as teachers are overwhelmed and would love anyone to come in and grade papers or just help out. You have 67 years of experience to pass on to the younger generation. I have no idea of whether you played any sports when you were younger, but coaches can use a helping hand now and then. Recreation centers always need additional people to lend a hand.

RacquetMan, the possibilities are endless, but it is up to you to use the energy you still have for something positive. No purpose? With a GL-10 DX, hopefully your doctors will put you on some of the newest treatments which could help others with PC to live longer down the road.
In any case, you might not have a wife/gf, kids or grandkids, but you have us to lean on, rant, rave or just shoot the you know what with. Think positive thoughts, find something to laugh about daily and know you are one of the many brothers and sisters here bound together in this fight. My best wishes.
Jack

I spent the last 3-5 years of my life fighting for my mom and being her caretaker. At the same time, I lost my dad, my best friend, mom and my aunt while struggling to recuperate from a second hip surgery. I had a few goals for this year after a devastating 2022, and all of them were forever blocked from me by things not in my control.

Last year, long before I knew of this, I told my brother that if I was ever diagnosed with something terminal that I would not fight. I spent endless doctor visits holding mom's hand just to buy her a few more months with stage IV COPD. If I died tomorrow, no one would be there at the funeral. That is quite a statement on my life. I was always more attracted to things (engineer) than people - and when I got close to someone it was always painful in the end.

To spend my time going to clinics non-stop for scans and blood tests and treatments and waiting and scheduling and postponing living in the hopes of living sometime in the future, to buy some more empty time while losing strength, focus, muscle and bone mass; and essentially being less a man (no offence to anyone) does not seem like a good trade to me.

*self-pity mode off*

Yeah, in many ways dealing with cancer and treatments isn't much fun. If you have nothing going on though, going to the doc's is kinda exciting. Loss of libido and total ED are a lot worse to fear up front than they are when you get there. Liberating, actually. My wife is glad as she has become non-functional in that area as well. As we age we lose a lot, but we also gain a lot. Same thing with treatments and tests. Our task is to perceive and remember this.

I respect your decision either way, I get it. I’ve considered not treating if things go south or the next age related malady rolls around that requires excessive medical intervention.
I would see what the treatment options are, most likely pharmaceutical and radiation, may not be as bad as you think. You could always stop treatment anytime.
Some guy’s respond really well with tolerable side effects.

Hello, RacquetMan ~

Diagnosed in my 40s, with a skyrocketing PSA over 100, with the cancer already creeping into both my lungs, it was a sobering time.

I didn't eat, I had racing thoughts, stayed up late looking for evidence of medical miracles on the internet for my situation, and tossed and turned all night in bed.

I figured that Christmas, spent back in my hometown, would be my last.

I hoped I would be able to finish that school year with my students ... and that gave me the goal I needed to "face forward."

Despite all this, my next birthday is coming up soon. There will be ten more candles on my cake this year ~ something that was never promised to me on diagnosis day.

I have taught an additional ten years since my diagnosis. I never dreamed it would be possible.

I won't promise you that pursuing treatments is a Sunday afternoon walk in the park.

What I have discovered ~ I found I have forged through the treatments that were needed for my case. My doctors have been caring and compassionate. They encouraged me, on days I needed it the most.

I have stayed active ~ enjoyed my hobbies ~ walked trails ~ and have gotten immersed in meaningful volunteer work.

With treatment, my PSA registers in the undetectable range at present. I didn't feel this would ever be attainable.

Being on the younger side of things when I was first diagnosed, I didn't want to join a support group and attend meetings. My doctor stated I was his youngest prostate cancer patient. It was an isolating feeling, in many regards.

I did find I needed comradeship and fellowship with other fellows who would understand what I was going through. That's when I found this website.

Staying connected here gave me newfound connections and something I needed more than anything else ~ encouragement, support, understanding, and newfound H-O-P-E.

I needed a lifeline then, and this website gave me that.

We are all here to support you, Racquet Man, in whatever ways you may need.

Sent with my very best ~
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Racquet man. Whether we choose to except or fight is Personal and I hope if I had to make that decision that others would respect my decision however, I believe that anyone who makes a decision should be fully informed of all of the options before making their decision. Sometimes I believe we reach a place in our lives, where we feel we are basically done. I was there. I was twice divorced and my kids didn't really care to hang out with me. I was a drug aduct and I was living in a garage. It wasn't my garage. I was done . Things change. I went through a lot of stuff and going through it taught me that I really didn't want to die! For me my prostate cancer diagnosis came after I decided I really wanted to live and so the decision to fight was an easy choice. Keep in mind prostate cancer treatment, even the chemotherapy, is pretty well tolerated. You never know who's life you might impact and change for the better down the road. I hope you find a reason to fight. Todd.

Dude. I been on ADT for 17 years. I lead an active life.

It sounds like you're going through a rough patch.

In the spirit of fellowship, have you considered seeking help for the depressed state you are experiencing?

There's an old quotation I like:

"On stormy and cloudy days, we must still believe in the presence of the sun, even on days when the sun doesn't shine."

I know "the fight" might honestly sound overwhelming today, but there's hope AND help and resources out there for you.

I know you have hit some "brick walls" lately, but I hope you can seek out resources and caring doctors who can help you find doors and windows in those brick walls.

Ten years on continuous ADT treatments, I am very active, teach full-time, volunteer, and go on trail walks often.

I won't promise you it's all going to be easy, but I can state pursuing treatments can be very worth it.

Sent with my best to you,
CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

R-Man, in between throwing the full kitchen sink at it to try and live forever, and doing nothing while the PCa takes the wheel, are a lot of options. Just meet with your doctors and tell them where your values are, that you want maximal QOL palliative care, and work as a team to achieve it. Maybe some LDR seeds to keep the PCa guessing, radiation to zap any painful bone mets, a BPH treatment if the flow struggles, but otherwise press on. Decisions made every six months, and live your life in-between. And who knows, maybe you will find someone, or something, or some place, that makes you want to live a little longer. Just shift course, unfurl the jib, and fight a little harder.

Best of luck, shipmate.