Oh that's the good cancer

Far as i'm concerned, no good cancer!

Basal cell skin cancer is an inconvenience, but not good. Other than that, most every cancer is trying to kill us.

Any doc that said that to me would be the last words I would hear from him. How could you ever trust him to kill the good cancer?

It's one thing to use that phrase in here, if we're comparing to, say, pancreatic cancer. HOWEVER, in my mind, it is tragic and dangerous to see comments in public media about how prostate cancer is the 'good' cancer, which is both implied and stated explicitly that prostate cancer doesn't need treatment in most cases.

And then the next day we read about someone like Dexter King or Lloyd Austin. In one case, he died fairly young, the other sounds like a treatment that went very wrong.

Sr sailor yes I actually wanted to post my gratitude for the people here but my thoughts went back to when I was first diagnosed and what I talked about with the urologist.
I didn't want it to be about the statement of good cancer. It's just that that statement actually gave me some hope of beating it.
I'm not 100% out of the woods and have suffered a lot during and after treatment.
The stricture is still a bother because there's a good chance it may return. Not being able to void is hellish.
I'm just feeling extreme gratitude for having folks who kinda held my hand throughout the ordeal. It's easy to downplay what we've been through well after the fact but radiation and the side effects sucked.

Glen

Glen,
I watched my Father die of lung cancer in 8 months, I watched my Mother live in a wheelchair paralyzed for 19 years because of a stroke, I watched my Grandmother go blind in the last 5-10 years of her life(100 yrs + 2 months when she died), aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends all battled cancer, heart, or dementia issues....and throughout all those trying times, we had humor to get us through. AND WE TRIED TO FIND THE POSITIVE. So when my aunt had brain cancer but it wasn't deadly and she wouldn't die like her sister did, we all agreed it was a good cancer.

Some people respond to levity better than others. In our case, we use it to help treat this beast. We've been able to find some humor in every speed bump we've had. Humor has helped me deal with many issues, and helped me get through this thing called life. What's that old saying....laughter is the best medicine!!!!!

Glen, very glad it all worked out for you.

PCa is in fact, considered the "good cancer" by many. But not by those who are diagnosed with it. There is no good cancer.

But yeah, understand that was not your main point.

Unfortunately, this one is sorta a runaway freight train…

The “good/bad” tags originated (appropriately) as differentiators within the subset of prostate cancer, and was never intended to compare prostate cancer to other cancers.

In other words, an indolent prostate cancer, which is by far the most common pc diagnosis, is a “good prostate cancer.” Conversely, the smaller subset of aggressive cases is a “bad prostate cancer” to be diagnosed with.

The first case probably initially (and maybe for lifetime) only needs surveillance, and the roughly 10% who get the second one probably aren’t going to survive it…quite a vast difference.

The good/bad phrase was never initially intended to be generalized to apply to all prostate cancers or used as a basis for comparison to other types of cancers. That’s just lazy…but unfortunately, it grew legs.

The topic reminds me of what is said about the Piper Cub airplane in flying circles, a very gentle airplane. “it’ll just barely kill you.”

Another thing to consider is even after treatment, it is hard to feel in the clear.

Piper cub? must be a tiny plane. where I live we have small airport with those type and even a small jet once in a while. however about twenty miles away we have Stewart airport with the national guard and they fly monster size C 17's and a few times a week we have a 747 cargo overhead. One time we had the biggest jet from Ukraine fly into stewart. I had to run to the window because I never hear such a huge aircraft.
Really getting off topic now

Glen

My wife was diagnosed with breast cancer a two years before I was diagnosed with prostate cancer. We both used the same clinic (initially.). When her positive biopsy came in, she received a call from her primary care doctor, on a Sunday afternoon, who explained that she’d get a call from a “nurse navigator” who did call a few hours later. This nurse set up appointments with oncology, radiology, genetic counseling, general surgery, plastic surgery, and the infusion center explaining that the nurse would attend all the appointments with her and help to explain options as she visited all these specialists. I went to every appointment and the nurse was there, taking notes, asking questions, and making sure my wife understood everything before making a treatment decision. She elected to have a (double) mastectomy and follow that with chemo. The nurse was there every step of the way, even helping deal with insurance issues.

When I had my biopsy, I waited 2 weeks to hear about the results and when I didn’t, and my calls were not returned, I had to look in the portal for the results and use Dr. Google to explain them to me. When I finally got to see a doctor I was told that I had cancer and needed to make a decision so “read this book and call when you’ve decided.” No nurse navigator or any other assistance.

My regular running partner has worked at this place (the largest healthcare center in the state) for over 30 years, starting off in the lab but after getting her MBA switching to IT where she leads a team that trains all the providers on the medical software. When I asked her why my wife and I had such different experiences, she said “well, it’s just prostate cancer.” And that has seemed to be the attitude as I worked my way through this and one reason why I elected to go to to Cleveland for treatment.

Now, having undergone a revision for my AUS 3-1/2 weeks ago, I am wondering if it isn’t time to considering relocating to another state. The urologist I have is good but everything else surrounding her is, IMO, falling apart. I was told I’d get a follow-up call after this surgery like I did last time. The last time it was 2 days later and the nurse went over everything even explaining the importance of pulling the pump down several times a day even though she knows things are swelled up and sensitive down there. This time, a nurse called a week later and I am not sure she was even aware of what procedure I’d had done. She said nothing about the pump and only seemed to want to know if I had a fever. I told her that unlike last time, after I removed my catheter (it was DIY on that) my urine stream was extremely slow as in extremely slow. She said that if it was that way a week later I should call urology.

So, I am thinking that maybe it’s not “just prostate cancer” but possibly a wave of complacency that is taking over healthcare.

I had a colonoscopy about a month before my Prostate biopsy. After the colonoscopy, they let me hang for a while, drink a soda, the doc stopped by and gave me verbal results. They called the next day to see how I was doing.

At my prostate biopsy I met the doc before, was given propofil, was woken up after, never saw the doc, was frankly still high as a ****ing kite when we loaded me into a wheel chair and pointed me to the door for wife to take me home. My wife used the restroom after me, I had to demonstrate I could void before going, and I guess my bloody aim was not true. It freaked her out. I feel sorry for whoever cleaned it up. No call the next day. Just a good luck and get the hell out.

A week later I had urinary retention and had to be catheterized in the ER. Called the number on the biopsy post procedure paperwork, never got a call back. I called again, the on call Uro sad I should just leave it in until my next appointment. Three weeks out. The hell with that.

I hunted down the head of urology’s inside email, and unloaded on his department. Held nothing back. It was ugly, backed by facts. We corresponded directly, and he took on my case. Way more attentive after. The squeaky wheel got greased.

Post Edited (centralPAdude) : 2/5/2024 3:17:59 PM (GMT-8)

“The good cancer” - I had people tell me that after my diagnosis. Others said “you’ll be fine” and my surgeon (and now former urologist) told me and my wife that we were “the couple that always sees the glass as half-empty” after we learned my cancer was still there after my prostatectomy and we were extremely concerned. All are ignorant statements that should not be uttered by anyone to someone suffering from prostate cancer.