New to Forum--Reading--A Few Quick Questions

Hello, everyone. My husband was just diagnosed last week with Prostate Cancer. Since our journey began with a questionable PSA, we have, like most of you here, been on a rollercoaster ride. I have found this forum invaluable. We have a consult on the 31st, and I feel fairly well armed with questions thanks to others at this site. I am also reading a lot about seed radiation v. surgery, and it seems (if either or both are options for him), we would look especially closely at seed radiation if there is a good possibility the cancer has jumped.

He had a biopsy a week ago, and had a copy faxed to me today. I am trying to understand it. I think I now have most of the biopsy figured out, but am not sure about the abbreviations for some of the locations, like "RMB." Most of them I have figured out. Is there somewhere I can go to get all the abbreviations identified?

Overall, my husband's story is this:

PSA of 3.9 until January--now 5.2
Overall Gleason Score of 7 (unfortunately 4+3)
DRE: nothing detected.
Age: 68 years old
Biopsies have 4+3 in RLA (5% of tissue): RLM 10% of tissue); RLB (<5%); RMB (<5%); LLA (30%); LLB (50%); LMA (40%); LMM (40%); LMB (30%). Other samples have 3+4 at lower percents.
Husband in excellent physical condition and very active

Do any of you have any counsel as to the probability of capsule escape? AIs there a way to compute my own Partin Tables?

Any other advice (other than not to freak out) would be much appreciated. Thank you.

Hi Imerly,

You should be able to find the Partin tables or other nomograms on the John Hopkins website.
Your husband has a pretty extensive tumor load and I would also consider a seed/IMRT combination treatment as the margins are larger and the dose is greater than brachy alone. There isn't much difference in the side effects. There have also been some recent studies that for a G7 a short course of hormone therapy (6-9 months) significantly improves the effectiveness of the radiation treatments.
Good luck
JohnT

I've got Gleason 7 too and decided to go the IGRT route because I've got problems that make surgery to risky for me. My RO gave me the option of beam or seed radiation but in the end I selected the beam because of the possibility of their being some cancer on the margins of the prostate. I can go back and do the seeds later if the first treatment wasn't enough.

I can't really offer an opinion on if in your case it has escaped. That is always possible but I think give your husband's numbers that it the probability is on the low side. The only thing you can do is to treat the cancer in the prostate and then see what the PSA does.

Have you read any of the prostate cancer books? Dr. Walsh's "Surviving Prostate Cancer" is good. I am others can recommend other books and web site you might find helpful. That is my real advice - learn as much as you can before you make a decision. Even though it looks bad, you do have time to research and make a good decision - don't let anyone rush you into a treatment plan. I'd say don't panic but you seem to have that covered. :)

We're here if you have more questions.
All the best,
Andrew