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Posted 1/20/2013 10:18 PM (GMT 0)

Hey guys,

If linking articles is not allowed here, then I suppose someone will delete this post, and that's ok.  No offense taken.

I won't bore you with my stats again, except to say I'm a low-volume Gleason 6 guy, age 53.  Surgery date is coming up, and I think deep inside, my gut says go ahead.  My age is the trump card in the decision.  For me, AS is probably just delaying the inevitable.  Honestly though if I was 10 or 15 years older I think I would at least try AS.

The article below, published last month, lays out the dilemma very well.  I guess you could say it's a "good" dilemma under the circumstances, but that doesn't make it any easier when you think about waving goodbye to your prostate at age 53.

Note the authors of the article....several big names, all from Johns Hopkins.

http://jco.ascopubs.org/content/30/35/4294.full

Posted 1/20/2013 11:13 PM (GMT 0)
Excellent article. Thanks for posting.

After reading this, I am even more comfortable that at age 54, I made the right choice in having surgery for a G6 tumor. If I had been 65 or 70, maybe I would have made a different choice.
Posted 1/20/2013 11:26 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HealingWell. It's a great place for information and support, and I hope you'll ask any questions you may have as they arise.

I faced the same conundrum at age 55, and age was part of my calculus in choosing surgery. You also have to look at the biopsy pathology. In my case, I had a couple cores that were more than 50 percent cancer. That clinched it for me.

It's always a judgment call, though. You make your choice and you live with it. And it's best not to look back. Good luck with your surgery.

Jonathan
Posted 1/21/2013 4:33 AM (GMT 0)
AlmostRetired,

Your link is fine and the article is interesting and informative. Links aren't allowed for promotional purposes (generally what you would think of as spam) but your link is fine.

Rule 4 part 4: Sharing of links to helpful and relevant web sites and resources is allowed if they are not used for a promotional purpose.
Posted 1/21/2013 8:02 AM (GMT 0)
Excellent article.
AS is though often all about delaying the inevitable. Perhaps to be able to have say another year without side effects, but still achieve the same result long term.

It is indeed a dilemna!
We are all different, but in my case I feel that if I had delayed treatment for 12 months, then I would have left it too late, as post op I was 7 not 6 and it turned out that my tumours had also already spread beyond the gland into the Seminal vesicles.

Alf
Posted 1/21/2013 8:53 AM (GMT 0)
Important article for those on AS! You are waving goodbye to your prostate at 53, but the younger you are, the better is the chance you will recover from side effects. All the best.
Posted 1/21/2013 11:42 AM (GMT 0)
Good point Special lady, especially as I had a fairly SE-free Sunday evening.
Posted 1/21/2013 5:23 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks for posting the link.

Being 51 at diagnosis, I was biased toward action over AS. Overall health at time of eventual treatment might not be as good. Chances of a 'cure' might also be lower after waiting. The odds were good for recovery from surgery and side effects. Long term secondary effects from radiation were a concern. Surgery was a pretty straightforward decision for me. A miserable biopsy and infection confirmed that AS was not an option.

My neighbor told me yesterday that his PSA is moving up. It had been low for a decent spell under ADT. He is still symptom free but is talking with his doc about taking next steps sooner rather later. His situation is one I'm glad to not be facing.
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