New to PC and Unsure

Sorry to hear you've joined our "club."  I'm not qualified to address the issues you raise, but others here on the site are, and I'm sure you'll be hearing from them.

In the meantime, you can look around at previous threads.  You can also use the search function (the one in the blue bar that is site specific, rather than the Google search).  You can enter terms such as "lymph nodes" or "positive margins" or "Gleason 4+3" and find discussions related to those topics.

It would also be helpful if you would include a bit more personal information, such as age, general health, and so forth.

Hi Southern Comfort and thanks for the reply. I have attempted to develop a signature for myself (see below), but is it necessary to re-type it for every post? Please advise

Age 62: dx at 62, PSA 14.5
open RP, Dec 31, 2012; removed 12 lymph nodes with one node testing positive
Pathology Report: T3bN1Mx, G7(4 + 3), extension into left seminal vesicle with margin involvment. A focus suspicious for lymphatic invasion was observed. Perinueral invasion.

Not Believing It,
Click on "My Profile" in the blue banner and edit it .. there is a place for your signature. Then, it is automatically added to your post if you check the include signature box before you hit "submit."
SC

Not Believing It:

Let me second the idea of seeing a medical oncologist. We'll be here to help you understand what he says.

The truth about PCa it is not exact science at all, plenty of exceptions, anomolies and various results in patients. It is possible to have a node envolved with PCa and still end up maybe cured or have long term durable remission, also possible to have escaped to anywhere in the body and hide as micro mets (via many pathways like PNI, or getting past nodes, or arguements exist on via surgery). All you can do is monitor various blood markers, psa, PAP, alk. phos., and other parameters that onco's usually do and get future scannings done if it seems warranted. See. www.yananow.org   for 1000+ patients and see huge cross section of their Journalize PCa histories and digests info.

We have some guys herein with (lower risk stats found) and clear margins and all those acolades of 'we got it all' and yet some failed to be cured and also have some guys with much worse appearing stats whom either are looking cured or have excellent remission. Have a member herein RalphAZ whom shouldn't likely have the excellent results he has (20 yrs. now and looking safe from PCa). Read up on all you can might be helpful or plan B pick your doc and hang your hat on whatever his opinion(s) are. John T might have some stats or info for you contemplate on PCa things. Your psa will be critical to watch and not everyone is a perfect candidate for SRT (salvage radiation). Nothing is overly simplistic in PCa, if your psa reaches the threshold of BCR (failure), then contemplation of SRT is facing you. Hope is eternal and not meant to scare you, but inform you as to the realities in this jungle of PCa.

It is not illegal   to go get a psa test somewhere else for comparisons sake or chart monthly, which I have done for years, so as to know what the blank is happening asap (rebel patient LOL).  You might even look where to get the ultra sensitive psa testing i.e.  3 digits (like  .003 vs. .02) and chart psa velocity or doubling times. It is not illegal to get proactive, do some things on your own, get further opinions or question the opinions of these iconic sultans of cancer. I even fired some docs along the way whom deserved it too.  I have a great onco-doc for the last 8+ yrs., glad I found him my uro-doc was interested in me being his cash cow on ADT and that was the program for life, he got fired after 2 yrs., the next 8 yrs.+ thereafter have been excellent, but that has recently changed but that is PCa, no warranties in this stuff.

Post Edited (zufus) : 1/24/2013 5:22:20 AM (GMT-7)