New

Very sorry to read about your husband's situation.
Could you please provide the path report? Any other info (PSA prior to surgery, scan results etc.) would be helpful as well.

Bone scan and CT were both negitive

Desert bound

Welcome to the brotherhood. I had a similar bad pathology after RP and my surgeon termed it "crapty" and said I'd be fighting it for the rest of my life. I guess a little better than " 3-5 years, but not much?! My pathology was worse than yours and 3 years later I'm still here after salvage radiation ( twice) and hormone therapy. We have a long way to go but aggressive treatment is necessary. Find a good radiation oncologist.
Bob

While "his" MO might be a good one, I would ask your GP for a referral to see an MO HE recommends...At the same time, ask him to refer you to a RO also. Your husband can still be cured and die from a heart attack when he is 90.... Even if a cure is not achieved, he will still be around a lot longer than 5 years..Also, get a hard copy of that pathology report from your Uro...

Since some of the cancer was left behind, radiation treatment, called salvage radiation treatment or SRT will probably be in his near future. If you live in a large city, there will most certainly be a facility (maybe a hospital) that has the latest radiation administering equipment installed. These machines are called LINACS. It's worth traveling to be treated with the newest, up to date equipment and by an RO who is also up to date with his treatment techniques..A lot has changed over the last 6 to 8 years..

If you have not read "Surviving Prostate Cancer" by Dr. Pat Walsh now would be a good time to do so....Best of luck to you both..

Bone scan and CT were both clear. With a positive finding in one lymph node and positive margins is it still considered local? We realize we might be traveling if needed. Looking into MD Anderson right now.

Hello Chief fans and welcome to the best forum you'll ever find. So very sorry for what you've been through. I think the chances your DH will be around for many years is quote good. My DH was G 9 with bone and lymph mets from head to toe, and he is still hanging in 6 years later, despite having every common tx at least once and some twice. And if SRT is successful, perhaps even a cure! It is so very insensitive for a Dr to give such prognosis. Especially since it wasn't even based on having a post surgery PSA.
Hang in there.and find yourself with a really excellent team of docs.
We are here if you need info or a place to vent or a cyber hug.
Btw, if TA posts a response to any of your questions, he's da man. He knows his stuff!
Best wishes as you begin this journey no one wants to take.
Beth
@TA..a subsequent post said no identified mets on scans.

A trip down to MD Anderson for a complete evaluation and treatment recommendation might be worthwhile...The Mayo Clinic, Cleveland Clinic are other possibilities..I suspect there are competent practitioners in Kansas City also...Make sure your insurance company is on board with all this..(get pre-approvals)

So where in the desert are you bound for ??

Hang in there! It sounds like you need to get a new team of doctors. There is good news and bad news. First the bad news. Your husband will never be cured. Now the good news, while the cancer may still be there, there is a very good chance he will be around for decades to come. Except for the crappy Doctors, my story is similar to your husbands. Please know that I plan on being here for more than 3.5 years!

I had DaVinci surgery last April where the cancer spread to the pelvic lymph nodes. However, the bone and CT scans did not pick up the cancer anywhere else. My team at Henry Ford Hospital in Michigan then started me on hormonal therapy in June and radiation of the pelvic bed in August (done with 28 of 38 treatments). I have Ductal Prostate cancer which is rare and very agressive. Even though my team is struggling on how to handle it, they are all willing to fight for me. My surgical team is staying very much involved.

MD Anderson, the Mayo in Arizona may be good places to investigate. In any case, please get him a RO. They may recommend the same combination of treatments (HT and RT) that I have. There are a lot of people here that are smarter than me who may suggest different treatment options.

Please know that you have the whole group pulling for you guys!

Desert Bound,

Hang in there! You are going through the shock and the adjustment period we went through about a year and a half ago. As you will see from my husband's stats below, we have similar situations. We have had two doctors tell us he has 5 years but we are not buying it at all. Now after chemo, radiation and ongoing Lupron, husband's PSA is going down with each 3 month check and he is feeling good.

You need to treat aggressively and think positively. If I were you I'd make sure you get a PET scan now to see what you are dealing with. If you wait til he starts ADT (Lupron), the PC won't show up on the scan. Ask about early chemo (it sounds scarier than it is). Check into a combo of Lupron and radiation. Have his Vitamin D level checked. Most aggressive PC guys have very low levels and need to be brought up with high dosages. You'll be doing a lot of leg work on your own. We've found that no doctor takes your hand and guides you.

What's more there are some new drugs/immunotherapies coming that are pretty exciting. But I think you will find this site is a lifeline.

Best wishes you for you and your husband!