JrMiller said...
Now, I have a colleague who was treated for PC and he told me the biopsy was going to be a little uncomfortable. Holy cow, uncomfortable is right.
haha...he was doing you a favor...thank him next time you see him
JrMiller said...
So my question is, what question should I ask that you wish you would have asked when diagnosed? I have a lot already noted (options, side effects, etc...). Thanks for your help.
Do NOT jump ahead to treatments! You have not even been diagnosed yet. Read our "sticky" thread for "Newly diagnosed..." (at the top of the page), and then you will understand that there are several
critical steps one should take
before jumping into treatment discussions. (Note that there are a LOT of guys who regret NOT taking their time and fully understanding the unique nature of prostate cancer...it's so incredibly ubiquitous that it is very different from all other cancers.)
I'm not going to re-hash what's already written as "Step-0" and "Step-1" for newly diagnosed in the sticky thread, because you're not even there yet. BUT, what you do want to know NOW is about
how common PC is, and especially favorable-risk PC which often needs no treatment whatsoever.
You're in your mid-40's. Did you know that by age 50, 50% of men have some biopsy detectable amount of PC in them...and most will never know it, and most will never be affected by it. Let that sink in. 60% of 60 Y.O., 80% of 80 Y.O., etc. This is based on autopsy studies performed on men who died accidentally of other causes. SO...you are getting really close to 50%
probability that you have PC, based solely on the #1 risk factor for PC, which is AGE. It's almost a coin flip probability that your doctor will announce "you have prostate cancer," so be ready for that.
Today, though, the purpose of a prostate biopsy is NOT to look for prostate cancer...because as you now know, middle aged men probably DO have it. The purpose of a prostate biopsy is to look for aggressive PC...the kind that actually does need treatments. This is because the largest proportion of newly diagnosed men have the kind that probably doesn't need treatment, or at least immediate treatment. Those are just the numbers.
Is this all new information for you? If so, then realize that there is a lot to learn. Studies have been conducted on men with prostate cancer which have shown that those who thoroughly educated themselves about
the true nature of the disease ended up having the highest satisfaction, and the lowest regret, about
their course of action...whether they pursued aggressive treatments or not.
good luck on your journey...and again, be prepared