young and don't fit a risk group

Sorry to see that you are joining our group. Stay with us and we will advise you. So many knowledgeable people on this forum!

Right off the bat, I (and others) wil tell you that you have many options for treatment. You already have evidence for that. Study them all and then decide.
The recommendations you have received so far are the usual ones. As I already stated, you are in charge.

Welcome to HW.

Hang around, lots of folks here with numbers like that.

A bone scan isn't likely to show much at this point. Your first line treatment is either surgery or RT. It's really difficult to select between the two as both will likely do the same thing and be curative. RT avoids the trauma of surgery and can treat a wider area if needed. You might want to look into SBRT which is five treatments, has few SEs and is covered by most insurance.

The problem you'll find is getting enough objective data to select between treatment modes.

Hang in there and ask all the questions you have, we're here most days.
Andrew

Y... I hear you man. As i posted earlier on another thread, I'm a surgery survivor. Both my brother and I had surgery about 9 years ago. Pulling zero's and don't have any problems with the plumbing.

However I currently don't recommend surgery to most people that are family and friends. With the new and accumulating data on radiation I recommend that pathway if treatment is needed. If I were diagnosed today I would be having radiation therapy tomorrow.

If you do go the surgical path be very selective in the guy/gal with the knife.

Best of luck
Hero

Yayaut.....Welcome!! the big decision is tough ....when I asked the urologist what I should do that day he told me , I was in shock when he just handed me a book and said it will be my decision.....came here and began learning ....a very good place to be now....I wish you well, and if you want personal info on my treatment ,e-mail me ......good luck in your decision!.....David

Artist Mark said...
I was not a good candidate for brachytherapy so didn't have that.

Would you mind sharing why you were not a good candidate? Perhaps see my new post tonight regarding my DX. Thanks.

Yayout, welcome to our club that none of wanted to join. Now that you're here, you can slow down on the panic--we all know what that early diagnosis craziness is like.

Here are some things for you to do....

First, have your biopsy slides sent to Johns Hopkins for a second opinion. Your urologist will know how to do that. When you get the results, you'll know what you're dealing with.

Second, (and you've already started this process) DO the research into treatment options. With a G8, treatment is in your future. You have choices. Here's a few thoughts for you on that score (by the way, this is my opinion, and I'm not a medical professional)....

For a G8, surgery MAY be a viable option--but, if there are any indications that the PC has moved outside the capsule, then you might ask yourself a question like this: If i'm going to need post surgery radiation anyway--why do the surgery?

Some of the newer radiation options that Tall Allen has suggested may be great for you--external beam with brachy boost has had impressive results in cases like yours. SBRT or HDB might also be great choices. You need to find yourself a really up to date and experienced radiation oncologist to look at your case.

In case no one has yet suggested it, let us know where you are, and we may be able to point you towards an expert near you. If you don't know where to start, you can google "NCCN centers of excellence"--which are nationally ranked cancer centers, and they are located all over. These places are used to new patients calling in for information and can set up consultations with their in house experts for you.

yayaut...I was diagnosed at 51 as a Gleason 8, so sort of similar to you although my PSA was somewhat higher. (But not as high as many others.) Unfortunately, I was re-classified as a Gleason 9 upon second opinion and I think that underscores the advice given above by Tall Allen about getting a similar second opinion on your slides. Gleason 8 does put you in the high risk group so it would be good to confirm that's actually the case with you. (Nothing to count on, of course, but you could get re-classified a Gleason 7. At any rate, you want to know what you're dealing with.)

All of the other above advice also is good. Talk to as many specialists as you can. There's several different types of radiation and my ROs only practice one type. Regarding surgery, you would want as experienced a surgeon as you can find.

Good luck to you and I hope we can help!

Hey yayaut, I didn't fit the age profile either. For me it was "like father, like son". I had mine removed at 47 y.o. It's been all good for 2+ years.

Caleb
Current Age: 49
8/2012 : PSA 1.30
6/10/15 : PSA 7.83
6/17/15: negative test for UTI, DRE
6/22/15: Biopsy, 12 cores, negative
9/26/15: PSA 10.71
9/30/15: Biopsy with 72 cores, G=3+3, Stage T1C
12/26/15: Robotic RP
3/31/16: PSA 0.01
June 2016, father passed away after 9 year battle following RP, chemo, HRT
6/30/16: PSA 0.01
Current PSA 0.01 ever since