Come on Andrew ... BJ can diagnose BPH over the internet AND recommend treatment. Super powers has he....
As the OP who hasn't visited in a few days, I see this has degenerated into the usual piss*ng contest among aging boomers with too much time on their hands. If any of you "get off of my lawn" crowd...
Thanks for the additional feedback. I will see if he can ask his provider about Avodart and/or Avodart-Casodex as opposed to the Lupron that has been suggested....
matta: I think he's leaning towards doing it; but he did ask my opinion on it. And as mentioned, I am on the fence, and I thought it might be a good topic to raise here. black: Don't think I ever...
I was torn on my advice to him as some here are. Part of me thinks wait for symptoms. How much testosterone does a 92 y/o have to suppress anyways? Thanks for the replies, enjoy the weekend....
92 y/o male with no significant co-morbidities and an active, keen mind. Treated for PCa 20 years ago with RT; recently experienced apparent BCR with PSA rise to 12 over last few years. Exact PSA...
Congrats... and you got to see the best Red Sox team in at least 100 years....
It's a data point. In my case, a useless one. My next biopsy after an OncoDx GPS of 5 (doesn't get much more favorable) upgraded me to a GS7 and on to treatment. YMMV. Good Luck, Paul...
I never saw any advantage in an "AS program." It implies to me that it is a one-size-fits-all approach. Everyone is different, and you are a case in point with high and rising PSA but clear...
Just an anecdotal datapoint regarding OncoDX - in my case frankly it turned out to be worthless. At the time I received the results, I was thrilled (see sig for results) and figured I had at least 5...
Good luck to you Steve - sounds like you have a great attitude about all this. You will be through with this treatment before too long....
If I were in your shoes (wait, I am in your shoes), I'd advise that it's time to put the gun down and stop playing Russian roulette. Just my $0.02; that and another $5 will get you a drink at...
Sorry NKinney. If you think a random 12 core biopsy is a perfect indicator of cancer status, you are misinformed. Not that I necessarily disagree with your other 500 words on the topic!...
I'm surprised they reported such a result. They were able to get data on mine which was a much smaller sample. Definitely call them - I have found that they are very responsive on the phone to...
This insurance company decision falsely assumes your biopsy has perfectly characterized your cancer....
SteveSR, If you do plan on AS (and you should give that very serious thought as recommended above), definitely challenge the MRI recommendation from your uro. It is possible that Multiparametric MRI...
Denis - Thanks and good luck with your HDR in a few weeks. Dreamer - Honestly, that was my criteria as well... If I get pathology confirmation from JHU, I will likely move forward. Glad things are...
Rob: Thanks for the feedback on your experience Island Time: Yes, the metastatic potential of G4 is really the concern George_: Maybe/maybe not on the G7 last year... who really knows? NKinney: Being...
Hi, My confirmatory biopsy at diagnosis+1year still shows 1/12 positive cores (in same location), but pathology upgrade to 3+4=7 @ 30% G4 (see updated sig). I don't like that G4 and am strongly...
Hi Andrew, At 8000 posts, you have certainly done more than your share, and you will be missed. I am very sorry about your cat. My cat is 13 years old and still makes me laugh almost everyday - I...
The RO I spoke with at Duke said they did not offer HDR or SBRT for that matter. I have only learned of these treatments via Internet research....
Many thanks for all the responses. It is great to have a shoulder to whine on in this forum. I feel somewhat embarrassed to even post considering how my health compares to others here with much more...
Happy New Year to all! As my sig indicates, I started this journey about a year ago with about as "entry level" a PCa diagnosis as one can have. I had my 2nd biopsy Dec. 17. Uro found nothing on DRE...
Hello, My uro is actively recruiting me for this trial: https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT02615067 "This study will evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of 99mTc-MIP-1404 SPECT/CT image...
3-putt, As just another data point for your info gathering, my Uro considered my Pi-Rads 3 mpMRI interpretation not a "strong enough signal" for a fusion confirmatory biopsy. Hence my next biopsy is...
Congratulations on your great news! My PCP also brought up HEPC test at my last physical out of the blue....
Thanks alot for that link, NKinney...
Hello, I understand typical AS programs implement a second confirmatory biopsy at 1 year. Would like opinions on whether mpMRI could be substituted for that 2nd biopsy in the absence of rising PSA...
Hi Puppe, A slow steady rise like that in PSA would warrant a biopsy IMHO. Especially with the family history. Do you know if a measurement of "free PSA" was done in any of his blood tests? That is...
Thanks for the feedback. Just heard back from the uro who wants another PSA in 6-8 weeks to be sure there is no large trend lurking in the data. So I guess we will take it from there....
So, I'm on AS and had a PSA reading of 3.5 one month ago. Uro looked at this, gave me a DRE and exam, and basically said "looks stable, see you in 6 months for your next biopsy." Great. Now I can...
ddys: That's a large percentage to lose; but from your sig it looks like you had surgery in that time period so maybe that contributed? I agree with adding a good protein powder to your diet. When...
Hello Gumby, I think you are probably interpreting the aggressive vs. slow moving issue correctly. My one takeaway from genomic testing is that it has more value when the results are on one end or...
- JackH, thanks, but you missed the point. Don't worry about it, I got the info I was looking for from others....
- Thanks for the link Astro - hrpufnstuf, I agree that one would want the PSA reading to be more reflective of what the cancer is putting out rather than other extraneous factors like ejaculation,...
Having PSA checked next week as part of my AS. Also been taking Advil for a shoulder issue. Wondering is anyone has an idea of it's impact on PSA. The interwebs tell me it may contribute to a PSA...
Hi Fuzz, I can just relate my experience... the uro is pretty solid in his opinion of a follow up Bx at Dx + 1 year. If all still looks OK after that, then mpMRI would be the monitoring vehicle of...
Thanks for the article... every time I have AS doubts I turn to the "Father of AS" for reassurance....
Can't imagine what the benefit is of this... something with THC content is another story though - at least it will get you high....
Hi Dave, I would ask your urologist if the next biopsy will utilize the MRI results so that the suspicious areas can be specifically targeted. Don't panic yet - you really need the biopsy to be...
Mitch, I don't mean to sound uncaring or flippant about this, but take a hard look at your comorbidities. Besides heart problems, is there anything else going on i.e. diabetes etc.? Is your BMI...
RobertMP - Glad nothing suspicious showed up on your MRI. I'm curious in a case like that what your follow up biopsy will be like. I assume since the MRI showed nothing, then there is no imaging data...
Congrats on your good news. I'm not thrilled with multiple biopsies being an implication of choosing AS either. I feel like just the one I had turned my prostate into hamburger. I look forward to...
I'm sure this MRI result has added alot of uncertainty to your situation. But hang in there and wait for the biopsy. The MRI did what it was supposed to - identify suspicious areas to look at. The...
As Prat said, it's important to understand whether that G7 is a predominant 4 or 3 pattern. Either way, IMHO that's a lot of positive cores to consider not seeking treatment. You also may want to ask...
TA: The mental aspects of AS could probably be it's own thread (or textbook!) But yes, those who are familiar with the process are a great source of encouragement....
Great news. Every year is another year w/o SE's and another year of medical advances in the field. Good luck to you going forward....
Thanks for the info raypaul. I had the MRI and received the results. I have a lesion of 0.12mL in volume, ranked PI-RAD 3. I guess that is pretty small considering my entire prostate is 24.4mL. So...
Thanks ASA ... good to have a data point from someone with similar BX results as I. Glad your AS continues to go well!...
Thanks very much to all for the responses. John_TX: Sorry for the unpleasantness. I have had the contrast agent before without issue, so I hope that repeats. But yes, there are certainly some people...