I second ASAdvocate, no need to make a decision now. As everyone is suggesting, get a second opinion on your biopsy slides. My first biopsy found no cancer and a 2nd opinion on the pathology agreed....
A 3rd opinion from Victor Reuter at MSKCC is an option or wait until the next biopsy. Some G4 is a worry--don't ignore it but remember that surgery/radiation are big steps not to be undertaken...
I wondered about that, too. The old-timers who do open surgery boast about have a tactile sense. The LARP docs reply that you only need a tactile sense because you can't see. Supposedly the optical...
I think you're are right, it has the sign of being a nick. Interestingly enough, one surgeon, whom I consulted for a 2nd opinion, said he always leaves the catheter in for two weeks....
A belated but much appreciated thanks for the discussion. The surgeon isn't admitting it was iatrogenic. He believes it is too distant from the procedure (Nov 7, LARP -> Feb 24, Bladder emergency)....
Thanks, guys, it was tough. I thought I check with you guys and see if anyone heard or had a similar experience. Glad you didn't. I did a search through the past posts and didn't find anything. Guess...
Last Sunday, while seeing a Broadway show, I had an intense bladder spasm during the intermission after urination. I couldn't stand or sit. It was excruciating. We quickly went to the emergency room...
RobLee, JNF, yes, it is state and county dependent. I'm in a high cost area--the New York Metropolitan are in the suburb of Westchester just 5 miles north of the city. When we were 60, we were paying...
It’s interesting that most here with a Medigap (Supplement) plan have either G or F. I have F with high deductible (a deductible of $2100) but a low premium. I actually save more in premium than the...
If you go the A,B&D route check out the Medicare Website. They have a tool to help you choose a Plan D Prescription Drug insurance plan. You can list your medication and it will tell you which is...
Mumbo, glad you ask that question. I had LARP the day after you. It was going as expected for the 1st 3 weeks. At that point I had severe bladder pain. I was constantly taking Advil which did the...
Sounds good! Just thought I'd raise the issue to be thorough. Robotic, stayed overnight, up and walking at 5 AM, had catheter for a week. Nothing unusual. I do have incontinence. I'm not surprised....
Excellent work! You're doing great research. Billyboy, let me ask: is there any extraprostatic extension? My Gleason 8 was localized to 10% of the prostate in the base. I did have EPE but my surgeon...
Congrats. I hope I'm there in 6 months....
Bruising wasn't a problem for me. It was listed as a possibility. My problem is with one incision that after a week started to discharge clear fluid and lasted over a week. I was told this is normal....
GfB, 18F-DCFPyL PET/CT sounds powerful. It's sobering to be reminded that there is no substituted for eternal vigilance. My family would like to think it is over for me and I'm home clear. I don't...
As I understand it the surrounding tissue at the apex is thin as compared to the base. ECE is more problematic at the apex. Sorry to hear your surgeon found it wasn't possible to remove extra tissue...
Thanks for the heads up. No doubt I'll be learning more about this after tomorrow (catheter comes out!) I'm dreading it....
Great news. It's good to hear. You're 3 months ahead of me. I hope I'm that lucky....
Sorry to hear about the hematoma and ER. The catheter is enough of a pain. I'll get my catheter our tomorrow. Pathology next week. Thanks for the heads up about a photo. I forgot to ask....
I hear ya, Jim. It clearly an individual thing. If it feeds the cancer, for you (and perhaps the rest of us) it's imprudent. My doctors over the decades tended to be down on supplements. I did have...
As was pointed out above, the article says there was a reduction in risk of heart attack. It was a 28% reduction overall and 77% for blacks. It also said that the supplements were most effective for...
Rick, my wife used to ignore that fact that we won't live forever. I couldn't talk to her about future contingencies. I just accepted that. When she hit a significant birthday she changed completely....
I benefit from the proponents and skeptics on both sides. It helped me to ask tough questions when I talked with both RO and surgeons. If I hadn't read books and heard the stories of others, I would...
Andrew, I agree that few men do research, especially prior to a primary care doctor referring the guy to a urologist. Some time back I attended a lecture by a noted oncological urologist, Mitchel...
Andrew, it looks like you could have gone either way based on your biopsy. Given your youth I might have expected your doctors to recommend surgery or even AS. Yet you chose RT. We have one friend...
Is there any worry that the slow death of cancer cells by radiation masks the existence of cancer that radiation failed to destroy? If it takes years for the PSA to drop, it takes that long for the...
Good points, ddyss. When my 1st oncological urologist suggested I needed a biopsy, last Dec, I was skeptical because my PSA is about normal for the size. I actually thought he was being somewhat...
Yes, it is a tough question but the debate is good for those of us thinking through the options. If nothing more it makes us better advocates when we question the surgeons and RO. So far my doctors...
Thanks for bring the study /www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24510158 to my attention. It is quite amazing that surgery this good for G8-10 patients. I wonder why it was even used in these cases. Gleason...
PIRADS-5 worries me. My MRI (Dec '17) gave a single region with PIRADS-5 but my Jan '18 26 core biopsy showed no cancer. A July '18 MRI showed the same size PIRADS-5 region and my doc urged a second...
My wife still has a hard time coming to grip with the fact that prostate cancer is slow growing (thanks ASAdvocate) but she’s heard it from several doctors, which is why I make sure she’s there on...
My 1st biopsy was 26 cores with only one that was specifically directed at the suspected area from the MRI. No cancer was found. My 2nd biopsy was 16 cores with 2 sampling the suspected area. Three...
I'm finding the following book useful: Androgen Deprivation Therapy: An Essential Guide for Prostate Cancer Patients and Their Loved Ones 2nd edition, 2018 by Wassersug, et. al. It tries to give some...
My PSA fluctuated within a range of 3 to 5 over a nine year period. When it popped to 6 last year I went for a biopsy. Prior to that I was told that these were normal variations. Patrick Walsh notes...
There was an article in The Economist a few years back about the large amounts of questionable articles in scientific journals due to the pressure to publish. I don't remember the numbers but it was...
Thanks, all, that’s helpful. Yes, Pratoman, there is no substitute for education. In ignorance you start to imagine all sorts of scenarios. I was telling my wife about salvation therapies and how...
My wife is stressed to the maximum with my G8 T1c diagnosis. It’s understandable. Her only 3 close family members died of cancer. Her close cousin died of colon cancer, her sister died of ovarian...
Thanks for the good news, Doug. Us newbies appreciate it....
Thanks everyone for the sane and calming advice. Even Gleason 8, while aggressive, is still slow growing enough to explore the options. Thanks, Andrew, for the suggestions. Brachy may not be suitable...
I just got a Gleason 8 diagnosis (mpMRI guided, 3 of 16 cores, left base mid and peripheral). The previous biopsy from January of this year only found PIN in 1 of 26 cores, also pmMRI guided. I...