Recently Diagnosed PC

@oskarpr
Don't want to say welcome but you came to right forum for information. Most of us now have gone through the anxiety of picking what is best for us, getting the treatments, and now recovery.

As I have posted many times it is best to do your own research, then get second opinions from experts in fields. Regardless of which option you chose I would suggest getting a PSAMA, bone scan, and Decipher test. These test will fine tune your diagnosis and help you and your provider the best treatment for you.

I am 76, with heart failure but no restrictions. I did first consultation at Mayo Jacksonville and then second at UFPTI. I also had a bone scan, PSMA, and Decipher test done. All these tests helped me and my provider decide the best treatment for me. I chose 30 rounds of Pencil Beam Proton Radiation. MY PCP and I wanted to have the best chance of keeping damage to tissues and organs.

If you are conteplating RP then these radiation option are not a factor. But please for your sake get second opinions on your diagnosis and treatment options. RP is just what it says Radical Prostrate Surgery and for some good option and for others radiation only, or radiation and hormone treatment. I comes down to what is best for you not what is best for me or others.

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Sorry to hear Oskar about your diagnosis. I am 53 yrs old and had my radical prostatectomy on the 29th of Jan this year, so just about 7 weeks post op at the moment. I only had about 2 weeks between biopsy results and surgery and joined this group in that stub period - you have come to the right place, I have learned much from others whom have walked down a similar path.

You must of course do your own research and determine what is best for you and your family. As for my story, I chose to have the surgery in part due to the suggestion from my Urologist, and second as my Father had the same surgery 19 years before I did. He of course strongly influenced my decision in that he had cancer return around 9 years post op and went through Radiation, and has been with us for 11 years subsequent to radiation and counting. I was keen on the fact that if/when cancer returns post RP surgery that radiation remained an option to again fight off this disease.

As I am sure most would agree, we all have gone through a variety of emotions as we come to grips with our individual situations. I am no different and as I sit here typing this note have been confirmed that there was no cancer found outside of the prostate and expect / hope that future blood work proves this to be true. Unlike the rest of my life, I took the time to slowly recover from the surgery and followed the physicians advice on caring for myself and preparing for the side effects of the surgery. At this time I suffer from periodic stress incontinence, but I am extremely hopeful that this will alleviate in time. Other than that, I feel pretty darn good and have started to get back into eating well and exercising regularly. Where 2 months ago I was very worried, today I am full of hope and optimism for the future.

I wish you good health and happiness in whatever decision you arrive at, and again, please do ask any questions you may have of this group, it is an awesome community! Take care.

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Oscar,

You in the right place to get the full range of experiences and to learn what were the drivers leading to individual treatment decisions. Ultimately only you can decide if and how anything you learn from us applies to your situation.

The first thing I learned with my 3+4=7 Gleason pathology report was that there was no reason for me to rush into ANY treatment decision….that I had time to do my own research. IMO if anyone (doctors included) are rushing you to make a treatment decision…I would consider that a “red flag” and a clear indication that you need a 2nd and even 3rd opinion. This is probably the hardest thing to get clear in one’s head, because we have all been trained to basically freak out when we hear the word cancer.

Towards this end I have attached a study that involved >8500 men with PCa and their 10 year outcomes after making various treatment decisions AND a list of the side effects they were experiencing one year after they had their selected treatment. Of course, the percentages reported will not necessarily define your individual response, but they are helpful when attempting to COMPARE treatment options according to the average response found in a large population of PCa patients.

There has been some excellent advise already written, so I won’t repeat.

My doctor and I decided on active surveillance (AS) after obtaining a 0.22 Decipher score (low risk) and coupling it with the information in my pathology report.

AS simply means I am waiting to see how things progress before make any irreversible treatment decision.

I decided to practice “aggressive” AS and have lost 25 lbs (BMI is now 22.5) by implementing a whole plant food diet and a vigorous running exercise program. My PSA dropped 25% at my 3 month mark after diagnosis, so I’m continuing my AS program.

I am older (67), so you have the age difference to consider.

IMO after you get through the first decision (to give yourself enough time to do your research) the second most important decision is to have a Decipher test of one’s cancer cores to determine the aggressiveness of one’s particular cancer.

The Decipher Prostate Genomic Classifier has just received a Level 1B evidence rating, the highest rating among molecular tests. This test is independent of all other clinical factors and can significantly impact one’s treatment decision for those with 3+4=7 Gleason.

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