Time for some good news

That is good news...

Providing your clinical data may help the group provide their thoughts.

I would be hesitant when a surgeon uses the word "cure..." six weeks after surgery. Mine used a similar thought, saying more or less he didn't see any problems given my pathology report and his observations during my surgery. 18 months later, he apologized profusely. To be fair, it was a successful surgery, a great pathology report and given the state of the art at the time and his experience, a reasonable conclusion. Yet, when I plugged my clinical data into MSCKCC Nomogram - https://www.mskcc.org/nomograms/prostate I faced a 30% chance of recurrence. Of course, that means I had a 70% chance of it not recurring. Guess which way it went...

In my experience, the surgeon does not really know six weeks after your surgery.

The forum is replete with individuals with "successful" surgeries only to experience the dreaded BCR years later. Those who didn't, as two of my friends are fortunate to have experienced, are not in these forums, why would they?

My hope for you is that your surgeon is "correct." You may have a ways to go before that is ascertained depending on what literature you read, 5, 7, 10 years before the medical community considers you "cured" but, enjoy your success, be vigilant, you'll likely have labs every three months for the first one to two years, then six months apart from two to five and after that annually.

I'm not trying to put a damper on your "success," happy for you, but I am cautious about a medical practitioner using the "cure" word so early. As I said, knowing the clinical data from your pathology report could enable people on this forum to better give you their thoughts.

Kevin

I was a gleason 6 3+3. One out of 12 with cancer. located in the center of the prostate. Clean margins with a PSA of 1.1. Post op confirmed. Pet Scan confirmed. PSA < .01 last 5 years. I am happy to say I have needed no further cancer treatment. However, I merely won part of the battle. Still trying to get Kegels to work, still trying to rejuvenate a sex life. I dread my 6 month PSA test. I will celebrate the good news with you and hoping yours turns out to be the best of a bad situation.

I was told to try and "pull your nuts up to your guts".

Thanks for that link. I'll keep an eye on it, because I haven't received copies of any reports - but have asked for them.

Six weeks post surgery...your urologist should have had the pathology report in hand and gone over it with you!

With electronic records and portals it should have already been posted there.

Consider being more specific, where us my pathology report, when will I have it and when will you go over it with me!

I'd throw the BS penalty flag for not having it at your six week appointment and going over it with you!

I asked for copies of all reports to be sent to my GP, so I'll see what turns up.

@peterj116
Did you have hormone treatments before, during, or after your surgery?

Another poster referenced cure to you. What is important is the follow up testing to determine that. I assume you had PSMA and/or bone scans prior to decision on surgery. When your prostate is removed your PSA test should come back to an undetectable level. If you still have your prostate, you will still have PSA levels. It takes time for the prostate to recover from irritation of radiation treatments, so it is a decline over time you are looking for versus the undetectable level when you have prostate removed.

The ongoing after treatment PSA tests will help see if there are any prostate cancer cells still in your body. The problem with prostate cancer is we are not just talking about tumors, or lesions, but cancer cells. Thus, cancer can be at cellular level in other parts of body and not picked up by biopsies. I don't want to sound like a medical professional because I am NOT! This comes from information from posters on MCC, Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, UFHPTI, and Prostrate Cancer Support Group, etc.

Great news and best wishes to you. On Kegel I have read many blogs and many posters have helped on this one. I have learned to do them from all the great posts on this one. Not an easy thing to visualize or physically do.

No, I didn't have any hormone treatments.

I went from PSA tests, to an MRI which showed a lesion, to a biopsy, which confirmed cancer.
Gleeson 7 (4+3) and Grade 3.
No other scans or anything else - just prostatectomy.

So all that's left now is incontinence.
I'll be seeing my physio again tomorrow & I'll ask her about this:
https://www.kgoal.com/products/kgoal-boost-kegel-trainer-for-men

Peterj116- yes you are right as usual My MO says two cancer cells on the head of a needle/ pin, can replicate and grow again. A PSMA/PET scan will never see them .

It's weird, cause I asked the surgeon yesterday if there were any follow-up scans, or how do you determine if cancer is still in the prostate cavity or wherever.... he just said PSA tests every few months.
He's a very laid-back guy & seemed very confident.
Gotta trust the experts, I guess.