Did you choose active surveillance? Why was it a good choice?

Posted by arizobound @arizobound, Dec 27, 2024

Biopsy showed 3 + 4 MRI showed pirad 2 bone scan CAT scan no metastasism nothing found. psma pet scan radiologists said nothing found. but oncologist says he saw a very small spot. Only concern was half of the cores showed 3 + 4 out of 12 but he said it does not show the percentage of four?? Not sure I understand this part. Told me I could do active surveillance or cyber knife or brachytherapy. I think I am going to go with active surveillance my Medicare plan I can change next year to an advantage will cover more of the cost I have original Medicare now. Can I get some opinions on active surveillance being a good choice? Thank you in advance

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@tuckerp

I agree with jeffmarc. Rather than active surveillance , I would be doing all the testing you can to at least have a better educated path forward. I take you dont have a supplement plan with your medicare? My plan F picks up everything. Make sure switching to an advantage plan is good idea. Mayo Phoenix will not take advantage plans.

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I am of the same opinion as you. I feel he should stay with Medicare and perhaps plan F or the new G plan. I haven't had to pay for anything since using the F plan and I'm very pleased that I can go where I need for treatment. Med Advantage is rejected in many places.

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@jeffmarc

If your cancer is completely inside the prostate, then all the other tests will find nothing, Except a PSMA pet Test would which find it in the prostate, They just didn’t mention that since that was a known problem, If you ask them, they could tell you that the Prostate did light up on the PSMA pet test.

There is a difference between a medical oncologist and a Genito urinary oncologist. Do you know if your oncologist is a GU oncologist?

If you Decide to do nothing get quarterly PSA tests

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This is directly from my urologist about last week. They didn't find anything even on a psma PET scan. As you can see. So I take it it's that small? Since it showed on a biopsy of 3 + 4 I don't understand and even urologist seems a little confused. As to why It didn't show. ..................The only finding that is of concern is the number of biopsies positive isolated to 1 side of your prostate.

Again, CT scans, and MRI negative.

This is very perplexing as we would assume that both a PSMA PET and MRI should shows some clinically significant disease and in England there was a study demonstrating avoidance of biopsy in PSMA PET and MRI negative and they are even proceeding with radical prostatectomy without biopsy in patients with positive MRI and PSMA.

I actually think it may make more sense to repeat a standard transrectal ultrasound prostate needle biopsy and send pathology off for 2nd opinion to confirm that the actual tissue that was reviewed by other pathologist is actually correct before definitive therapy.

Please let me know how you would like to proceed.

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Your MRI showed a single PIRAD 2 “tumor”. That is not considered cancer.

Your results are pretty good, but, as everyone mentioned, six out of 12, not great.

I don’t think you really need another biopsy, Though it may not hurt, If you did it, they should get other areas of your prostate to see what they show. Ask your doctor what he thinks.

Try to get a decipher score. That can tell you more than another biopsy about your future risks.

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@jeffmarc

Your MRI showed a single PIRAD 2 “tumor”. That is not considered cancer.

Your results are pretty good, but, as everyone mentioned, six out of 12, not great.

I don’t think you really need another biopsy, Though it may not hurt, If you did it, they should get other areas of your prostate to see what they show. Ask your doctor what he thinks.

Try to get a decipher score. That can tell you more than another biopsy about your future risks.

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My decipher score is 0.41 I had that done already which I believe is low not super low but considered low that should make it even better correct? I have gotten doctors opinions actually three of them of course they all would rather do treatment but they seem to at least the last two I've been to agree that I could go on active surveillance. But they're saying I'll have to use treatment at some point. Thanks

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Thank you for your response

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@arizobound

My decipher score is 0.41 I had that done already which I believe is low not super low but considered low that should make it even better correct? I have gotten doctors opinions actually three of them of course they all would rather do treatment but they seem to at least the last two I've been to agree that I could go on active surveillance. But they're saying I'll have to use treatment at some point. Thanks

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Sorry, I forgot you had your decipher score listed. So many messages it’s hard to keep track with everything going on with so many people. Just make sure to get quarterly PSA tests. You know you have a chance to be on active surveillance for a while, but you want to make sure you’re covering all your bases. If the PSA starts to rise, maybe you should go on monthly tests.

It is possible you could go a year or two without doing anything, To have a chance at the longest life you want to get treatment as soon as your numbers rise significantly.

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@arizobound

Yes I appreciate that I am in good health beside my prostate cancer. But I would never just ignore it I would go in for PSA test probably more often than I should I would make appointments see what happens next year my PSA starts going up before hand. Especially if they detected anything on any kind of scan most likely they would look at an MRI again. Thank you

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No mentioon anywhere about a 2nd or 3rd opinion of your biopsy pathology results .
I am on Active Surveillance -- Year over year MRI showed no growth change . My Bone & CT Scan were clear . I have a PSA Test every 3 months for the 1st 12 months , then every 6 months .
I am considering as my eventual options : # 1 Focal Therapy , NanoKnife which is gaining international success ( slower acceptance in thhe USA , as with many international treatments )
HIFU , Cryotherapy or TULSA PRO which was invented by Dr. Chopra at the Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto , or others e.g. Immunotherapy . There are others .
Considering Radiation , I hope to avoid like the plague , ADTT 9 Hormone Therapy and it's side effects , both short term and long term . I am lookiing at the 5 Session Mon, Wed Fri and Mon Wed the following week . SBRT MONOTHERAPY . No hospital stay , no catheter , no anestetiic , Very low risk of incontinence or erectile disfunction . This is the current " International GO TO Treatment for your situation .
I would not make a knee jerk decision and go off AS at this juncture .

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@clandeboye1

No mentioon anywhere about a 2nd or 3rd opinion of your biopsy pathology results .
I am on Active Surveillance -- Year over year MRI showed no growth change . My Bone & CT Scan were clear . I have a PSA Test every 3 months for the 1st 12 months , then every 6 months .
I am considering as my eventual options : # 1 Focal Therapy , NanoKnife which is gaining international success ( slower acceptance in thhe USA , as with many international treatments )
HIFU , Cryotherapy or TULSA PRO which was invented by Dr. Chopra at the Sunnybrook Hospital in Toronto , or others e.g. Immunotherapy . There are others .
Considering Radiation , I hope to avoid like the plague , ADTT 9 Hormone Therapy and it's side effects , both short term and long term . I am lookiing at the 5 Session Mon, Wed Fri and Mon Wed the following week . SBRT MONOTHERAPY . No hospital stay , no catheter , no anestetiic , Very low risk of incontinence or erectile disfunction . This is the current " International GO TO Treatment for your situation .
I would not make a knee jerk decision and go off AS at this juncture .

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No I would not I haven't even started active ssurveillance I just started. no way I would just ignore it.

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My primary suggestion was to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion of your pathology results as assurance that your 1st Gleason Score is correct .
If you have read Dr. Patrick Walsh's book : " Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer " , this is highly recommended as do other International Tier # 1 Urologists .
Good luck .

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@jc76

@arizobound @survivor5280
@arizobound, Good information from @survivor5280

A biopsy report cannot show that cancer is not present in other areas than the biopsies locations.

A Decipher test only test the tissues submitted that have already been taken and then does a genetic test to determine risk of those biopsies.

My pathlogy report 3+4=7 was rated as intermediate risk. My Decipher came back low risk.

I and many other you will see recommend Decipher as is more specific and better determination of biopsies than pathologist reading.

When I had my radiation treatment I asked the R/O if doing only the locations identified by pathology or all prostate. I was told all prostate. We want to make sure we get all the cancer cells and said dealing with cancer at celluar level and don't want to miss anything not seen by MRIs and biopsies.

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Were they able to see the cancer in the MRI or the psma pet

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