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DiscussionGleason 8 diagnosis at 51: Likely opting for surgery
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 1 hour ago | Replies (24)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "You pointed to many important facts that I myself discovered in past week of frantic research..."
Yes, you can imagine that I am very angry at how this came about. I was aware of my rosk and brought it up with three different PCPs, but they just followed some outdated guidance.
Now, partially I also blame myself fir not having made an appontment with an urologist. But if a doctor tells you not to worry, you like that advice and you don’t act.
I believe this is the ongoing evolution of prostate cancer diagnosis and treatment. If we wait three more years then whole new things will exist - maybe TULSA will be the new normal, maybe PSE tests will completely replace PSA tests. But we can't hold on to maybe's, we just focus on the methods today and in today's early detection it's PSA's at 50+.
I can tell you that three days prior to my PSA results that my urologist ordered, he did a digital (rectal) exam and said straight up "I feel no abnormalities other than you have a small prostate", then recall that it wasn't that long ago that a digital exam was the de-facto method to detect prostate cancer and if it still was then I'd be done for.
I think about Dennis Hopper, who died from metastatic prostate cancer in 2010. He likely missed his chance for early detection due to digital exams. Fast forward to 2025 and he would have had a PSA, PSE, biopsy, MRI, CT and more and might still be around. Further in the future, say 2030, it might be detectable in a urine sample and be 100% accurate. In 2035 it might be a simple pill prevents or fixes it.
We have what we have, and maybe the rules will change now that more < 50 folks are testing positive for PC.