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What is the average age of the gentlemen on here?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Mar 24 8:09am | Replies (475)Comment receiving replies
Hi, thank you for reaching out. I’ve been told my cancer is an ‘intermediate’ stage, Gleason 3+4, confirmed with an MRI-guided biopsy. My PSA has steadily risen over the last 8 years from around 5 to 14.5 most recently, with the velocity increasing.
I’ve been offered surgery, observation, and radiation as viable options. I am curious about other options like TULSA Pro, etc.,and have an appointment to discuss everything with my doctor in early June. I like the observation option for all the obvious reasons, but I don’t want to die from metastatic cancer. I honestly don’t know what to do. It’s a big decision, life changing, and I am alone with no one to help with the decision.
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@ppettis
You not knowing what to do have you considered getting a medical professional second opinion? If you don't have someone to help with your decision a second opinion may help.
You can reserach your options and get medical professionals answering your questions and concerns. Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins, etc. all have excellent web sites to research your diagnosis, treatments, etc.
I had an excellent PCP who recommended to me to get a second opinion. I did and got the same diagnosis and treatment plan from both. I and my PCP then discussed and we chose the type radiation (proton versus photon) that we felt was best for me.
Observation as you mentioned is an option. For many that is what they chose and that is their choice. Doing that option comes with knowledge you have prostate cancer and some like want to treat it even though I was 76 when I was diagnosed. Many like me chose raditaion based on my age, health conditions, Decipher test results, etc. Many chose RP and have their personal reason also. The key here is to make your decision yours. For me I needed the other tests done and the second opinion to make that decision.
I may have missed it in prior posts by you but have you had the PSMA? It will help determine if cancer is still confined to prostate. Have you had the Decipher test? It will give a more precise diagnosis of the risk level of your cancer and help your urologist and/or R/O determine best treatment options based on that risk level.
The Decipher can most of the time use the same biopsies already taken. Medicare covers this but if your insurance does not Decipher offfers reduced cost plans and paying over time.
PSMA is a radilogical test that determines if cancer is still confined to prostate. All these can help you decide your options as well as your medical providers. There a lot of new type test out there but not being a medical professional cannot comment on them as I did not have them where I did have the Decipher and PSMA.