Connect
Preparing myself for upcoming fork in the road
I am 65 and biopsy last week showed 4 of 10 samples with andenocarcinoma cancer Gleason 7 or higher. Unfortunately 2 were Gleason 9.
Three 6s
Two 7s (4+3 and 3+4)
Two 9s (4+5)
Active surveillance with my GP for the last few years and rise in the last year led to an MRI and then the Biopsy.
This forum has been really educational and helpful for understanding the ins and outs of prostate cancer. There's lots more data to my situation but reading posts has taught me everyone is different and you don't know until you know as you go along.
Getting a PSMA PET scan to see if it has spread. Both MRI and Biopsy saw no spread around the prostate and pelvic area but know that's not something to count on.
Realizing the upcoming results are going to take me in drastically different directions for treatment.
Really difficult time as all of you know. I am a "hope for the best, prepare for the worst" kind of person. Have been starting to look at all the treatment options for both results. Helps me to know more before getting the results I guess.
Thank you so far for all that have posted here. Sharing your personal experiences is really helping me.
Joe
Like
Helpful
HugInterested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.
Connect
I had a prostate removal in jan 2025. Clear margins and nodes. Five months in, and a psa score of .19 doc said we'll
wait another 4 months and check again turned up .85 Had a pet scan with radioactive tracer and it showed
cancer in 1 lymph node on the pelvic bone. I have an appointment in 3 days with radiation doc. I'm going nuts
wondering what's going to happen. Do you guys think this is a death sentence or do I have a chance.
started out PSA was8.4
gleason score 4 +3
dechpier score.59
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@wilke333
The treatments for PC have improved drastically over time. In today's world the ability to treat your cancer has improved along with success rates.
Stay positive!
Were you put on ADT prior to your surgery? Are you on it now? If not need to discuss that with your medical doctors.
PC cancer can spread outside prostate. So now you are now going to treat PC cancer that is out of your prostate.
If you are happy with your medical doctors discuss your concerns with them. If not seek a second opinion.
Your PC showing up out of your prostate is not rare. It happens and many on MCC had it happen and have successful treatments. I mentioned so many more treatments can be done to treat this. And treatments are changing every day with new and very effective results.
When you were diagnosed with PC did they do a PSMA at that time?
Please stay positive and work with your medical experts.
@wilke333 You have an EXCELLENT chance…death is not even in the equation so forget it, OK?
You’ll probably be put on ADT and get salvage to the bed and nodes plus SBRT to the pelvic area on PET.
Also, you SHOULD get more than one opinion from different RO’s at different facilities if that’s possible.
Once you are put on ADT your PSA should drop drastically, stopping the growth and spread of your cancer.
You’ll probably be on it for at least a year ( before, during and after radiation) so get ready to deal with those SE’s…Best,
Phil
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@jc76
had appoinment fri. 4 weeks of ADT only, then 5 weeks 5 days a week radiation.
Like you said seemed real positive it would be gone. not real sure what a psma is
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction@heavyphil
Your right but only 4 weeks ADT and then 5 days a week for 5 weeks of radiation, Doc sounded real positive
that would be gone after that. Thanks for caring!!
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 ReactionConversation continues here:
Update and a question https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/update-and-question/
@wilke333
PSMA, is a type of CT done with radioactive contrast. I am not medical professional so just passing on my experience with PSMA as I did have the test.
The test is done to see if prostate cancer cells are present in other parts of your body. I also had a bone scan. Both of these test for me were negative.
Talk to your urologist and your R/O (radiation oncologist) about PSMA and if applicable and beneficial for you.
I see from a prior post you had a PET SCAN. I think the PSMA and PET SCAN are the same time of test which would indicate you have already has these type of tests. Did your doctors say there was any evidence of your PC being outside of your prostate. That would come from the PSMA and PET SCAN.
Can't give much information on PET SCAN as my test was called PSMA. But from what I a reading here of MCC they are similar. Maybe another poster who has more information on PET SCAN and it's correlations or similarity to PSMA could help or you can ask your doctors to explain the difference
-
Like -
Helpful -
Hug
1 Reaction