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PSA "undetectable" for amost a year: Continue to monitor
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 4 hours ago | Replies (70)Comment receiving replies
@optimistic @soli
I hope you the best in your future journey and your continued success in your PSA tests.
What I am reading here from many is the differences in medical care. I can only pass on my experience with my experiences. I went to two different COEs and got excellent research, excellent care and medical advise. I cannot comment on the quality of care someone else got just compare it to my own.
I do know we are not suppose to come to Mayo Community Connect in lieu of professional medical doctors care and medical advise. No one on MCC should try to diagnose others and/or give specific medical advice. No one other than your medical doctors have you full medical and mental health history. We are to stay with our own personal journey with P.C. and what you learned that helped you make decisions and your outcomes.
I constantly suggest seeking second opinion because I did that myself and it helped me. I also promote the Decipher test because I had the Decipher test and drastically changed my treatment plan. I think important to stick with your research, doctor recommendations, specific tests you had and why, your diagnosis from your medical experts, treatments that you have personal experience with.
If you disagree with your doctors do more research from COEs. Then if you still need more (and I am one to promote doing it anyway) consider second opinions from C.OE.s.
Even though I was at a C.O.E. I did a second opinion from another C.O.E. who gave me tons more research information to help me decide and the two books that every one (Dr. Walsh) talks about as being excellent.
Good luck and seems you did exactly what was best for you but your journey and level of care and expertise was drastically different than mine.
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@jc76 @optimistic
I completely agree that forums like MCC are primarily places to share our personal experiences—not to diagnose other people, prescribe treatments, or medicaions. I also agree that our doctors, who have access to our complete medical history, medications, test results, and individual circumstances, are ultimately the people best qualified to provide medical advice.
My point was really about the other side of that equation: I don't believe being an informed and active patient is inconsistent with relying on medical professionals. In fact, I think the two are complementary. We educate ourselves, ask questions, seek second opinions when appropriate, learn from the lived exepreiencs of patients on potential side effects and outcomes, then discuss what we have learned with our doctors so that we can participate meaningfully in shared decision-making. Your own experience is actually a very good example of what I mean.
Only 15 to 20% of patients in America have access to treatments at C.O.E's. which makes it even more imperative that patients educate themselves, ask questions, and seek second opinions, as appropriate.