Biopsy results: I'm very scared and afraid

I appreciate anyone trying to give me feedback.
I'm really concerned about survival of these conditions after treatment.

It sucks, there's no doubt about it and your are going through the visceral reaction of being told of the "C" diagnosis. In a broad sense, we've all been where you are.

You might want to see if your doctor can point you to a support group for those of us with this disease.

Regarding survival after treatment, have you actually come to a plan of treatment with your care team yet?

Any treatment plan is going to have some side effects that we all have to deal with, the only positive news is that this disease tends to be slow moving/ progressing generally, so you have a little time to explore treatment options.

I would start looking at videos explaining the different treatments such as prostatectomy or radiation.

It might help to get some more feedback if you included your age and other general health description as well. This journey is a little bit different for everyone!

Best of Luck to you!

It's a punch in the gut when we get our diagnosis, no doubt about it. It was decided to treat my Gleason 8 cancer with External Beam Radiation and Lupron. Three months after radiation and 5 months of Lupron my doctor offered this, "We don't know if we got it all but I can promise you we slowed it down enough you'll die of something else like a heart attack before your cancer is a problem." I guess for me that brings comfort knowing we're doing the best we can and buying time. As a member of a 12 Step program I can tell you there is great comfort in the one day at a time philosophy. Enjoy today.

I am sorry for what you have to go through. It’s incredibly jarring, when you first hear the news. You grieve as if there was a death. I found the support group to be really helpful and research to guide me through the process so I understood what my choices were over and above what the doctor says. I had my biopsy a couple of weeks ago. My brother was diagnosed with severe prostate cancer about a month ago. I’m going to probably end up doing MRI, guided radiotherapy over proton therapy. I heard proton can cause bowel issues and prostatectomy had more side affects. I looked for solutions that would minimize my side effects, but solve the cancer problem. Good luck with things and keep asking questions.

I’m sad for your diagnosis. You will learn much here, from others’ experiences.

Do your own research, from reputable sites like Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins. I printed articles and saved them in a notebook.

Order Dr Patrick Walsh’s book on Surviving Prostate Cancer (Amazon) and read the “highlights” at the beginning of each chapter. Then read thoroughly those chapters pertaining to you.

I received a 3-month Lupron injection to stop the cancer growth. Then I started having Hot Flashes, and still have them 6 months later. I found an article about Venlafaxine reducing the hot flashes for a 72-yo man (I am 72.) and showed it to my PCP and he wrote a script for me.

I had Gleason scores 4+3 (several) and lower. I ultimately chose RALP, but did 4-6 weeks of Pelvic Floor Physical Therapy finishing less than a week before the surgery (Dr Aaron Laviana at University of Texas-Dell Hospital).

At PT I was told to buy and use Depends Diapers, Guards and Shields for incontinence, in that sequence. After surgery, I wore the Diapers for three weeks and had only “spotting.” I skipped the Guards completely and used the Shields for 3-4 weeks, just in case. I had NO incontinence; I was the master of my bladder! That PT before the surgery was the best thing ever.

I chose surgery because: Having radiation (Plan B) after surgery (Plan A) is a better option than radiation then surgery.

Post-surgical examination of the gland revealed a stronger cancer (Gleason 8+) that would have survived radiation.

Knowledge is strength.

Do your internet research.
Buy the Dr Patrick Walsh (He devised the nerve-sparing surgical procedure you’ve likely heard about.) and read.

Good luck, and come back here with more questions.

Thank you for feedback.

I was going to post but you covered it all. I did the PT Post therapy. No incontinence issues either. If Thomas decides on surgery be sure to get a surgeon with at least a 1000 surgeries under his belt using the DaVinci system. I was 60 years old at time of my surgery.

@perrychristopher said....." be sure to get a surgeon with at least a 1000 surgeries under his belt using the DaVinci system. "

Quoted for agreement!

I also wish I had enough knowledge to ask for the therapy prior to surgery. I was VERY lucky in that dept however. Best of Luck!

Thomasalm: I turned 70 in September. Rising PSA led to biopsy in August with Gleason 4+3 score. Like other have said previously, it was a gut punch as I have no symptoms whatsoever and am reasonably healthy otherwise.

I experienced an emotional rollercoaster for a couple of weeks, but began reading extensively on the Mayo Clinic and Johns Hopkins websites. I also found a couple of videos from a recent conference on prostate cancer to be very helpful. Consultations with another surgeon and radiation oncologist resulted in my decision to schedule a RALP with he DaVinci system for early January.

Maxvt has summarized the same treatment I plan to follow. At this point, I feel well-informed and comfortable with my treatment plan.

My wife has been a huge source of emotional support. I was reluctant to talk about my diagnosis with other guys, but began to do so and have been surprised at how many others have had RPs and are living normal lives now.

Learn all you can about treatment, consult with surgeons and radiation oncologists, and prepare yourself physically and mentally for your treatment. Talk with others about this, and best wishes for you going forward.

Being frightened and anxious is quite normal. These feelings will come and go throughout your journey. I have found regular meditation to be helpful. If you can acknowledge your emotions without getting caught up in them, your mind will find space so you can help your doctors treat the disease. You will need to do a lot of research yourself. Taking control of my case has helped me immensely. Try not to let less positive case studies of other men’s experiences deter you. Each of us are unique with our own unique disease. Try to stay ahead of the cancer as much as you can and don’t settle for mere palliative treatments. Get the most sensitive PSMA PET scans you can. A good motto to follow is “if we can see it, we have a chance to kill it.” Radiation can be your friend. Side effects are much more tolerable than in past years. Have a good radiation oncologist on your team. Above all do your best to maintain a positive outlook, exercise and eat right. I’ve been dealing with the ups and downs of cancer for more than twenty years. It has taught me much about living a fulfilling life. Be well, Friend. My prayers are with you.