← Return to New to group, usually don’t join groups that would have me as a member

Discussion
Comment receiving replies
@frankenstrat

I underwent radical robotic prostatectomy just last Monday (May 1st 2023). I feel great and am happy with my prognosis and surgical outocome.

I had a needle biopsy in Dec 2022 that indicated a Gleeson 7 tumor in my left apical region. I quickly opted for prostatectomy given my age (56) and tumor aggressiveness.

My 3T MRI sounded similar to yours, to translate:
T2 = Organ Contained
Hypointense legion = area of interest ( tumor)
Right peripheral zone = location in prostate
No pelvic lymphoadenopathy = no indication of spread to pelvic lymph nodes
Suspicious legions = tumors

Your MRI is describing an organ contained prostatic tumor. That is good news. No indication of localized metastisis.

In my case my MRI was very similar to yours and very accurate.

The curveball for me was this: after removal pathology found my Gleeson 7 (4+3) was actually a Gleeson 9 (4+5). So my inaccuracy was with the needle biopsy.

So tests are just that and can have diagnostic inaccuracies. I was 2 mm away from capsular breach, which would have been game over for me.

My prognosis now is excellent with a PT2N0 pathology stage (pathology confirmed, organ contained, no lymphoadenopathy). So pathology confirmed my MRI, but altered my biopsy Gleeson score. Now I await my 6 week post-op PSA to assess micro-metastatic disease.

My advice to you is to be decisive. Diagnostics can be inaccurate. You really don’t know what you have so long as it is still in your body.

Only you can decide the right course of action for yourself. Just keep in mind that any data they give you from diagnostics could have inaccuracies. Take the data you are given, don’t delay, make your decision, then move swiftly on your goal.

In the end I am glad I made the decision I did. My tests said I had time. I did not. I was perhaps 3-4 months from terminal T4 disease. I was damn lucky.

Jump to this post


Replies to "I underwent radical robotic prostatectomy just last Monday (May 1st 2023). I feel great and am..."

Frankenstrat: did you take a decipher or prolaris genetic test after your biopsy to test for aggressiveness?

Your post is very uplifting and you gave wise and common sense guidance for initial aggressive treatment. Thank you and best of luck. You are still a young man and I hope that you have a very long and happy journey ahead of you!

I cannot agree more with your assessment. For me, leaving the cancer in my body and relying on diagnostic tools was far too dangerous. When assessing my life going forward, concerns of erectile dysfunction were well below my concerns around having to deal with metastasized cancer. I chose the most aggressive approach and had my radical prostatectomy November 2022. FYI - I am currently 57 years old. There is still a 20% chance of reoccurrence, but for me, having the cancerous prostate/seminal vesicles out of my body gives me peace of mind going forward.

However, everyone is different and we all have unique goals in life. Thus, I respect all paths chosen. For me, Mayo-Rochester was awesome. I came into my initial appointment with a decision to do a radical prostatectomy, if I had cancer. However, my medical team made sure to explain all options in depth, including risks/advantages/disadvantages.

Good luck to all!!