Living with Prostate Cancer: Meet others & introduce yourself

I did the same with Gleason 9 I think that we both made the best decision based upon expert medical advise Best if Luck

You have 10 fingers and a tongue 🙂

Melcanada that is straight to the point. And, for some reason hilarious. Thanks.

Two days ago- May 8 2023 - The New York Times published an article regarding prostate screening for men. You can find it here: https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/08/health/prostate-cancer-screening.html
The first paragraph reads: Too Many Older Men Are Still Screened for Prostate Cancer
Most have low-risk cancers and rarely benefit from treatment, a new study finds. Actively monitoring the condition is often the best choice.

Thank you for welcoming me to the group. I’ve actually joined for my husband who has an elevated PSA and symptoms (he wakes up once, sometimes twice at night to urinate.) He’s 71, and his PSA has steadily risen, 2.8 in 2019, 6.71 in 2022, and in 2023, 36.4. He went to the urologist and nothing was detected on DRE. The doctor ordered labs, another PSA and an MRI with and without contrast. He refuses to do the contrast MRI because a radiologist friend of his told him that he has lost 3 patients due to allergic reactions. I would like to know if any of you have been diagnosed with the non-contrast MRI only, or if any other tests were needed. Thanks so much - this is all very frightening.

Somi: there are a couple of other contrast choices that minimize any allergic reaction. Ask your doctor. A Center of excellence Radiation oncologist told me if you can see it, you can treat it. Good imaging through the whole process is really important.

Once the MRI of the prostate is done, and read correctly, then the biopsy is used to confirm whether cancer exists or not and other details. Use the biopsy material for a decipher genetic test to evaluate aggressiveness.

Thank you, @bens1. I’ll tell my husband. Aside from iodine and gadolinium, is there anything else? I know you suggested for him to call his doctor, but he’s afraid of what he‘ll say and is pretty firm on having it done without the contrast., if we can find a place that will do it. He’s having discomfort along the right side of his body from the waist down to his leg. He thinks maybe it’s sciatica, but I wonder if it has something to do with the elevated PSA, or perhaps long-term use of PPIs. Have you heard of this happening? Thanks again, it really helps to share these concerns of ours.

Somi: there are also manganese based contrast agents and iron based contrast agents. The doctor, or a second opinion doctor should be able to give your husband a feel for the allergic issues.

Maybe he can be tested for allergic reactions from contrast ingredients before he makes that decision to get contrast in an MRI.

If your husband solves the contrast issue, then he will need to get the best image available to him so that they can treat him more effectively. The more precise you can be with the radiation both in terms of the cancer and healthy tissue, the better off your husband will be and the less likely your husband will have difficult side effects and quality of life issues.

In terms of the sciatica, I personally did not have it as it related to prostate cancer only as it related to disc issues years ago.

I'm also searching for alternative contrasts so I'm checking out Maganese. GEHealthcare.com has it but they won't speak to patients.
BTW, I had Sciatica for 7 years and could hardly walk... a Naturopathic ND Doctor put me on Magnesium Glycinate 400 mg twice a day and I soaked in Magnesium Bath Crystals 3 times a day and in 1 1/2 months it went away and hasn't come back. I'm riding horses again. 🙂

A German doctor friend recommended 2X 15mg Ivermectin and 2X 500mg Lactoferrin per day. He said this will slow down the prostate cancer growth. Anyone heard of this?