What is the average age of the gentlemen on here?

Hi, Jean.

Prostate-cancer patients now have the option of getting our ADT (hormone therapy) through daily pills instead of monthly or quarterly injections. Many of us prefer that because the shots can cause additional discomfort; however, in your husband's case, with early dementia, the shots might make more sense, so that you don't have to worry about making sure he takes the pill every day.

Best of luck, and I hope you find support for yourself as well. Being a caregiver for a loved one with both early dementia and cancer is a heavy load to carry. You're always welcome to share here, and there is also a forum especially for caregivers:
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/caregivers/

My husband at age 62 in 2003 had prostrate cancer and had surgery to remove it, like the previous person the doctor said he would not die from it. In 2011 it returned and he had a 38 course of radiation. His psa was 1.3 two years ago and gradually increased to 4.9 our oncologist said if it went any higher he would give him a shot. Luckily he moved to another location and I found a new medical oncologist who ordered him a pet/Ct over the weekend I peeked at the results and it looks like it has reoccurred in his pelvic area but not beyond that. Might I ask what treatment you were given for yours? I will be expecting a call from the doctor in the am. He also had ling cancer in 2017. My husband has the beginning of dementia also so at this point I felt it unnecessary to tell him until we hear from the doctors. Should it be possible for him to have shots I will discuss this with the doctor and see what he thinks about not telling him. I just want him to have as long as he can without the additional stress? Is that a good idea? Any help would be appreciated? Thanks Jean

My father, 2 uncles and 4 cousins were diagnosed with prostate cancer. I was getting PSA checked every year for 13 years before I was diagnosed when it jumped from 1.9 to 4.9. After 4 years in remission, my PSA went from undetectable to 1.1. Not high enough for visceral or bone Mets in my opinion. So I told my wife it was in my lymph nodes. A PSMA PET SCAN done a week ago proved me right. Still High risk. But I can get it treated. That’s the journey. Ups and Downs. My friends, read about the disease, stay informed. Every day is a new day. If the thought of giving up crosses your mind, hug your wife and think about your children. And grandchildren. They need you around. Trust me I have been there more than once. Be positive. It helps that I trust my urologist. Sometimes he is more upbeat than me. Trust your doctors if they earn your trust. You cannot fight this cancer alone. We all need doctors that believe they can keep you going.

@bluegill
Now if we could just get it to reverse over time!

Diagnosed at age 51.
PSA was 6.4
Surgery 7 weeks later.

73

65 yrs

@ppettis
You not knowing what to do have you considered getting a medical professional second opinion? If you don't have someone to help with your decision a second opinion may help.

You can reserach your options and get medical professionals answering your questions and concerns. Mayo, Cleveland Clinic, John Hopkins, etc. all have excellent web sites to research your diagnosis, treatments, etc.

I had an excellent PCP who recommended to me to get a second opinion. I did and got the same diagnosis and treatment plan from both. I and my PCP then discussed and we chose the type radiation (proton versus photon) that we felt was best for me.

Observation as you mentioned is an option. For many that is what they chose and that is their choice. Doing that option comes with knowledge you have prostate cancer and some like want to treat it even though I was 76 when I was diagnosed. Many like me chose raditaion based on my age, health conditions, Decipher test results, etc. Many chose RP and have their personal reason also. The key here is to make your decision yours. For me I needed the other tests done and the second opinion to make that decision.

I may have missed it in prior posts by you but have you had the PSMA? It will help determine if cancer is still confined to prostate. Have you had the Decipher test? It will give a more precise diagnosis of the risk level of your cancer and help your urologist and/or R/O determine best treatment options based on that risk level.

The Decipher can most of the time use the same biopsies already taken. Medicare covers this but if your insurance does not Decipher offfers reduced cost plans and paying over time.

PSMA is a radilogical test that determines if cancer is still confined to prostate. All these can help you decide your options as well as your medical providers. There a lot of new type test out there but not being a medical professional cannot comment on them as I did not have them where I did have the Decipher and PSMA.

Hi, thank you for reaching out. I’ve been told my cancer is an ‘intermediate’ stage, Gleason 3+4, confirmed with an MRI-guided biopsy. My PSA has steadily risen over the last 8 years from around 5 to 14.5 most recently, with the velocity increasing.
I’ve been offered surgery, observation, and radiation as viable options. I am curious about other options like TULSA Pro, etc.,and have an appointment to discuss everything with my doctor in early June. I like the observation option for all the obvious reasons, but I don’t want to die from metastatic cancer. I honestly don’t know what to do. It’s a big decision, life changing, and I am alone with no one to help with the decision.