YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Mick Smith and Diane live in West Yorkshire, England. He was 52 when he was diagnosed on January 16, 2008. His initial PSA was 0.9 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 3+3=6 and although he says he was staged T2, it is not clear why this was so. He is undecided as to his treatment. Here is his story:


Hello gang! Wish I wasn't here but nevertheless thanks for reading.

The details of my diagnosis are:

PSA 0.9 ng/ml
Gleason 3+3=6
Stage T2
Biopsy volume 1%

Basically since diagnosis I have been told that surgery is not really an option because of previous serious pelvic injuries and that brachytherapy may be too harsh because of history of urinary tract problems and IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome). They don't consider hormone treatment a good option long term because at 52 I'm "very young" so it looks like watchful waiting or EBRT (External Beam Radiation Treatment).

Yet another problem! Was told last week the cancer is non secreting and that whatever decision I come to as regards treatment makes monitoring at best very difficult because of the "dodgy" PSA. After I had been told about PSA I feel a bit like a lost cause/ ticking time bomb and wondering if they can't monitor treatment what's the point in it or do I take a chance with watchful waiting and hope that it's a "slow grower".

Anyway enough of my moaning and hope everybody on the site is doing ok.

Thanks, Mick (England)

 

UPDATED

July 2008

 

 

Sorry about the lack of postings but I've been on a bit of a downer, not just with the cancer, but life in general! Must be that mid life crisis thing and of course the great British red hot summer( ha-ha) doesn't help. Even thought about discharging myself and seeing if it is true "you can live forever with prostate cancer".

As for the prostate not much movement really. The oncologist has put my details on disk and is passing it to colleagues for opinions. Basically it feels like I'm been trawled round the National Health Service. originally they said the PSA wasn't working but there as been a shift there it has gone from 0.9 to 1.4. Not necessarily in the right direction but maybe it's a good sign for future monitoring! I have to go back in August and maybe then they will want some sort of decision one way or the other ? She seems happy at the moment with monitoring but I get the gut feeling she would prefer me to go for radiotherapy or brachytherapy.

I asked about intermittent hormone treatment but she said at 53 I was too young and long term it could prove to be too toxic . Don't know if it has been a deliberate policy or not but because this has gone on since January. I now feel a bit worn down with it and feel like saying to them just do what you have to and let me move on or maybe that's just me being cynical and paranoid !!

All the best and I will update when I have been back to clinic in August.

 

UPDATED

August 2008

 

 

Just been to clinic today August 21, 2008 and feel a bit more optimistic. Originally they thought the cancer was non-secreting but last visit the PSA was 1.5 this time it was back down to 0.8. The oncologist now seems to think that it is secreting so the PSA will now be able to be used for future monitoring.

Although she would prefer me to have some form of "treatment" preferably radiotherapy or brachytherapy at this moment in time she has reluctantly agreed to monitoring now that the PSA can be part of the " plan ". They have even revised the staging figure from T2 to T1c.

The numbers I got from her are as follows:

Staging T1c

Gleason 3+3

Prostate Volume 26%

Biopsy Volume <1%

PSA 0.8

All in all I think I have gone for the right decision, only time will tell I suppose, but having read Terry's story and others on the web site I don't think it is time for any dramatic "quality of life " decisions just yet ? I think the next thing now is to "move on" and the next thing will be diet/lifestyle. I don't know if I can be disciplined regards diet but I think there is room for improvement shall we say. At the moment I seem to have got lost in a sea of opinions about vitamin E but I will carry on researching and hopefully come up with answers about it and the other antioxidants that keep appearing in the newspapers and on TV

Anyway all the best

Mick.

Mick's e-mail address is: micks475@yahoo.co.uk