I'm reposting the links to my previous thread about Targeted Focal Treatment, where like a breast lumpectomy only the tumor itself is destroyed not the entire gland. The prostate cancer is located by a 3 Dimensional Saturation biopsy (in my case 45 cores taken) then destroyed later by targeted croysurgery.(Ice Balls)

Below are video links to the entire PCa special broadcast by a local TV station in The Denver area about whose anchorman also was diagnosed with Pca and his search for treatment. This was broadcast in all four parts in December 2007. I was diagnosed in October 2007, so it couldn't have been any more timely for me. In fact after watching it, was the first time I had felt any hope in my PCa. Later I was able to go through TFT, a treatment I sincerely believe will be a standard procedure soon for those diagnosed with early low risk PCa. Now it's stated that 57% after the 3D biopsy are eligible for it. Earlier when I underwent it the odds were 63%.

Each part is anywhere from 4 -7 minutes.

part 1

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/14776502/index.html

part 2 Options for Treatment

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/14776478/index.html

part 3 Deciding on Treatment

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/14776543/index.html

 

part 4 Getting Treatment

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/video/14776562/index.html

5/9/2008 Final update

http://www.thedenverchannel.com/reportersnotebook/16278580/detail.html

I too have had the identical procedure done as Mike Landess had. In fact accoring to my urologist who is the Dr Barqawi in the videos and also the Director of Research was that my and Mike's PCa were very similar even by location. At this point I'm about to undergo my first post procedure PSA check. I'm still about 8-9 months away from the final biopsy. But according to Dr Barqawi all the 30+ who are now a year past have had no PCa turn up in a biopsy? Can it return? Sure it can but I would still have all the traditional treatments available. Hopefully it's gone for good and at worse could return years down the road where it won't be a primary health concern. In the meantime my life has returned to my pre PCa lifestyle except I rarely get up at night to pee anymore. And when I do it's because I drank before I went to bed. There has never been any incontinence and the worse experiences have been a day with a catheter after the 2nd biopsy and 4 days after the TFT. This is a clinical research study I do recommend for those with low risk prostate confined PCa. Although regretably it won't be of any help for now with those with advanced PCa. But for those thousands of men every year with similar diagonosis as mine this is as close to a cure as there is.

Below is a link to my Urologists site, to better understand the 3d biopsy and the TFT. Also this is where I initially began communicating with him about my psa numbers and my 12 needle biopsy. Soon afterwards I brought all that in to him with my first appointment. Now months later here I am as I said about to have my first post TFT testing. Looking back to last November when I was weighing surgery or brachytherapy I didn't believe where I am now could be possible. As I tell my  friends here, seriously channel 7 saved my prostate..I wasn't even a regular viewer of theirs... It was all luck and timing.

http://alprostate.com/default.aspx

Interesting stuff Rick, thanks. Also, best of luck with the PSA test. As you can see in my signature, mine took a hop last time and we’re now waiting to see if it I bounce or what. I’m a bit tired of the heat in Denver myself. We’re still depending on a whole house fan and good insulation. The past few summers are making rethink this approach. I’m not a golfer but I shoot a lot of sporting clays and skeet. It was not fun yesterday! Take care.

I had my quarterly psa and other tests yesterday. I hope to find out this afternoon the results. Along with the psa test. I also had to pee in a urine flow machine(which I wasn't told about before, so I peed right when I arrived at the hospital and had little later to emit). I also had a sonic screening of my bladder to see how much urine remained in it. There was also blood taken for testosterone and another vial for something else. This is all because of the clinical study I'm told. I'll edit this for the results later.


My PSA is down to .32 from 2.1. My doctor calls it excellent results. Don't forget I still have my prostate with only a small section of it having been frozen.

WHOO WHOO!!!!

Hurray for the low PSA. My biopsy was clear now but with my family history I am on high alert going forward.

I'll remember your post and check it out when/if I need it in the future.

Jim

Good news, good deal......Glad it went the right way for you.,

Just had an evil little thought---- If you gotta have an annual followup biopsy, how long before they have biopsied out the whole gland?  

James C. said...
Just had an evil little thought---- [img]/community/emoticons/devil.gif[/img] If you gotta have an annual followup biopsy, how long before they have biopsied out the whole gland? [img]/community/emoticons/tongue.gif[/img]

I remember thinking after the mapping biopsy that my prostate had shrunk 20% before that with the avodart, and then they took 45 cores how much was left?

This subject has brought up another point in my mind.  After a positive needle biopsy, how many should have the extensive 3-D mapping that it appears you had prior to the TFT?  I had only one positive core out of 12, and a small amount there as well.  I seriously considered seed therapy or external beam radiation.  After settling on surgery instead, my surgeon and I were very surprised to find the majority of my cancer on the other side and with positive margins there.  I hate to think what I would be going through now with my PSA had I chosen another therapy.  Following the poor pathology report, I was able to use the salvage radiation as a backup, now knowing the extent of my cancer.  Had I had the extensive mapping, would my surgeon have handled things differently, taking more tissue around the prostate on that other side?  Should more of us have the extensive mapping before making a decision on treatment?  That would be a tremendous cost, but..........

A second question - after your TFT therapy, is surgery still in the picture if there is a reoccurance?

Bottom line - the more varied treatments that are used and studied, the better it will be for those who join us later with this disease, and even for us.

hawkfan you have to realize with present day mainstream treatments now you really don't need to pinpoint the cancer. That's because be it radical surgery or radiation the end result is the removal or total destruction of the entire prostate. All that's needed before that is a positive 6-12 needle biopsy. The 3D mapping biopsies show a more aggressive cancer now in 43% of those afterward who are then excluded from TFT and recommended a more radical treatment. When I had it done it was at 37%. I don't know how that corresponds to those whose PCa after surgery is upgraded by pathology, but I bet it's fairly close. As far as cost goes I had a 3 week delay in the mapping biopsy because my insurance initially turned it down. My Doctor had that overturned on a peer to peer appeal. I understood why it was initially refused by insurance. It was because that the cost of that biopsy($23,000)and that it would make no difference for my eventual outcome with traditional treatments. I assume when you have the director of research explain TFT they approved it. The total cost now may be less than radical surgery but I'm not sure there. I was kind of leaning toward brachytherapy somewhat. But of course the TFT TV news special totally changed that.

As far as what options are available to me if PCa returns? I have all options, surgery, radiation. Only a portion of my prostate has been frozen by argon. That's nowhere near the total destruction that radiation does. You can see an example on that on part 5 of the area frozen. Hopefully too if it reoccurs it may be a few years and if I have the same low psa I'm guessing I'll likely die of something else before I do of Pca then. But it is still a clinical study after all there are no guarantees, but I go along somewhat with the thought like breast cancer went more from mastectomy to lumpectomy future PCa treatments will do more and more of that.

Easy, Ziggy!
Stay here and post there.   It's that simple.  No criticism intended.  But maybe an olive branch.  I have no influence.  I am just a student of this disease.  I have a much more problematic condition that I hope you will avoid.  Peter Scardino states in his evaluation his position of 3 to 6 month biopsies, but it is only opinion.  But as you say an annual biopsy is scheduled.  Many men won't want that option more than once.  But you may be a pioneer. 

The site I invite you to is not against your option.  They allow ALL walks of life.  I could not be a valid advocate if I intrude on any options.  So I yield.  Join this forum and post in it.  Expect criticism but hold your ground.  You will get support. 

www.prostatecancerinfolink.ning.com

I am a man of peace... that may surprise you!

Revised the site!  Sorry!

Tony

TC-LasVegas said...
Easy, Ziggy!
Stay here and post there. It's that simple. No criticism intended. But maybe an olive branch. I have no influence. I am just a student of this disease. I have a much more problematic condition that I hope you will avoid. Peter Scardino states in his evaluation his position of 3 to 6 month biopsies, but it is only opinion. But as you say an annual biopsy is scheduled. Many men won't want that option more than once. But you may be a pioneer.

The site I invite you to is not against your option. They allow ALL walks of life. I could not be a valid advocate if I intrude on any options. So I yield. Join this forum and post in it. Expect criticism but hold your ground. You will get support.

www.prostatecancerinfolink.ning.com

I am a man of peace... that may surprise you!



Revised the site! Sorry!

Tony

Ok I'll check out the site later and maybe I will post in it. I know I can only defend a clinical study so much if criticized. It is what it is after all, something new.

I know you have a more serious condition than I do. Just by what I've seen since my diagnosis it appears those who get PCa in their 40s have a much more aggressive and serious disease. I can't think of any exceptions to that but there may well be some I can't recall. There's also a sizable population like I am who get this in their mid 50s and older who have what is considered low level low risk PCa. That's who TFT is for. I'm going over more and more to the opinion that this population later on may look back at these days of being over treated for what they have. With my low psa rate and gleason score and the fact I really had no symptoms ( my PCa was discovered by DRE during a routine physical) I would be one of those. That's why to me TFT was such a god send. Compared to surgery, radiation..etc this was by far less invasive and had the least amount of impact on my lifestyle. Which is one I really enjoy accepting an early retirement 4+ years ago, but I digress.

Sorry for the misunderstanding. But seriously Tony I've seen a few posts by you posted at night that are hard to understand. You must agree because I notice some of those are deleted by you by the next day. That's all I'm going to say on that.

You make a very valid point about those 40-50 with PCa. Like I said I just went by my observations and yes when I was in my 40s I would've never thought about asking for a psa or a dre.

I was raised catholic, but I'm an agnostic now. That said I never make a big deal about a god bless you or a I'll pray for you. The same way I don't get upset about people wishing me a merry christmas. I thought Gordy's don't pray for me thread turned into a big over reaction about nothing and the opposite of what he wanted. Yes your nonbelievers statement of them being more gullible about supplements was insulting and totally wrong. In fact we seem to pretty much agree about supplements. I can understand your religiosity is part of your coping with advanced PCa. There's nothing wrong with that, whatever works for an individual is fine by me. In any kind of forum bringing up religion and/or politics will always divide them. Religious types really can 't seem after awhile to not be able to proselytize or look down on non believers. That's it's nature and also the foundation of a lot of wars through history. I'm sure it will come up again at some time, it always does.

I not use the term gullible and I did not mean what I typed in the context it was taken. In my sincerest honesty I just simply did not reread my post before I posted it. It goes to show that I am just as human as the rest of us. It reminds me that I have to be more careful. I lost alot of respect for that and I deserved to. But I will keep my head down and continue to fight this disease, not just for my self but as an advocate for all of us.

Tony