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Posted 3/9/2011 3:26 PM (GMT -5)
An old friend has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was having trouble going for a wee in the night so went to the doctors who had a blood test done. The results as far as I can gather was a psa of 800 +.

He is having a biopsy done in the next week or so and also a scan to check for possible spread. Apart from the trouble with urinating he has had no other symptoms so hopefully no spread.

I wonder what his treatment options are, he is 70 years old and reasonably fit for his age, doing part time gardening work most of the year.

I will do my best to help him whatever treatment he has prescribed.

All the best from England.

Posted 3/9/2011 3:53 PM (GMT -5)
800 PSA?

I just finished reading a book called 'A Primer On Prostate Cancer' by a Dr. Strum and that has helped. Actually have read it twice.

Tell him to not panic and explore many treatments with more than a few unrelated prostate specialists. I am going to have a targeted color doplor needle biopsy soon to establish more data. The more information the better thru specific blood tests and biopsy the better IMO.

Posted 3/9/2011 3:57 PM (GMT -5)
I have had several neighbors who were 70 plus and had the PC taken care of.

It various from RP to Branchial Seeds .

Have him look at various ways to address his problem and not rush

800 sounds little fishy  - did he have biopsy = 8 gleason or 8 PSA.

Posted 3/9/2011 4:45 PM (GMT -5)
My 83 year old father was Dxed with PCa about 12 years ago. At that time he went with RT. He just told me a couple of days ago that his recently tested PSA is 6. He told me he hadn't had a PSA test in several years.

His doctor is now advising him to do HT (Lupron). Personally, I am wondering if he should do anything at all. Although he is currently feeling well, he is not very active due to a heart that is funtioning at less than 50% and a problematic hip joint.

I am saying this because there can be a lot of various conditons that can affect what treatment one chooses or to do nothing at all. The 800 PSA value seems like the highest I have ever heard.
Posted 3/9/2011 5:57 PM (GMT -5)
800 is high but there is still hope. Check out yananow, there are 15 stories with initial PSA of over 1000, highest is 7000. At that level it seems the primary treatment is ADT. Quite a few of them are doing OK including one diagnosed in '99.

Best wishes to your friend.
Dave in Durango CO
Posted 3/10/2011 10:41 AM (GMT -5)
As some responses questioned the psa level of my mates diagnosis, I double checked and it is indeed 818. He will have his biopsy next Tuesday and a scan to check any spread.

All the best from England.

Posted 3/10/2011 11:00 AM (GMT -5)
Best of luck for your friend. As others have said, there is no PSA score past which there is no possible cure or control of the cancer. Also, at his age, just controlling the cancer (if he has it) with HT may be all that is needed because of his life expectancy.

However, the this is a good example of an argument I once had with a (non-urology) doctor who took the position that there was no need to have PSA testing or DREs unless one had other symptoms. As I told him, the problem is that by the time PC give you symptoms, it may be pretty advanced.
Posted 3/16/2011 12:29 PM (GMT -5)
Just had a natter to my old friend and it appears as if he has a cyst inside his prostate, which was discovered whilst having his biopsy. The doctor doing the biopsy said he had never seen a cyst in the prostate in 16 years of urology. I wonder if that would account for his Psa reading of 818. He has to now have a bone scan and will get all his results in two weeks.

All the best from England.

Posted 3/16/2011 1:40 PM (GMT -5)

Sure... The cyst could cause all sorts of trouble.

Let us know the results of the biopsy when you get em.

Posted 3/16/2011 1:46 PM (GMT -5)
This thread jogged my memory:  way back when, during the biopsy phase of this journey, I was looking at the ultra sound screen while the Uro positioned the device to collect the biopsy samples.   Center on the screen was a round, light-shaped object and I asked what it was....his response:  "just a harmless cyst."   I haven't thought of that since then. 
Posted 4/7/2011 5:27 AM (GMT -5)
Update on my mate. He has had biopsy results which confirm cancer with a updated psa of over 1000, and a gleeson of 10. His bone scan surprisingly, revealed no spread and now has started on a course of injections, once every 3 months implanted into his stomach. He did not know what they were but was told to expect side effects like the growth of breasts, which I assume would mean a hormone of some sort.

The cyst, he was told, had been deflated by the biopsy.

All the best from England.

Posted 4/7/2011 6:14 AM (GMT -5)
dogbot - wishing your friend all the best, glad to read something is being done for him-
take care,
BRONSON
Posted 6/24/2011 8:52 AM (GMT -5)
Update on my friend`s condition, just had the results of his latest psa test and the number is 0.4.

This seems brilliant after having a series of hormone injections. He will have another test in 3 months.

All the best from England.

Posted 6/24/2011 1:19 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Dogbot, - Cysts are usually harmless, as long as they remain cysts, which are usually encased fluid. Having had an untreated PSA topping 1,000 and A Gleason 10, he should be followed closely, because he undoubtedly has systemic disease, for which he is now being appropriately treated.

It should be understood, however, that Hormone Therapy (HT) is not a "cure" for such advanced Cancer. The treatment goal has likely changed from attempts to "cure" to one of attempting to "control" the malignancy by slowing the advance of what will now be treated as an incurable, "chronic" disease.

In the best case scenario, he MAY have temporary remission but, historically, the PCa eventually overwhelms the effectiveness of HT, a phase called Hormone Refractory. The time it takes for the patient to get to such an unrelenting advanced status varies WIDELY by individual patient, but is usually measured in years, rather than months.

His response to HT has been immediate and encouraging, indicating that most cells are presently hormone sensitive. With continued good fortune, he could enjoy a prolonged period of control, but only time will tell how soon these cells will mutate to "unsensitive' status and other approaches are necessay.

Hope this helps the understanding and I wish the best luck and care, to your friend and to you. - John@newPCa.org (aka) az4peaks
Posted 6/25/2011 12:30 AM (GMT -5)
As I understand, with high PSA and being treated with HT, that the best indicator is how fast and how low the PSA measures. I am similar in that I was 59 PSA and within just a couple of months of HT my PSA was undectible. Similar to your friend understanding that his PSA was much higher.

I understand that the key is to get to a low point (nadir) as low and as fast as possible. That can be indicitave of the type of remission that might follow.
Posted 6/25/2011 5:08 AM (GMT -5)
I must admit I was very suprised at the rapid decrease in his psa reading, but obviously very happy for him. I hope that his treatment will manage to control the growth for a few more years.

Thanks for the good wishes.

All the best from England.

Posted 11/1/2011 2:37 PM (GMT -5)
update, my friend has recently had a blood test and his psa is 0.1. A remarkable result from his initial figures.

All the best from England.

Posted 11/1/2011 2:50 PM (GMT -5)
dogbot

Great update! I'm sure your friend and you are both very happy and relieved.

7 or 8 months 1000 to 0.1 - Wonderful! I really like to hear this (see my signature which will give you a idea why <grins>)

Bud
Posted 11/1/2011 3:13 PM (GMT -5)
that's really good news, dogbot, very happy for him

david
Posted 11/1/2011 3:39 PM (GMT -5)
Great news.
Sounds like an excellent match of treatment to problem.

Alf
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