Does it mean one has the cancer for years already if the first PSA check shows a high level?

Yes, likely you've had it awhile. Who knows how long. I know of no formulas. The only rule I know of is, with PC your PSA goes up and successful treatment drives it down.

Sadly, in this cancer game, there isn't the certainty you're looking for. Each case is different and predicting your future or past progress is impossible.

Andrew

Andy,
what 10 an Shop said, but I would add: we have probably all had it for years when officially diagnosed. You know how- especially before the PSA era- autopsies have shown that the majority of men over 60- and plenty of men below 60- have PCa. Even though the majority of those men died of something else and never even knew they had PCa, often never even suspected, they had it for many years.

So yeah, you have probably had it for years before your diagnosis(Dx), but so did all the rest of us. Just think, even in the PSA era, if it takes years for a man's PSA(and or DRE results) to steadily increase to a level where his doc thinks a biopsy is needed, then it is likely that any cancer has been there all those years but has only recently grown to a size that is big enough to set off some alarms. Who knows how many years have gone by since our PCa's microscopic birthday?

How old are you? Your situation is probably a bit different than many of us, as your 1st was 39 rather than a series over years going up from 1 to 2 and then over 4 which is usually when the alarm goes off. Though rate of increase and DRE results can alter when the alarm comes. So though your very high PSA indicates an aggressive case, as does your G8, still- yeah you probably had it for years like most every one else. And this probably - since the 1st was 39- would have shown up with lower numbers if you had been tested earlier.

Still, as far as I know(Y'all correct me if I'm wrong) these aggressive tumors can start escalating PSA doubling time pretty rapidly. In fact mine was going up pretty rapidly, maybe ~ 20% or so, just in the few weeks that passed from my reg. doc giving me the results and an appointment with my URO guy. So yeah, my bet is you probably had it for years(like most of us in this club), but PSA may not have been skyrocketing enough to set off alarms for very many years. A huge increase may have been a relatively recent event. So even if you had been trying and even though you had it, you may not have been able, IMO, to Dx this PCa years ago. Maybe, or maybe not. Guys, am I way off base on that? Could be.

Thank you all, friends. I was 62 at diagnosis and now 63. I read an article on the internet recently published by the American Cancer Society, the title is Prostate Cancer Overview. it says even most of the PC grow slowly, some PC can grow and spread quickly. I believe I am the one grow quickly. Since I was diagnosed 13 months after the first PSA at 39. I am wondering how much more the cancer has grown during the 13 months without any treatment.

Has/had? which one? now/then? same question. I would be watching your psa closely here on out and with an initial psa of 39 and no treatment until 13 mod later I suspect it is systemic beyond pelvic area and radiations grasp. HT is in your future and you and a medical oncologist will have to decide when is the best time for that. Beginning of HT is a very arguable subject. But it is going to happen in my view. Whats important is what your view is however. Btw you can live for decades on HT again based on your metrics and that of the cancer and the interface between the two..

andyatli said...
I am wondering how much more the cancer has grown during the 13 months without any treatment.

I waited a year.and that question has crossed my mind. But...it's quickly dismissed. The reasons it doesnt bother me.....

1) I do not believe it made a difference. (Though some studies suggest it may have).

2) Whether it made a difference or not is useless information to me now.

3) We'll never know.

Keep an eye on that PSA.

Post Edited (island time) : 12/23/2015 9:07:11 PM (GMT-7)