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Posted 3/3/2011 1:10 PM (GMT -5)
Note the dates before you comment. -- PDA

I am 48 and had my prostate removed 3 months ago. I have stage III and a Gleason score of 8. I have been told it's aggressive and they are "throwing" everything they have at it.

I pressed my Oncologist for morbidity information and he eventually said there is a 10% chance that they can "cure" the cancer. This is based on the hope that the cancer remains localized to the prostate cavity. It had entered my seminal vesicles but not my lymph nodes. All appropriate scans were done and no cancer was detected in my bones or other organs.

After the surgery I had a PSA level of .07. I assume that I will have somewhere between 7 and 10 years of remission and then begin to see a rise in my PSA levels that will require other therapies to extend my life. But, at this age (48) I assume it will "only" provide 22-33 months free from bio-chemical failure.

The studies I have read usually deal with older men.

Post Edited By Moderator (PeterDisAbelard.) : 9/26/2016 9:56:32 AM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/3/2011 1:20 PM (GMT -5)
manderson, welcome to HW. Sorry you need to be here, but glad you found us. Always free to ask whatever you want, combined - with have loads of experience with most every facet of PC, and definitely a lot of opinions, also a good place if you ever feel the need to vent.

perhaps you can put all your numbers in a signature at the bottom of your post, so we can kind of see you whole PC history, makes it a little easier to advise someone.

yes, being stage 3 and Gleason 8 is a more serious call, but we have quite a few guys here in your boat, and many of them are doing well

you have used up your first curative attempt with surgery, and with a psa of .07, its too early to know if it failed or not. but with your stated pathology, starting radiation with HT added would make sense. Its still possible the combination can finish off any remaining cancer, other words, you still have a shot at a cure at this point.

No way to accurately predict when or even if your will have BCR, there are guys with your numbers that never have it happen, and guys with less numbers, end up with BCR in a matter of months. That part is not an exact science and there are many factors that play into that.

Good luck, and keep us posted. Again, glad you found us here.

David in sC
Posted 3/3/2011 1:20 PM (GMT -5)
welcome manderson!  man you're painting a grim picture.  i think your chances are better than what you state and a lot can happen medically in ten years.  you should post your history in your signature.  take care.

ed

 

Posted 3/3/2011 1:30 PM (GMT -5)
Thank you gentleman I will get the numbers and get them in my signature. Sorry for the grimness, took me a bit by surprise yesterday!
Posted 3/3/2011 3:20 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Manderson,
I am 48, stage III, bilateral seminal vesicle invasion, positive margins, and 4 years into a durable remission. That of course means I was 44 when the games began.

I elected to not wait it out and took on the Dam the Torpedoes attitude with therapies. I took on adjuvant radiation after my surgery and I also did 28 months on hormonal therapy. Currently i am not on any therapy and my plumbing works very well. My PSA history after the RP has been a story of zeros...

I hope for the same good results for you, too.

Welcome to HealingWell. This site has been a part of my life since diagnosis. Ask anything you want to know and this group will provide some excellent answers.

Tony
Posted 3/3/2011 3:20 PM (GMT -5)
Welcome to HW, you will need a lot of study before you can really tell what and where you are. That .07 is a fairly optomistic first step. Hang in there.
Posted 3/3/2011 8:12 PM (GMT -5)
Maybe a second opinion/s may be in order. That is what I am doing at present.

I referense JohnT's Bio.

Posted 3/3/2011 11:03 PM (GMT -5)
The surgery, radiation, ADT is almost standard procedure for us high Gleason guys.. I STRONGLY resisted the HT part, arguing I want to save that for when I really needed it.. The Doc's response (several Docs) was "you need it now.."
Posted 3/12/2011 1:07 AM (GMT -5)
OK...i now have my numbers. I received my new tatoos for the radiation and I start Lupron next week.

Gleason=8
Biopsy=4+4
Pre-Davinci surgery was 4.5
Post surgery is .07
48 years old
Seminal vesicle involved, 25% of nerve bundle removed.
Lymph nodes showed no signs of cancer

They are giving me 7 weeks of radiation 5 days a week and year of monthly Lupron shots.

I'm seeing a nutritionist and I work out every day both cardio and weights. My attitude is good, but I am so curious about what the statistics say about recurrence in 10 years?
Posted 3/12/2011 9:07 AM (GMT -5)
You can have your slides reviewed anytime and see herein what Dr. Bonkhoff could identify  that are optional testings and why they are not used more often in patients is beyond my comprehension, we waste money on scans instead, with this pathology info and in the hands of oncologists could be....huge to your survival protocols in my opinion:

http://www.prostapath.org/download/prognostic-predictive-markers.pdf  

I have this posted as a thread now too, I started info on Bonkhoff the other day, thanks to AN38 this link was posted with photos and excellent info. Hope you find this info a revelation in PCa....I definitely did.

Post Edited (zufus) : 3/12/2011 7:12:29 AM (GMT-7)

Posted 3/12/2011 9:48 AM (GMT -5)
Manderson1us. best of luck with your treatment. Do keep us posted on your progress.

Cajun Jeff
Posted 9/26/2016 9:39 AM (GMT -5)
manderson - As a new member I was researching various topics and came across this old post of yours. How have you been doing over the subsequent 5 years?

Gene
Posted 9/26/2016 10:54 AM (GMT -5)
Hello Gene Shue,

Welcome to the forum. I've started a new thread for you so folks can say hello and ask you nosy questions.

Here's that thread: www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=3710722
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