Five Year Status

This is my annual post. I had my surgery five years ago this month. I learned today that my PSA is still undetectable.

Best wishes to all,

Zen9

Post Edited (Zen9) : 8/21/2013 10:45:28 PM (GMT-6)

"2. Statistically, most - not all, but most - of you do NOT need to be treated for your prostate cancer, at least not in the immediate future. That runs counter to everything we have been told for so long about cancer, so I will say it again: you probably do not need to be treated for your prostate cancer any time soon. [To be clear, by "treated" I mean having surgery, radiation, brachytherapy, HIFU, and the like - I am not including "active surveillance" (AS) in the term "treated." I will talk about AS in a moment.]"

Whoa, that some dangerous advice to men who are newly diagnosed. Let their doctors deal with their unique personal situations and advise them whether they think they should be treated or not.

zen, appreciate your report and your good tidings about your own PSA situation this far out. Sorry to hear about your personal losses that came along with the good.

However, some of what you said is potentially dangerous, especially to the newly diagnosed or the soon to be diagnosed.

2. Statistically, most - not all, but most - of you do NOT need to be treated for your prostate cancer, at least not in the immediate future.

"Most" do not need to be treated? What are you basing this upon? Can you cite an accurate source for this remark. Based on your opinion here, then you are saying most men have been over treated?

4. Of course, it may be that you are one of the exceptions, that you do need to be treated now. Statistically unlikely, but certainly possible.

I think you are way off base from reality on this remark. Those that are treated are not the exceptions, again, what is your source, other than this just being your opinion. Who with a Gleason 7 or higher didn't need treating, for starters? Or do you feel they do not require treatment? In your version of things, who requires treatment?

I think you were at your best in talking about AS, I agree with most of what you wrote there, and I have been trying to encourage more men with indolent cases to strongly consider AS, sure beats the chances of bad side effects and QOL issues from invasive treatments that are not needed.

Still wishing my best for you, and hope some of the other areas of your life improve for you.

David in SC

let a doctor determine if you need to be treated, not some yahoo on the internet who when he had the choice opted for treatment.

ed

 

Congratulations on the zero - here's hoping they keep coming in.

Andrew

I got a little confused, apparently because the original post had been edited. Thansk for the clairfication, Jim. I thought the second poster had put his reply on wrong post.

With all that behind us, congratulations Zen9 and look forward to next year's annual post reading the same as the edited one above.

LupronJim