PSA stress

Hi everyone, hope you are all doing okay. I am a little stressed tonight we took Rick to the lab today for his latest PSA draw and we should get the results in the morning. Last time it was at 0.30 I hope it is the same or lower.  Please wish us luck.

Thank you in advance

Diana

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Rick & Diana

Age 68/ 67@ Dx

6-30-06  PSA 2.54

1-22-07  PSA 4.98

1-26-07  PSA 5.09

Diag: 2-14-07 Gleason 8 Stage T1c PSA 5.09

Bone Scan 3-1-07 Clear

3-6-07 Triple Spinal Fusion (due to old back injury)

Radical retropubic surgery 4-2-07  Post surgery Gleason 9 Stage T3a Positive margins

4-29-07 PSA 0.02

6-9-07   PSA 0.02

7-6-07   PSA 0.03

8-1-07   CT Scan & Chest X-Ray   Clean

 9-26-2007 PSA 0.07

11/1/07 PSA 0.1

11/30/07 PSA 0.12

01/31/2008 PSA 0.3

03/01/2008 PSA 0.3

It never seems fair when that magic number is sitting on someone's computer in an office somewhere and they don't jump on the phone to tell you the minute it arrives. That just gives us time to let our imaginations run wild. Good luck! We all know how you feel.

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Husband: Age 67
PSA had doubled in 14 mos to 4.3/Gleason 6
da Vinci 8/06 in Austin with Dr. Randy Fagin
Post surgical path shows encapsular penetration; possible bladder neck involvement.
PSAs remain undetectable; no further treatment at this time.
Next PSA: April 08

Good luck Diana and Rick.

We all know how stressful it is waiting for those PSA results.

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Danman Bob, Born 1951

Nerve-sparing, open prostate surgery November 13, 2007

Gleason score 9, PSA 14; Biopsy result - 9 of 12 sticks showed cancer

Post-op pathology stated that cancer was confined to the prostate

Unrelated surgery January 2008 delayed incontinence recovery, which is now showing good signs of improvement (fraction of a pad a day as of late April 2008)

100 MG Viagra 3 times a week beginning December 2007

Osbon Erec-Aid Esteem manual pump for therapy beginning mid-February 2008

30 MG papaverine/1 MG phentolamine bimix injections beginning late April 2008

Five week post-op PSA 0.2, five month post-op PSA 0.1, next test August 2008

Good luck, and I'll say a prayer. I know exactly how you feel.

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Biopsy: Diagnosed March 25, 2007. PSA 3.0. Gleason 6. Five of twelve samples positive with <5% each. No perineural invasion seen.

Surgery: May 21, 2007, Florida Hospital, Orlando,FL
Post-op Pathology: Upgraded to Gleason 7 (3+4), negative margins, negative capsular penetration, negative seminal vesicles, lymph nodes left intact, multifocal perinural invasion, 15% of prosate involving cancer in both lobes. T2c

Continence/Erections Out of pads at five weeks. Ten months post-op I'm fully continent. No problems with having erections.
Post Surgery PSA: Four tests, all <0.1
Family history: Great-great grandfather died from PC. My Father had his prostate removed at age 67 in 1997 and has had an undetectable PSA ever since. I was diagnosed at a much earlier age and had a more agressive cancer than my father. Go figure.

Good Morning Anniea,

My thoughts and prayers are with you two today.  I am about 1.5 weeks out for my first PSA after surgery.  I can feel you concern.

God Bless

Frank

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Diagnosed 01-08-08 @ 53 years old 

DRE normal - High PSA for 5 or more years

2004 Biospy negative - 2008 Biopsy positive (01-08-08)

10 cores, 1 positive and at 1% of that one core

Current PSA 6 - Bone and Ct scans negative

clinicalg Staged at T1C - Gleason 3+3 = 6

Robotic Da Vinci performed March 27th, 2008

University of Chicago,5 hour surgery , 3 hour recovery

Unexpected Cardiac issues appear and disappear?

Hospital stay 30 hours - Catheter out in 7 days  normaly expected leakage - Erectile funtion back on line 9 days 

Post Pathology T2C, Gleason 7, 10 % of both portions of prostate, Seminal vessels clear, fat tissue clear,Tumor on bottom of prostate, 1 positve margin  going to meet with oncologist to discuss treatment options if any at this time.

Hi Diana,
Just sending you Love and friendship, again. 0.6 is still low and perhaps Rick could still change his mind. My prayers are always including you guys and that's not gonna stop now. I hope you guys are still thinking about Vegas. We'd Love to have you by. God Bless you, and Stay Positive...

Tony

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Age 45 (44 when Dx)

Pre-op PSA was 19.8

Surgery on Feb 16, 2007 @ The City of Hope

Post-Op Pathology: Gleason 4+3=7, positive margins, Stage pT3b (Stage III)

HT began in May, '07 with Lupron and Casodex 50mg

IMRT radiation for 38 Treatments ending August 3, '07

Current PSA (1/08): <0.1

I will continue HT until May '09. 

Years in Remission (3/23/07): 1

Visit my Journey at:

http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/tonycrispino

STAY POSITIVE!

Prostate Cancer Forum Moderator

Diana,

I understand your worry...since Rick says no more treatment, where do you go from there. Every 3 months that fear rears it's ugly head and you wait for that one word that brings respite: undetectable.
I think as wives we want every possible option for remission/cure to be open AND we want our husbands to feel that way. If we could give them the fight to withstand this terrible disease, of course we would! Sadly, that's not the way it always works out and the ability to really understand and come to grips with that fact...is not easily come by.
I'm not saying this in a defeatist way, but only that people handle these situations in a way that fits for them.

Rick has some time to think this over, for you both to talk about his decision and yes, he may very well change his mind. I hope whatever the decision, you both will be at peace with it.

I wish you both well and please know we are here for you.

Susan

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Husband Diagnosed 11/17/05 Age: 63 PSA: 7.96 No Symptoms
2/09/06: LRP - Post Pathology - Gleason 4+3 Stage T2b NO MX
3 mo. PSA: 11.8 Stage T3a
6 mo. PSA: 18.8 Stage IV Systemic w/ distant lymph node involvement
Start HT - Lupron 3 mo. shots
12/06/06: PSA 0.8
03/07/07: PSA 0.3
PSA - Undetectable since 6/07/07

Link to journey:
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=826731

Thinking of you as you await your future - its the anxiety build I pray does not grab you and shake you. Know that others are praying and concerned and that all that energy toward "Good" means a great deal....you are in good company. We deal with the cards we are dealt.

FairRider

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Age 54;
Familial Pca - Father, paternal uncle, 1 brother
1999 PSA 2.8; 2004 PSA 2.88; 1/2008 PSA 5.6 & 4.37
DRE - "Unremarkable, soft"
Free PSA 0.46 and ratio 0.11
Biopsy 1/25/2008 - 10 Cores - 4 with adenocarcinoma
3 cores Gleason 3+3=6 and 1 core 3+4=7
No Stage given on report, maybe T1c or T2c ?

Robotic Surgery March 17, 2008
Both Nerves Spared - Pre-surgery DRE - TC1
Post Op Pathology - T3a Extra-prostatic Extension,
CLEAR margins, 4 Lymph Nodes Clear, Seminal Vesicles clear.
Gleason now 4+3+7, Tumor 20-30% of gland
*Update - 2nd opinion Pathology says "established EPE & positive margin"
Continence ok, except when sleeping - No response with Viagra, minimal with Bimix
4/28/08 - 1st Post-Op PSA = <0.01

Hi Everyone,

Thank you all so very much for your replies, prayers and well wishes. I continue to hope he will change his mind but if he dosen't I also understand due to his previous surgeries. I too don't know how I would feel if I were in his situation. I continue to pray for all the members here and thank you all for your support.

Diana

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Rick & Diana

Age 68/ 67@ Dx

6-30-06  PSA 2.54

1-22-07  PSA 4.98

1-26-07  PSA 5.09

Diag: 2-14-07 Gleason 8 Stage T1c PSA 5.09

Bone Scan 3-1-07 Clear

3-6-07 Triple Spinal Fusion (due to old back injury)

Radical retropubic surgery 4-2-07  Post surgery Gleason 9 Stage T3a Positive margins

4-29-07 PSA 0.02

6-9-07   PSA 0.02

7-6-07   PSA 0.03

8-1-07   CT Scan & Chest X-Ray   Clean

 9-26-2007 PSA 0.07

11/1/07 PSA 0.1

11/30/07 PSA 0.12

01/31/2008 PSA 0.3

03/01/2008 PSA 0.3

04/28/08 PSA 0.6

Diana,

I really admire you ability to understand and respect Rick's decision. His decision may change and it may not. My personal experience on the matter is that most people make the right decision for them when left alone to actually make his/her own. We love our family so much that we only want what's best for "us" too often in this world. It's a human response to wear our hearts on our sleeve.  

You have some serious courage...

God Bless,  Vickie

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Hi Diana and Rick,

Much prayers for hope and comfort to both of you!

Kind regards,

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Barry ~ (a.k.a. "Idaho") - Prostate Cancer Forum Moderator

 

Da Vinci Surgery July 31, 2007… 54 on surgery day
PSA 4.3  Gleason 3+3=6  T2a  Confined to Prostate

1st PSA  09/11/2007  <0.04 (undetectable)

2nd PSA 12/10/2007  <0.04

3rd PSA  03/17/2008  <0.04

My web site: http://pca-info.blogspot.com

In thinking about what I would do should my PSA start rising post-op, I found this:

http://www.drcatalona.com/qa/faq_post-op.asp

It also seems that rising PSA is by no means a death sentence. Radiation can still effect a cure, and that together with hormone therapy can keep PCa at bay for many years. They say, long enough for you to die of something else. So with that in mind, I have decided not to stress out over future PSA tests. Let's see if that works in practice....

Does Rick have a plan? -- is he waiting his PSA reaches a certain level, or is he planning no further treatment, period?  As others here have said, it is a personal decision, dependent on many factors. I think it a good idea to try to persuade Rick to make a plan -- even if it is a "do nothing" option.  Good luck with whatever you decide to do.

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Age 63. Other than cancer, in good health

Left hemi-colectomy April 2006 (colon cancer)

PSA 5.7, Gleason 4+5=9

RRP 7 March 2008, non nerve sparing

Histology showed clear margins and lymph nodes

Two nights in hospital

Catheter and staples out after 7 days

Continent, no pads needed from the get-go

No erections (of course!)

Experimenting with VED and Bimix

Hi Diana,

Such disheartening news. My thoughts and prayers are with you both.

I have one idea that may be of interest to you. Although there isn't a ton of evidence, I see the potential in the chemo prevention properties of Modified Citrus Pectin. What I have read in PubMed and LEF, is promising. Paul used it for about 18 months post-op as a precaution at his Physician's request. There is enough evidence to warrent funding for more research into citrus pectin's ability to attach to cancer cells. It's one of those can't hurt, might help things. Just thought I'd mention it. Good luck and you two hang in there.

Hygs,  Swim

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