Prostate Cancer Treatment Outcomes

hasselbladsnapper on 08/11/2024 - 18:10

Greetings OzBargain Team - I have been diagnosed with contained Prostate Cancer as an older male 75. I have been considering my treatment options, it is between a robotic removal or radiation therapy. The aspect that interests me most is - what after effects have the OzBargain Community experienced after treatment, there is published information on expected side effects but there is little metric information as to the possible percentages encountered!.

Two family friends 60 & 67 each were diagnosed and treated and had a range of side effects, Surgery, Radiation, and Hormone Therapy that reduces Testosterone, often quite unpleasent but reduces cancer growth!. The radiation therapy can be an issue for the bowel, and to some extent be partly protected by injecting spacer foam between the Prostate and the at risk bowel - no you can't use foam fill from Bunnings!!! to cheap out!.

Prostate Cancer affects many males around one in eight and it kills ….. I implore all males over say 45yo to at least talk to their Doctor about having a PSA test to check their prostate out . It is rare for younger men to have a problem, however it typically more serious in the 40 - 60 age group!, that is driven often by some genetic factor - please just do it.

So,your comment on experiences would be much appreciated by me and I expect others, the girls are far better than us at dealing with their health, time to lift our game and not ignore our health!!!.

Good Health and Cheers to All.

Health & Beauty Prostate Cancer

Comments

  • oscargamer on 08/11/2024 - 18:27
    +2

    What is your prognosis? Is it going to get you in the next few years? or can it hang around while you age (dis)gracefully?

  • AustriaBargain on 08/11/2024 - 18:37
    +4

    Prostate cancer is very common with men your age. You'll probably die of other natural causes before it gets you. Just one of the annoying things about getting old, like bad spines and hip joints. Medical cannabis is legal now, so that could make radiation therapy a bit more attractive. Speak to health professionals that deal with this, with how common it is they should have a lot of experience regarding treatments.

    • GordonD on 08/11/2024 - 20:00
      +3

      You'll probably die of other natural causes before it gets you.

      This is the first thing that has to be established. Whether the prostate cancer is going to get you before something else does. Its a condition that a very large percentage of men develop as they get older, and a great many die with. Repeat, with. You have to ask whether the prostate cancer is growing fast enough that its worth suffering the considerable unpleasant side effects of treatment, or whether something else is more likely to get you first.

    • [Deactivated] on 08/11/2024 - 21:05

      Block-quote Prostate cancer is very common with men your age. You'll probably die of other natural causes before it gets you. > Block-quote

      @AustriaBargain - Maybe, maybe not… Especially if it spreads. My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2013 when he was 58, he had an operation to remove his prostate, but unfortunately it didn’t get rid of all of the cancer cells, a tiny percentage remained. So dad had to go through a treatment process, radiotherapy is what was recommended… After 3 goes at radiation therapy over a period of 2 years it failed to successfully remove the left over prostate cancer, and it spread to his lungs during this period and then became inoperable. My father is now 69 and has been living quite well with lung cancer for almost a decade (he never smoked a day in his life) and is still going strong with there being no signs of him nearing his end. However my father is also a very healthy man, he’s never been fat/over weight, he did physical work for his whole working life as a builder/carpenter for 40 years up until when he retired at 58 when he got cancer, he has always eaten well and been fit… If he didn’t look after his body well like he’s done for his entire life and wasn’t continuing to do so, he likely would not have lasted this long.

      • mrdean on 09/11/2024 - 06:40

        Really interesting story regarding your father Billy Bob. I'd be interested to hear more details about what he did during his 60's.

        • [Deactivated] on 09/11/2024 - 15:32

          @mrdean - Dad has been enjoying his retirement doing things that make him happy in his 60s. He’s a self refunded retiree (he was his own boss and run his own business for decades before retiring), he hasn’t been eligible for a cent from Services Australia, and this includes for any kind of medical support for continued treatment for his cancer.

          Dad’s wife also decided to retire when he got cancer. Dad and his wife love travelling around Australia in a caravan, regularly going to different places to use their metal detectors… They upgraded to a larger caravan last year, they bought a brand new one for $160000 and sold their old one for $60000.

          Dad and his wife are both very active people. They love kayaking (which has helped keep dad physically and mentally healthy) and racing them in comps (dad in his 60s was racing and beating men half his age), they’ve spend over $100000 on kayaks which demonstrates how serious they are about it. Unfortunately dad had to give up kayaking a couple of years ago, because his wrists can’t cope with it anymore, a combination of being a builder for his entire adult life and getting old. Dad and his wife had 12 kayaks in their garage between them a couple years ago, but since having to give it up dad has sold 4 of his keeping only 2, and dads wife still has 4 kayaks, she sold 2 of hers. Dad’s wife still kayaks, while dad has taken up mountain bike riding, and he does this while she is kayaking.

          • mrdean on 09/11/2024 - 18:11
            +1

            @[Deactivated]: Thanks for the reply. Glad to hear they are active as they can be.

  • Lord Fart Bucket on 08/11/2024 - 18:51

    First of all, sorry to hear. Cancer - no matter what kind - is a shit diagnosis.
    But now onto the good part, it's one of the more treatable ones. My tip… ask your specialist what they would do if it was them. And listen. It's not the first rodeo of your oncologist (i'd be worried if it was).

    I haven't had to experience this, so take my answer with a grain of salt. I would have it removed. Part is defective, it's done it's job for 75 years. Remove it and still function…

    Edit: Couldn't agree more with lifting our game. We grin and bear it too much. "It'll go away"… Doctors exist for a reason. One thing to never be stingy on, your health.

  • samcro on 08/11/2024 - 18:52
    +7

    I was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2018. I opted for radical prostatectomy. Luckily it was encapsulated and hadn't spread. I have my psa checked every 12 months and it has been undetectable. No real side effects apart from minor urinary ones. Good luck.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 08/11/2024 - 20:35

    I have quite a good outlook as it is contained within the prostate and not elsewhere as so far confirmed with a PET Scan - luck seems to prevail.

    My deep concern is bowel radiation damage, and IF unlucky long term bowel incontinence is a possibility, not keen on ending my days with adult nappies as a final companion!!.

    I did find out one interesting aspect from my Radiation Oncologist, that patients that have the surgical removel in the older age bracket around 1 in 3 ended having later Radiation to remove residual cancer cells. I am in the preparation stage and will be toasted in around 3 weeks, I'm not looking forward to the treatment but it is just for 20 doses.

    The testing process involves a Urologist who under a general anesthetic who takes a needle biopsy in 15 - 24 places around the prostate and from that the Lab makes a determination known as a Gleeson rating … mine 4-3=7 which is a mid range one. Thanks to all for your comments.

  • JimmyF on 08/11/2024 - 20:42
    +1

    I implore all males over say 45yo to at least talk to their Doctor about having a PSA test

    100% agree! Do this, no finger up the butt needed guys!

    I have been diagnosed with contained Prostate Cancer as an older male 75. I have been considering my treatment options,

    Sorry to hear, best to go with what your doctor is advising.

    • tetra on 08/11/2024 - 23:04

      no finger up the butt needed

      :(

  • MeesusEff on 09/11/2024 - 01:10
    +2

    My dad got super paranoid because his friends were getting it so he got it checked every year. Caught his at the very early stage ( I can't remember what his treatment was) but I know it was an overnight stay at the hospital and he didn't lose his hair so. Been 8 years now wow.

    Hope all goes well with you.

  • try2bhelpful on 09/11/2024 - 04:48
    +2

    Have a good talk to your specialists about the treatment options and risks. I hope you get the information you are after. I’m sure the community here will help if they can.

    In relation to checkups if the PSA is a worry they can do scans to check if they think it might be cancerous. My BIL had a panic attack during the scan so they did a biopsy. That gave him swelling that needed a catheter. Fortunately neither my other half and BIL had cancer but they both had a TURP to relieve the symptoms of an enlarged prostate. They have both had positive results from the operation but it does take time for the side effects to subside.

    25 years ago I had a melanoma removed. It was early enough they only needed the additional 1 cm tissue removal to ensure it hadn’t spread. If I’d ignored it I wouldn’t be here now.

    People need to be proactive with their health. Get your spots checked, do the bowel cancer tests, don’t ignore lumps, pain that is persistent, persistent coughing etc. The earlier an issue is detected the more likely treatment will give a positive outcome.

    I hope your treatment goes well and I wish you the best outcome.

    • try2bhelpful on 10/11/2024 - 01:40

      I see my cowardly phantom negger is at it again. Maybe the moderators can check if it is the same person who keeps negging me.

  • hasselbladsnapper on 09/11/2024 - 11:40

    Greetings and Thanks to the OzBargain Team, your kind wishes and comments are indeed informative. There is much to learn of this disease and its treatment, but on the positive side there appears to be much research happening that will control, cure and offer improved life expectancy, I am optomistic and supported by my wife and also my Doctors

    As a word of caution, some months ago my long term GP was unavailable and went to a group clinic, the Doctor there noted my PSA test result "Was acceptible" but would not offer the results to me.

    My family GP returned to her now singular practice and I requested a re-test - PSA 6.2. As her husband was also diagnosed with PC, she was keen to do my PSA test again and with the result set the present path of action ….. MRI, Urologist, Biopsy, PET scan.

    IF I had taken the bulk practice evaluation ….. " Its acceptable" and perhaps was tested 12 months later the prognosis would have been much more dire I suspect.

    It's not until you enter into this PC world that you realise it is not an easy condition to deal with!. So do not ignore your PSA tests.

  • kiwijunglist on 09/11/2024 - 13:27

    You can't receive advice as you have not given enough clinical information. Need to know

    PSA
    ISUP score and percentage cores involved
    MRI staging
    Have you had a psma pet or bone scan
    Your weight
    Do you have normal urinary flow or nocturia, what is ipss score.
    What is your portage risk group
    Do you have comorbidities that pose a concern for surgery and anesthetic
    If you require ADT do you have comorbidities that pose a concern for ADT.

    What is your life expectancy without the prostate cancer, prostate cancer can be indolent and sometimes treatments can cause more harm so some people choose to go onto surveillance instead of active treatment. Also sometimes it is not about curing the cancer it's about controlling the cancer.

    Only with the above information can anyone give you meaningful advice.

    You should meet with both radiation oncologist and urologist before deciding. If radiation oncologist recommends radiation +/- ADT then you should go for it over the surgery option. When seeing radiation oncologist discuss whether there is any advantage in you having hdr brachytherapy or sabr radiotherapy.

    All the best

    • kiwijunglist on 09/11/2024 - 13:42

      I see you replied in a different comment. PSA 6 / ISUP 3 / localized disease on mri and psma pet. Sounds like both surgery and radiation would be good options for you as you were favorable intermediate risk group. Surgery better if you have bad obstructive urinary symptoms, radiation better if you are overweight. Good luck with the radiation, it's pretty mild for pretty much everyone.

      • hasselbladsnapper on 09/11/2024 - 14:43

        Kiwijunglist your comments are appreciated - Thanks. The Radiation Oncologist expects a good 10 year outcome, I'm happy with that!. I do have AF but with no problems apart from Warfarin which again I tolerate well. Still, having an operation for 2.5 hours and having to cease the Warfarin for around 7 days or so is somthing I do not relish! …. fix the prostate but have a stroke to follow, not a nice prospect !. The Urologist rated the two options at 50/50 but on consideration the Radiation seems the least risky option. The rad oncologist considers the ADT as not essential, but could be used later IF required. I do have a 6mm hotspot but they will up the Rad in that area. I am also having my biopsy samples included in an evaluation trial reviewing the tissue with an AI test as part of a 50 thousand sample database …… that will be interesting. The urine flow is close to perfect, and I'm a large framed chap around 6.4 solid but not porcine!.

        The big concern for me is bowel damage and incontinence, but will be having foam protector injected along with the 3 gold markers.

        I hope this thread encourages others to ensure they have PSA tests when required - catch it early and it appears most problems can be fixed.

        Thanks for your interest.

  • kiwijunglist on 09/11/2024 - 13:35
    +1

    This is good information to read:

    Early-Stage Prostate Cancer
    https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&opi=8997844…

    • hasselbladsnapper on 09/11/2024 - 20:21

      Greetings Kiwijunglist …… the information on your posted link is excellent. I found the metrics for how the stageing is assessed was very interesting, it is one of the better publications I have come across!. I'm sure others will find this a great guide to decide on treatment issues - THANKS.

  • sam-1966 on 11/11/2024 - 17:50
    +1

    Not sure where you are in Qld, adding this for anyone in a similar situation in the Moreton Bay area in Qld.

    Burpengary East Men's Shed and Rotary Club of Redcliffe Sunrise are having an event on 12 November, 2024 with talks and discussions by Redcliffe Hospital staff - an Incontinence Nurse and a Prostate Nurse who have been working many years in their specialities.

    The night is also sponsored by the Moreton Bay Prostate Cancer Support Group, which is very active in the area supporting men and their partners. Urologist J P Myer started the support group in the area to assist men with prostate cancer issues.

    This information night aims to inform participants about the various types of incontinence, potential causes and effective management strategies.

    Date: 12 November 2024
    Time: 6.00 pm for BBQ, 7.00 pm for talks
    Location: Burpengary East Men's Shed, Maitland Street (off Old Deception Bay Road) Burpengary East.
    Cost: Nil
    RSVP: for catering purposes. 0481 480 486 or 0409 529 551

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