Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 Dear Judy, I read your post this morning. There is so much I would like to say. First get as much information as you can on prostate cancer. There are many options out there and you should do as much reading as you can. My husband has PC too. He was disgnosed on January 4th this year. PSA 7.1 and Gleason 9. My husband had no symtoms either. Get as many opinions as you can. And remember they will mostly be different, unless you see two surgeons. I was told that a medical oncologist is one to see before a decision on treatment is made. We got five different opinions but they all agreed that my husband had to have radiation, even if he had surgery. We wanted Proton Beam Radiation Therapy because of the least amount of side effects but we were told by a doctor at Mass.General that he should have IMRT treatments because his numbers were so high that he would like the lymph nodes radiated as well. To make a long story short we were told that other centers would take numbers as high as my husbands but we just couldn't travel the distance and take the time out of work that would be required for the PBRT treatments. So my husband choose IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and he starts tomorr ow. He just didn't like the side effects that the surgery caused and neither did I. Please keep us posted on you decision for treatment. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Sheila from New Hampshire PS: My husband was supposed to have surgery on May 13th but we cancelled it. -------------- Original message -------------- Hi,I have been reading all of your posts since April 18, our 39th Anniversary. On that day my husband found out about his PC.Our stats: PSA 5.4, Gleason score 4+3, 5 out of 12 with up to 70% involvement in biopsys. He is 61. No symtoms, just a physical. Routine PSA blood test. He is in very good overall health. Good news, MRI indicates tumur contained, but close to margin. Bone scan also clean.We have been studying, and reading and speaking to our friends and Dr. friends. We have also changed our diet, adding as much antioxidents as we can and he is up to 5 miles a day walking. We are going for a second opinion this coming week, at this time we are scheduled for DV surgery on June 26.I thought I would share our experience as much as possible, I have really appreciated all the support here, even tho I haven't posted. Judy in land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 Dear Judy, I read your post this morning. There is so much I would like to say. First get as much information as you can on prostate cancer. There are many options out there and you should do as much reading as you can. My husband has PC too. He was disgnosed on January 4th this year. PSA 7.1 and Gleason 9. My husband had no symtoms either. Get as many opinions as you can. And remember they will mostly be different, unless you see two surgeons. I was told that a medical oncologist is one to see before a decision on treatment is made. We got five different opinions but they all agreed that my husband had to have radiation, even if he had surgery. We wanted Proton Beam Radiation Therapy because of the least amount of side effects but we were told by a doctor at Mass.General that he should have IMRT treatments because his numbers were so high that he would like the lymph nodes radiated as well. To make a long story short we were told that other centers would take numbers as high as my husbands but we just couldn't travel the distance and take the time out of work that would be required for the PBRT treatments. So my husband choose IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and he starts tomorr ow. He just didn't like the side effects that the surgery caused and neither did I. Please keep us posted on you decision for treatment. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Sheila from New Hampshire PS: My husband was supposed to have surgery on May 13th but we cancelled it. -------------- Original message -------------- Hi,I have been reading all of your posts since April 18, our 39th Anniversary. On that day my husband found out about his PC.Our stats: PSA 5.4, Gleason score 4+3, 5 out of 12 with up to 70% involvement in biopsys. He is 61. No symtoms, just a physical. Routine PSA blood test. He is in very good overall health. Good news, MRI indicates tumur contained, but close to margin. Bone scan also clean.We have been studying, and reading and speaking to our friends and Dr. friends. We have also changed our diet, adding as much antioxidents as we can and he is up to 5 miles a day walking. We are going for a second opinion this coming week, at this time we are scheduled for DV surgery on June 26.I thought I would share our experience as much as possible, I have really appreciated all the support here, even tho I haven't posted. Judy in land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 Dear Judy, I read your post this morning. There is so much I would like to say. First get as much information as you can on prostate cancer. There are many options out there and you should do as much reading as you can. My husband has PC too. He was disgnosed on January 4th this year. PSA 7.1 and Gleason 9. My husband had no symtoms either. Get as many opinions as you can. And remember they will mostly be different, unless you see two surgeons. I was told that a medical oncologist is one to see before a decision on treatment is made. We got five different opinions but they all agreed that my husband had to have radiation, even if he had surgery. We wanted Proton Beam Radiation Therapy because of the least amount of side effects but we were told by a doctor at Mass.General that he should have IMRT treatments because his numbers were so high that he would like the lymph nodes radiated as well. To make a long story short we were told that other centers would take numbers as high as my husbands but we just couldn't travel the distance and take the time out of work that would be required for the PBRT treatments. So my husband choose IMRT (Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy) and he starts tomorr ow. He just didn't like the side effects that the surgery caused and neither did I. Please keep us posted on you decision for treatment. I will keep you in my thoughts and prayers. Sincerely, Sheila from New Hampshire PS: My husband was supposed to have surgery on May 13th but we cancelled it. -------------- Original message -------------- Hi,I have been reading all of your posts since April 18, our 39th Anniversary. On that day my husband found out about his PC.Our stats: PSA 5.4, Gleason score 4+3, 5 out of 12 with up to 70% involvement in biopsys. He is 61. No symtoms, just a physical. Routine PSA blood test. He is in very good overall health. Good news, MRI indicates tumur contained, but close to margin. Bone scan also clean.We have been studying, and reading and speaking to our friends and Dr. friends. We have also changed our diet, adding as much antioxidents as we can and he is up to 5 miles a day walking. We are going for a second opinion this coming week, at this time we are scheduled for DV surgery on June 26.I thought I would share our experience as much as possible, I have really appreciated all the support here, even tho I haven't posted. Judy in land Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 When discussing alternatives for therapy be sure to ask about side effects and potential timing of this side effects. Cure is important but remember that you will have to live with the side effects after the treatment ends. Surgery most often has immediate side effects. With radiation the side effects appear later as long as two or so years after treatment. Early side effects often improve. Late side effects may last for a longer time. Some side effects may be permanent. The experience and skill of the clinician is very important for both survival and side effect impact. You may also want to do some reading. Start with the archives of this group. The information there will help. Kathy From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of jb47green Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 11:18 AM To: ProstateCancerSupport Subject: New poster Thanks so much Sheila, I hope your husband does well with his choice. It seems we are just on the borderline, so far, surgery seems the best choice. Wednesday, we will start the second opinion. Thanks for the responce. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 When discussing alternatives for therapy be sure to ask about side effects and potential timing of this side effects. Cure is important but remember that you will have to live with the side effects after the treatment ends. Surgery most often has immediate side effects. With radiation the side effects appear later as long as two or so years after treatment. Early side effects often improve. Late side effects may last for a longer time. Some side effects may be permanent. The experience and skill of the clinician is very important for both survival and side effect impact. You may also want to do some reading. Start with the archives of this group. The information there will help. Kathy From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of jb47green Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 11:18 AM To: ProstateCancerSupport Subject: New poster Thanks so much Sheila, I hope your husband does well with his choice. It seems we are just on the borderline, so far, surgery seems the best choice. Wednesday, we will start the second opinion. Thanks for the responce. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 When discussing alternatives for therapy be sure to ask about side effects and potential timing of this side effects. Cure is important but remember that you will have to live with the side effects after the treatment ends. Surgery most often has immediate side effects. With radiation the side effects appear later as long as two or so years after treatment. Early side effects often improve. Late side effects may last for a longer time. Some side effects may be permanent. The experience and skill of the clinician is very important for both survival and side effect impact. You may also want to do some reading. Start with the archives of this group. The information there will help. Kathy From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of jb47green Sent: Monday, June 02, 2008 11:18 AM To: ProstateCancerSupport Subject: New poster Thanks so much Sheila, I hope your husband does well with his choice. It seems we are just on the borderline, so far, surgery seems the best choice. Wednesday, we will start the second opinion. Thanks for the responce. Judy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 Hi Judy, It sounds as though you and your husband have done a fair amount of " homework " on the subject of PCa. I would hope that your second opinion is with a radiation oncologist. If it is with another surgeon you are likely not to have all the facts about treatment alternatives to surgery. It is good to get all points of view from the medical community. Doctors tend to have strong biases toward whatever treatment they provide, naturally. Laurel > > Hi, > I have been reading all of your posts since April 18, our 39th > Anniversary. On that day my husband found out about his PC. > > Our stats: PSA 5.4, Gleason score 4+3, 5 out of 12 with up to 70% > involvement in biopsys. He is 61. No symtoms, just a physical. > Routine PSA blood test. He is in very good overall health. > > Good news, MRI indicates tumur contained, but close to margin. Bone > scan also clean. > > We have been studying, and reading and speaking to our friends and > Dr. friends. We have also changed our diet, adding as much > antioxidents as we can and he is up to 5 miles a day walking. > > We are going for a second opinion this coming week, at this time we > are scheduled for DV surgery on June 26. > > I thought I would share our experience as much as possible, I have > really appreciated all the support here, even tho I haven't > posted. > > Judy in land > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 2, 2008 Report Share Posted June 2, 2008 Hi Judy, It sounds as though you and your husband have done a fair amount of " homework " on the subject of PCa. I would hope that your second opinion is with a radiation oncologist. If it is with another surgeon you are likely not to have all the facts about treatment alternatives to surgery. It is good to get all points of view from the medical community. Doctors tend to have strong biases toward whatever treatment they provide, naturally. Laurel > > Hi, > I have been reading all of your posts since April 18, our 39th > Anniversary. On that day my husband found out about his PC. > > Our stats: PSA 5.4, Gleason score 4+3, 5 out of 12 with up to 70% > involvement in biopsys. He is 61. No symtoms, just a physical. > Routine PSA blood test. He is in very good overall health. > > Good news, MRI indicates tumur contained, but close to margin. Bone > scan also clean. > > We have been studying, and reading and speaking to our friends and > Dr. friends. We have also changed our diet, adding as much > antioxidents as we can and he is up to 5 miles a day walking. > > We are going for a second opinion this coming week, at this time we > are scheduled for DV surgery on June 26. > > I thought I would share our experience as much as possible, I have > really appreciated all the support here, even tho I haven't > posted. > > Judy in land > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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