New Here

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn - This has to be a very difficult time for you. You have came to the right spot for love and support. The ladies here are wonderful! Please feel free to express your feelings and ask anything.......someone here will have had the same experience and be able to help. I am so sorry that you are going through this. I am sending you lots of hugs. Sue

New here

Hi,I'm Lynn and I'm new here. I don't have a proper diagnosis yet, butwill be getting the biopsy results in a couple of hours. The dr feelspretty sure it is cancer tho. Needless to say, I'm scared to death. Looking forward to learning a lot here.Lynn

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn,

Its normal to feel scared, mad, depressed etc. We all go through it. Some

more than others. Once you get the diagnosis then you will know what you are

faced with and can start a plan. You are in my prayers.

Hugs

marianne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html

also check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:

http://www.cancerclub.com

New here

> Hi,

>

> I'm Lynn and I'm new here. I don't have a proper diagnosis yet, but

> will be getting the biopsy results in a couple of hours. The dr feels

> pretty sure it is cancer tho. Needless to say, I'm scared to death.

> Looking forward to learning a lot here.

>

> Lynn

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn,

Its normal to feel scared, mad, depressed etc. We all go through it. Some

more than others. Once you get the diagnosis then you will know what you are

faced with and can start a plan. You are in my prayers.

Hugs

marianne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html

also check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:

http://www.cancerclub.com

New here

> Hi,

>

> I'm Lynn and I'm new here. I don't have a proper diagnosis yet, but

> will be getting the biopsy results in a couple of hours. The dr feels

> pretty sure it is cancer tho. Needless to say, I'm scared to death.

> Looking forward to learning a lot here.

>

> Lynn

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi Lynn,

Its normal to feel scared, mad, depressed etc. We all go through it. Some

more than others. Once you get the diagnosis then you will know what you are

faced with and can start a plan. You are in my prayers.

Hugs

marianne

Breast Cancer Patients Soul Mates for Life

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/breastcancerpatients.html

Check out my breast cancer ornaments at:

http://www.geocities.com/chucky5741/bcornament.html

also check out my other ornaments and lots of nice gifts at:

http://www.cancerclub.com

New here

> Hi,

>

> I'm Lynn and I'm new here. I don't have a proper diagnosis yet, but

> will be getting the biopsy results in a couple of hours. The dr feels

> pretty sure it is cancer tho. Needless to say, I'm scared to death.

> Looking forward to learning a lot here.

>

> Lynn

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Judy,

Big hug back at you. I am working today also and that

does help some. And tomorrow I ride. And Monday I'll

work again. At least I'll try to! Good luck to you

on Monday - I'll be thinking of you. And praying for

you too.

Lynn

=====

Lynn Wentworth

www.TimberwindAppaloosas.com

[Guest guest]

Have a nice ride Lynn............say yahooooooooooo for me....

Good luck

Tuesday........I'll get on ASAIC Monday....... if I don't...You know Im with you Tuesday.....

Hugs

Judy

-- Re: New here

Judy,Big hug back at you. I am working today also and thatdoes help some. And tomorrow I ride. And Monday I'llwork again. At least I'll try to! Good luck to youon Monday - I'll be thinking of you. And praying foryou too.Lynn=====Lynn Wentworthwww.TimberwindAppaloosas.com

[Guest guest]

Thanks Judy,

I had a great ride and thought of you while I was out there. Did you

feel the breeze through your hair? Of course not, we wear HELMETS!

(Try to do everything right - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't).

Hope everyting went well on Monday for you. I'll check in after my

stop in Holland!

Lynn

> Have a nice ride Lynn............say yahooooooooooo for me....

> Good luck

> Tuesday........I'll get on ASAIC Monday....... if I don't...You know

Im with

> you Tuesday.....

> Hugs

> Judy

>

> -- Re: New here

>

> Judy,

>

> Big hug back at you. I am working today also and that

> does help some. And tomorrow I ride. And Monday I'll

> work again. At least I'll try to! Good luck to you

> on Monday - I'll be thinking of you. And praying for

> you too.

>

> Lynn

>

>

>

> =====

> Lynn Wentworth

>

> www.TimberwindAppaloosas.com

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Judy,

I had a great ride and thought of you while I was out there. Did you

feel the breeze through your hair? Of course not, we wear HELMETS!

(Try to do everything right - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't).

Hope everyting went well on Monday for you. I'll check in after my

stop in Holland!

Lynn

> Have a nice ride Lynn............say yahooooooooooo for me....

> Good luck

> Tuesday........I'll get on ASAIC Monday....... if I don't...You know

Im with

> you Tuesday.....

> Hugs

> Judy

>

> -- Re: New here

>

> Judy,

>

> Big hug back at you. I am working today also and that

> does help some. And tomorrow I ride. And Monday I'll

> work again. At least I'll try to! Good luck to you

> on Monday - I'll be thinking of you. And praying for

> you too.

>

> Lynn

>

>

>

> =====

> Lynn Wentworth

>

> www.TimberwindAppaloosas.com

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Judy,

I had a great ride and thought of you while I was out there. Did you

feel the breeze through your hair? Of course not, we wear HELMETS!

(Try to do everything right - sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't).

Hope everyting went well on Monday for you. I'll check in after my

stop in Holland!

Lynn

> Have a nice ride Lynn............say yahooooooooooo for me....

> Good luck

> Tuesday........I'll get on ASAIC Monday....... if I don't...You know

Im with

> you Tuesday.....

> Hugs

> Judy

>

> -- Re: New here

>

> Judy,

>

> Big hug back at you. I am working today also and that

> does help some. And tomorrow I ride. And Monday I'll

> work again. At least I'll try to! Good luck to you

> on Monday - I'll be thinking of you. And praying for

> you too.

>

> Lynn

>

>

>

> =====

> Lynn Wentworth

>

> www.TimberwindAppaloosas.com

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi,

My name is Bea and my husband was diagnosed yesterday with PC. We do

not know too much yet, but what we do know I am really woried. He

plans to join this group, but is first trying to deal with the

diagnosis. I am trying to learn as much as possible, so I can give him

some sort of optomistic outlook.

Any advice or clarification would be greatly helpful.

He is 47

PSA 1 yr ago was 4.5

Gleason 3+4

Out of 12 samples 6 were cancerous with the following percents...

70%,70%, 90%, 35%, 80% and 85%

I am now really worried that it has spread. Is the % an indication

that it has spread? When I asked the nurse she said they can not tell

unless they remove the prostate. Has anyone had that many with that

high of a % and it not spread? We meet with his doctor tomorrow to

discuss options.

Thanks so much already. I feel lost and I do not know how to help him.

[Guest guest]

I am now really worried that it has spread. Is the % an indication that it has spread? When I asked the nurse she said they can not tell unless they remove the prostate. Has anyone had that many with that high of a % and it not spread? We meet with his doctor tomorrow to discuss options.

Hi:

As near as I can tell, your Urologist can and should recommend a bone scan. From what I can learn that is where the first metastasis shows up. My diagnosis was 3/3 and my Canadian DR. did not recommend a bone scan because the incidence of metastasis is very rare with 3/3 diagnosis, But the USA DR. automatically asked for a bone scan (negative). In your case, the diagnosis is a little higher and I feel the DR. will probably recommend a bone scan. That should set your mind at ease. I'm close to 74, and my recovery prognosis is entirely different than a man 47 so I cannot comment on treatment.

I have a booklet in front of me called "Promoting Wellness for Prostate Cancer Patients". I got it free from my Oncologist. It is great, specially the graphic illustrations for the various treatment forms. The book is by "Mark A. Moyad, MD, MPH", and you could try this number for info to obtain. The Booklet was published in July 2006. I've got a couple other Addresses where a book might be found. You may also find it as a give away at your preferred Oncologist. Hope this helps, and you should never be in a hurry until you are sufficiently educated and satisfied with you DRs recommendations.

Bye

Emile

Note: After I completed this post, but before it was sent, I searched online, and Mark A. Moyad has several books available about PC.

The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there.

[Guest guest]

you should never be in a hurry until you are sufficiently educated and satisfied with you DRs recommendations.

Hi again:

In a previous post, I wrote the above quote, But I should have wrote "Never be in a hurry until you are sufficiently educated, and COMFORTABLE with your DR's recommendations.

Emile

The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there.

[Guest guest]

you should never be in a hurry until you are sufficiently educated and satisfied with you DRs recommendations.

Hi again:

In a previous post, I wrote the above quote, But I should have wrote "Never be in a hurry until you are sufficiently educated, and COMFORTABLE with your DR's recommendations.

Emile

The year's hottest artists on the red carpet at the Grammy Awards. AOL Music takes you there.

[Guest guest]

> My name is Bea and my husband was diagnosed yesterday with PC.

> We do not know too much yet, but what we do know I am really

> woried. He plans to join this group, but is first trying to

> deal with the diagnosis. I am trying to learn as much as

> possible, so I can give him some sort of optomistic outlook.

>

> Any advice or clarification would be greatly helpful.

>

> He is 47

> PSA 1 yr ago was 4.5

> Gleason 3+4

> Out of 12 samples 6 were cancerous with the following

> percents...

> 70%,70%, 90%, 35%, 80% and 85%

>

> I am now really worried that it has spread. Is the % an

> indication that it has spread? When I asked the nurse she said

> they can not tell unless they remove the prostate. Has anyone

> had that many with that high of a % and it not spread? We

> meet with his doctor tomorrow to discuss options.

>

> Thanks so much already. I feel lost and I do not know how to

> help him.

Hello Bea,

I'm not a doctor or an expert of any kind. What I have to say

here are just the opinions of a moderately informed layman.

Your husband's doctors will be able to answer more

authoritatively.

The first thing I'll say about your question is that healthy

cells go through a number of different kinds of changes on the

way to becoming invasive cancer cells. One kind of change

allows them to divide and multiply when they should not. That

enables the cancer to grow in the prostate. Additional changes

are needed to enable the cancer cells to survive outside the

prostate and to spread to other organs. So it is my

understanding that it is possible for cancer cells to multiply a

great deal inside the prostate, possibly for many years, without

yet becoming systemic in the rest of the body. As far as I

know, the fact that there is a lot of cancer inside the prostate

doesn't necessarily mean that there is any outside.

Secondly, I have read that when the cancer does grow outside the

prostate, it typically pushes into the first few millimeters of

soft tissue surrounding the prostate before it gets much

further. I have read that the majority of " extra-prostatic

extensions " of early stage cancer occur within the first 5

millimeters of surrounding tissue.

Conventional treatment CAN treat and destroy such cancers, so

long as they have not spread to distant places.

In my own case, I don't remember what the biopsy reported, but I

did see an MRI that showed a good deal of my prostate was

cancerous and it had pushed through the prostate envelope into

surrounding tissue. I was treated with radiation and the

radiation oncologist told me that she was treating the area of

the prostate itself and one centimeter around it.

Her treatment seems to have worked and now, more than five years

later, I still appear to be cancer free.

There is a possibility that your husband's cancer is already

systemic, but it may not be. PSA is often (though not always) a

guide to how much cancer is in the body. If the PSA is still

low (under 10, or even 20 or a little higher), there is a good

chance that it is not. I have seen reports from men with PSA

values as high as the mid-30's who were successfully treated.

Presumably, these men had a lot of cancer, but it was all

confined to the area in or very near the prostate.

Again, these are layman's opinions. You'll need to find the

best specialists that you can and get their opinions on what to

do.

There are also some good books and websites available on

prostate cancer that can help you understand what is happening.

Unfortunately, our scientific understanding of prostate cancer

(like almost all other cancers) is still incomplete and there

are many differing opinions about what to do and even what to

read.

A very simple video based website that I like is:

http://http://www.prostatevideos.com/

Best of luck to you and your husband.

Alan

[Guest guest]

Bea, I had higher numbers - PSA 62, Gleason 9, I've had radiation treatment and I'm on ADT. Despite the bigger numbers, no evidence of spread and I'm fine with PSA 0.3, 15 months from diagnosis and still falling. By all means worry but make yourselves strong from looking at the evidence and getting the worry into context. Insist on the PCa being treated as local advanced PCa unless they can prove that it has spread. Give yourselves the best odds you can by getting diet and exercise right and a sense of well-being as high as you can. I am NOT going to be killed by this thing: many others before me in the same situation have beaten it. Help your husband to be the same. Lots of case studies on yananow.net, including mine.

The experts will quote odds about the likelihood of the thing having spread, but prove them wrong!

Good luck and please don't panic. There is life after PCa - with luck, a long and very happy one - if you go for it. You are your husband's secret weapon. I am blessed with a wonderful wife - I'm sure he is - and that's an enormous plus in this battle.

Stay strong,

To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Tuesday, 10 February, 2009 5:25:34 PMSubject: New Here

Hi,My name is Bea and my husband was diagnosed yesterday with PC. We do not know too much yet, but what we do know I am really woried. He plans to join this group, but is first trying to deal with the diagnosis. I am trying to learn as much as possible, so I can give him some sort of optomistic outlook.Any advice or clarification would be greatly helpful.He is 47PSA 1 yr ago was 4.5Gleason 3+4Out of 12 samples 6 were cancerous with the following percents...70%,70%, 90%, 35%, 80% and 85%I am now really worried that it has spread. Is the % an indication that it has spread? When I asked the nurse she said they can not tell unless they remove the prostate. Has anyone had that many with that high of a % and it not spread? We meet with his doctor tomorrow to discuss options. Thanks so much already. I feel lost and I do not know how to help him.

[Guest guest]

Hi Bea,

Diagnosed yesterday and consulting tomorrow doesn't give you any time

to be prepared. There are many questions that need to be asked, but

you don't even know what they are yet. Try not to let the panic get

the better of you and do not let your doctor pressure you into any

one treatment. Ask for a referral to a radiation oncologist then go

home and start learning about prostate cancer.

Gregg and I had three weeks in between learning that the biopsy was

positive our consulting with the urologist. In that three weeks I had

spent hours on the internet learning as much as I could and had read

5 books on the subject. Gregg spent most of that time absorbing the

shock and, some of it reading what I sent him via email. The

knowledge we had, made the consult a much more worth while hour.

You have several things going for you at this point. The Gleason

score could have been much worse, his PSA is not very high, although

you do not say what his current PSA is, 6 of the biopsy samples were

negative and your husband is young so is probably a good candidate

for any of the current treatment options.

Two additional pieces of information you are going to want are the

size of his prostate and his stage. The stage will be something like

T1c or T2a. The more you know the better.

All of the treatment modalities handled by experts are virtually

equal with regard to success rates. The ultimate decision on how to

treat the cancer will be yours. It sucks, but is true. This came as

quite a shock to us.

Gregg had been diagnosed with and treated for bladder cancer 15

months prior to the prostate cancer diagnosis. With the bladder

cancer the urologist could tell us, " this how we treat bladder cancer

and this is what you should do " . Quite a different scenario with the

same urologist a year and a half later. He was one of the good guys

who told us you can have surgery, you can have radiation, or you can

do Active Surveillance. The doctor said that if he was diagnosed with

prostate cancer he does not know what he would do. Most urologists

will not have quite so balanced an approach.

Let us know what you learn tomorrow at the doctor appointment. This

is a very good group with some very knowledgable folks as members.

Laurel

PS Ask for copies of everything relative to the prostate cancer,

including the PSA and DRE history.

>

> Hi,

>

> My name is Bea and my husband was diagnosed yesterday with PC. We

do

> not know too much yet, but what we do know I am really woried. He

> plans to join this group, but is first trying to deal with the

> diagnosis. I am trying to learn as much as possible, so I can give

him

> some sort of optomistic outlook.

>

> Any advice or clarification would be greatly helpful.

>

> He is 47

> PSA 1 yr ago was 4.5

> Gleason 3+4

> Out of 12 samples 6 were cancerous with the following percents...

> 70%,70%, 90%, 35%, 80% and 85%

>

> I am now really worried that it has spread. Is the % an indication

> that it has spread? When I asked the nurse she said they can not

tell

> unless they remove the prostate. Has anyone had that many with

that

> high of a % and it not spread? We meet with his doctor tomorrow to

> discuss options.

>

> Thanks so much already. I feel lost and I do not know how to help

him.

>

[Guest guest]

Hello Bea,

Sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. I was diagnosed in July 08 at the age of 48. My Gleason was slightly worse at 4+3 but the samples were only 5% positive for cancer. My PSA was 5.6 at time of diagnosis. I had an MRI scan shortly after the biopsy and this showed no sign of 'spread', but did show a 1cm tumour and confirmed it was confined to the left lobe only. As you mention your husbands PSA of one year ago I presume this means he has been monitored by a Doctor for at least that length of time. During that time I would also presume that he has had at least one DRE (Digital Rectal Exam). The DRE's would have given the Dr and indication of growing cancer so I think it should be safe to say that the Dr is not expecting any spread as he has only just decided a biopsy was necessary. My DRE (unusually my first one was after diagnosis) indicated a smooth prostate with no nodules which is an indication of no spread.

After consultations with 2 uro/surgeons and a medical oncologist. The surgeons totally failed to put my mind at rest over impotence and incontinence worries. One surgeon brushed over my concerns saying not to worry as they could easily give me implants if I needed them so I didn't think he would be too diligent in sparing my erectile nerve bundles! After doing research I would have preferred to have Proton therapy but this is not available in here in Spain so after talking to the oncologist I decided on IGRT (Image Guided Radio Therapy). I had 40 sessions over 8 weeks and finished the course in early November 08. I found the treatment much much easier to tolerate than I expected and have had no urinary or erectile issues at all (or bowel issues to any degree). The expected lethargy did not happen and I continued to work until the last week and a half of treatment when I took a week off, though to be honest this wasn't a necessity.

I had my first PSA test after treatment last Monday with results last Friday. Happily my PSA reading had halved to 2.8 and my Doctora says this is a very good result. Unlike with surgery there is not an immediate drop to nearly zero, rather the PSA should decline to a nadir of no more than 0.8 after about 18months. As everyone will tell you your husband cannot make his decision based on the anecdotal experiences of other cancer sufferers and he should decide which treatment choice feels best for him. Given that all studies show that all treatment options have near identical outcomes in terms of cure it really is down to which treatment he feel's most comfortable with and just as importantly, which Doctor. Reading experiences of other patients on www.yananow.net will give him some idea of the ins and outs of the various TX options.

The best of health for the future.

Malaga,Spain

New Here

Hi,My name is Bea and my husband was diagnosed yesterday with PC. We do not know too much yet, but what we do know I am really woried. He plans to join this group, but is first trying to deal with the diagnosis. I am trying to learn as much as possible, so I can give him some sort of optomistic outlook.Any advice or clarification would be greatly helpful.He is 47PSA 1 yr ago was 4.5Gleason 3+4Out of 12 samples 6 were cancerous with the following percents...70%,70%, 90%, 35%, 80% and 85%I am now really worried that it has spread. Is the % an indication that it has spread? When I asked the nurse she said they can not tell unless they remove the prostate. Has anyone had that many with that high of a % and it not spread? We meet with his doctor tomorrow to discuss options. Thanks so much already. I feel lost and I do not know how to help him.

[Guest guest]

Hello Bea,

Sorry to hear of your husband's diagnosis. I was diagnosed in July 08 at the age of 48. My Gleason was slightly worse at 4+3 but the samples were only 5% positive for cancer. My PSA was 5.6 at time of diagnosis. I had an MRI scan shortly after the biopsy and this showed no sign of 'spread', but did show a 1cm tumour and confirmed it was confined to the left lobe only. As you mention your husbands PSA of one year ago I presume this means he has been monitored by a Doctor for at least that length of time. During that time I would also presume that he has had at least one DRE (Digital Rectal Exam). The DRE's would have given the Dr and indication of growing cancer so I think it should be safe to say that the Dr is not expecting any spread as he has only just decided a biopsy was necessary. My DRE (unusually my first one was after diagnosis) indicated a smooth prostate with no nodules which is an indication of no spread.

After consultations with 2 uro/surgeons and a medical oncologist. The surgeons totally failed to put my mind at rest over impotence and incontinence worries. One surgeon brushed over my concerns saying not to worry as they could easily give me implants if I needed them so I didn't think he would be too diligent in sparing my erectile nerve bundles! After doing research I would have preferred to have Proton therapy but this is not available in here in Spain so after talking to the oncologist I decided on IGRT (Image Guided Radio Therapy). I had 40 sessions over 8 weeks and finished the course in early November 08. I found the treatment much much easier to tolerate than I expected and have had no urinary or erectile issues at all (or bowel issues to any degree). The expected lethargy did not happen and I continued to work until the last week and a half of treatment when I took a week off, though to be honest this wasn't a necessity.

I had my first PSA test after treatment last Monday with results last Friday. Happily my PSA reading had halved to 2.8 and my Doctora says this is a very good result. Unlike with surgery there is not an immediate drop to nearly zero, rather the PSA should decline to a nadir of no more than 0.8 after about 18months. As everyone will tell you your husband cannot make his decision based on the anecdotal experiences of other cancer sufferers and he should decide which treatment choice feels best for him. Given that all studies show that all treatment options have near identical outcomes in terms of cure it really is down to which treatment he feel's most comfortable with and just as importantly, which Doctor. Reading experiences of other patients on www.yananow.net will give him some idea of the ins and outs of the various TX options.

The best of health for the future.

Malaga,Spain

New Here

Hi,My name is Bea and my husband was diagnosed yesterday with PC. We do not know too much yet, but what we do know I am really woried. He plans to join this group, but is first trying to deal with the diagnosis. I am trying to learn as much as possible, so I can give him some sort of optomistic outlook.Any advice or clarification would be greatly helpful.He is 47PSA 1 yr ago was 4.5Gleason 3+4Out of 12 samples 6 were cancerous with the following percents...70%,70%, 90%, 35%, 80% and 85%I am now really worried that it has spread. Is the % an indication that it has spread? When I asked the nurse she said they can not tell unless they remove the prostate. Has anyone had that many with that high of a % and it not spread? We meet with his doctor tomorrow to discuss options. Thanks so much already. I feel lost and I do not know how to help him.

[Guest guest]

> As near as I can tell, your Urologist can and should

> recommend a bone scan. From what I can learn that is where

> the first metastasis shows up.

....

Emile,

I think this view is no longer accepted by many urologists.

Here are the reasons given by Dr. Gerald Chodak in his video on

bone scans at:

http://www.prostatevideos.com/prostate-cancer/grading-and-staging-of-prostate-ca\

ncer/bone-scan-for-assessing-cancer-spreading-to-the-bones/

1. It is extremely rare for a bone scan to show metastasis if

the PSA is under 20 and the patient has never been treated.

Dr. Chodak says only .3% of such people will show cancer in

the bones.

2. A negative bone scan, especially when the PSA is relatively

low, does NOT mean there is no metastasis.

A bone scan can only find metastasis to bones, and only if

the metastasis has reached a detectable size. Early stage

metastasis is generally not detectable on a bone scan.

3. The incidence of false positives is high.

Again, Dr. Chodak says 13% of men with PSA under 20 will show

bone abnormalities.

Bone scans can show many kinds of abnormalities in bones, but

they often can't distinguish between the causes of the

abnormalities. So if a positive test occurs, the doctor and

patient are in a quandary. If they treat it as cancer when

it isn't, they might forego life-saving primary therapy. If

they ignore it, well, it could have been cancer and primary

therapy would be wasted. If they investigate it further they

might need to do some painful and invasive tests, in the

worst case, a bone biopsy.

If the patient has a high PSA, or if he has failed primary

treatment, then a bone scan is more helpful in showing where

cancer might be and providing clues to guide palliation and bone

treatment. But for lower PSA it might have more negative

consequences than positive benefits.

Dr. Chodak claims that most doctors who order bone scans for

early stage prostate cancer don't know the statistics.

I recommend you look at the above cited video.

Regards,

Alan

[Guest guest]

On February 10, Alan Meyer wrote, in pertinent part:

(snip)

> 2. A negative bone scan, especially when the PSA is relatively

> low, does NOT mean there is no metastasis.

>

> A bone scan can only find metastasis to bones, and only if

> the metastasis has reached a detectable size. Early stage

> metastasis is generally not detectable on a bone scan.

And, as a matter of fact, Dr. Strum has said for years that scans in

early-stage PCa have about the same likelihood of detecting mets as

flipping a coin.

He has made it clear that he considers it to be a waste of millions of

dollars.

Dr. Strum, in case anyone is unfamiliar, is B. Strum, MD, a

medical oncologist and PCa specialist for some 25 years. He is also

co-author of _A Primer on Prostate Cancer_, " An Empowered Patient's Guide. "

He and his advice have saved more lives than many of us can count.

Including mine.

Regards,

Steve J

" We must tailor the treatment to the nature of the disease. We must

listen to the biology. "

-- B. Strum, MD

Medical Oncologist

PCa Specialist

[Guest guest]

I was mad as hell when I discovered that

my bone scan was completely unnecessary because it was a very expensive test –

and I had no insurance.

But it was a useful item to have when I

had a second bone scan some eight years later and was able to show that there

had been no change and that the rising PSA was not as a result of detectable

metastasis.

But broadly speaking, as a diagnostic

tool, the bone scan has no value for most men diagnosed today with early stage

cancer for the reasons stated by Allan.

All the best

Terry Herbert

I have no medical

qualifications but I was diagnosed in ‘96: and have learned a bit since

then.

My sites are at www.yananow.net and www.prostatecancerwatchfulwaiting.co.za

Dr

“Snuffy” Myers : " As a physician, I am painfully aware that most of

the decisions we make with regard to prostate cancer are made with inadequate

data "

From: ProstateCancerSupport [mailto:ProstateCancerSupport ] On Behalf Of Steve Jordan

Sent: Wednesday, 11 February 2009

1:05 PM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject: Re:

New Here

On

February 10, Alan Meyer wrote, in pertinent part:

(snip)

> 2. A negative bone scan, especially when the PSA is relatively

> low, does NOT mean there is no metastasis.

>

> A bone scan can only find metastasis to bones, and only if

> the metastasis has reached a detectable size. Early stage

> metastasis is generally not detectable on a bone scan.

And, as a matter of fact, Dr. Strum has said for years that scans in

early-stage PCa have about the same likelihood of detecting mets as

flipping a coin.

He has made it clear that he considers it to be a waste of millions of

dollars.

Dr. Strum, in case anyone is unfamiliar, is B. Strum, MD, a

medical oncologist and PCa specialist for some 25 years. He is also

co-author of _A Primer on Prostate Cancer_, " An Empowered Patient's

Guide. "

He and his advice have saved more lives than many of us can count.

Including mine.

Regards,

Steve J

" We must tailor the treatment to the nature of the disease. We must

listen to the biology. "

-- B. Strum, MD

Medical Oncologist

PCa Specialist

[Guest guest]

> To: ProstateCancerSupport > Dr. Chodak claims that most doctors who order bone scans for> early stage prostate cancer don't know the statistics.My urologist and his colleagues are all cancer specialists at City of Hope in southern California. I've been reading posts here since my Dx in April 2007 and have thus been able to correlate what I've learned here with what my doctors have said and done. I'm pleased to be able to say they are very current and smart in their knowledge and treatment decisions. And I was surprised to have read here from time to time that men with Dx's similar to mine had gone through bone scans. I was 59, Gleason 7.4, 3+3=6, T1C, and my doctors never even mentioned a bone scan.../sWindows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. Check it out.

[Guest guest]

> To: ProstateCancerSupport > Dr. Chodak claims that most doctors who order bone scans for> early stage prostate cancer don't know the statistics.My urologist and his colleagues are all cancer specialists at City of Hope in southern California. I've been reading posts here since my Dx in April 2007 and have thus been able to correlate what I've learned here with what my doctors have said and done. I'm pleased to be able to say they are very current and smart in their knowledge and treatment decisions. And I was surprised to have read here from time to time that men with Dx's similar to mine had gone through bone scans. I was 59, Gleason 7.4, 3+3=6, T1C, and my doctors never even mentioned a bone scan.../sWindows Live™: E-mail. Chat. Share. Get more ways to connect. Check it out.