Re: UroToday - Do Margins Matter The Prognostic Significance of Positive Surgical Margins in Radical Prostatectomy

[Guest guest]

Dwight,

What problem are you having? Finding the machine or getting it paid

for?

Gail

>

> & gt; On June 14, Gail replied to Terry:

> & gt;

> & gt; & gt; I find this conflicting. I asked why my husbands

> & gt; PSA

> & gt; & gt; level was only 1.7 with cancer found and was told

> & gt; by

> & gt; & gt; both the surgeon and the radiologist that because

> & gt; the

> & gt; & gt; cancer is so close to the margin it can give off a

> & gt; & gt; lower PSA.

> & gt;

> & gt; That sounds unrealistic to this amateur.

> & gt;

> & gt; What is/was Husband's Gleason score?

> & gt;

> & gt; A substantial Gleason coupled with a low PSA may be

> & gt; a sign of small-cell

> & gt; or neuroendocrine PCa, which requires aggressive

> & gt; treatment.

> & gt;

> & gt; Blood tests which can help to assess this are:

> & gt;

> & gt; CGA (chromogranin alpha), a neuroendocrine PCa

> & gt; marker

> & gt; NSE (neuron-specific enolase), another

> & gt; neuroendocrine PCa marker

> & gt; CEA (carcino-empbryonic antigen) which can be

> & gt; expressed by PCa that is

> & gt; aggressive and often androgen-independen t

> & gt;

> & gt; Another useful test for such PCa is DNA ploidy

> & gt; examination of the biopsy

> & gt; specimens. Bostwick Laboratories does this, perhaps

> & gt; others as well. The

> & gt; pathologist searches for signs of " aneuploid " cells.

> & gt;

> & gt; For more, see this section of the Prostate Cancer

> & gt; Research Institute

> & gt; site:

> & gt;

> http://prostate- cancer.org/ education/ riskases/ Strum_StrategyOf

Success1. html

> & gt; or

> & gt; http://tinyurl. com/m68qo

> & gt;

> & gt; It would likely be prudent to consult a genuine

> & gt; cancer specialist, a

> & gt; medical oncologist; preferably one who is

> & gt; well-educated in treatment of

> & gt; PCa. There is a list of some experts in the field on

> & gt; the PCRI website.

> & gt;

> & gt; Regards,

> & gt;

> & gt; Steve J

> & gt;

> & gt;

> & gt;

> & gt;

>