Your diagnosis was....... Thank you

[Guest guest]

Tom

I have changed the subject line because it

seems to me that otherwise I would get caught up in a fruitless debate. It

seems to me that no one has commented on the more important issue which is <snip>

….. I don't know how aggressive to be in my treatment. <snip>

It seems to me from what you say that you

are most likely to have what has been defined as in insignificant tumour being:

1. Nonpalpable

2. Stage T1c

3. Percent free PSA 15 or

greater

4. Gleason less than 7

5. Less than three needle

cores with none greater than 50% tumour.

If this is the case, then

it seems likely that you would fall into the category of men about whom what Dr Jon

Oppenheimer, one of the leading pathologists in the US has to say on his blog at http://theprostateblog.blogspot.com/

For the vast majority of men with a recent

diagnosis of prostate cancer the most important question is not what treatment

is needed, but whether any treatment at all is required. Active surveillance is

the logical choice for most men (and the families that love them) to make.

You seem to be considering Active Surveillance as an option

and it might be helpful for you to read this article on that choice http://tinyurl.com/223wgh and then

discuss the pros and cons with your medical advisors.

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 Tom Lauterback

Sent: Friday, 12 June 2009 10:53

PM

To: ProstateCancerSupport

Subject:

Thank you

Thank you for

accepting me back into the fold. I joined this group a couple years ago when I

had BPH but had not been diagnosed with cancer. Now I have been.

In a nutshell, I'm

64, married, have a Gleason score of 6 with a 67% chance that the cancer is

still only in the prostate. Out of 12 biopsies, only a small part of one is

malignant, although it's on the bottom of the prostate. I was ready to sign up

for brachytherapy until we spent time with the radiological oncologist

yesterday. External radiation seems to be an acceptable alternative, although I

understand that if it doesn't work, it can't be done again. I've pretty much

ruled out surgery, but I don't know how aggressive to be in my treatment. I was

also on testosterone therapy for several months, so it seems ironic that the

emphasis now is on removing the testosterone that I know can be feeding the

cancer but seemed so important before.

Any great thoughts

re: radiation now, either internal or external, vs. waiting to see what

happens? I have minimal health coverage now and will be on Medicare in six

months, so I don't know if there's an advantage one way or the other in terms

of coverage. I'm terribly concerned about the prospect of socialized medicine

lowering our standard of treatment precipitously.

Thanks in advance

for your thoughts.

Tom Lauterback