My Prostate Cancer Journey and Why You Should Get Tested

[PK99]

After my father died from prostate cancer in 1999 i decided i would have regular check ups but for some reason my first Psa blood test wasn't until 2008 and the reading was normal.My wife who worked at the local hospital as a ward manager used to be able to get me blood tests and the readings were slightly creeping up.
Out of concern i went to see my Gp who did the finger test and said your prostate is slightly enlarged and he made an appointment for the hospital.They did a biopsy but the letter came back as not to be concerned.
Six months later and with my Psa still going up the hospital decided to give me a more thorough biopsey and that came back as finding something suspicious.I was then given a Mri scan and that is when it came back as early stage prostate cancer.
Right from the start i said to the consultant i didn't want brachytherapy or watch and wait i just want the thing removed.
So September 2012 i had a robotic radical prostatectomy at Addenbrookes hospital,Cambridge.Afterwards the professor who had done the operation explained to me the tumour was still enclosed in the capsule and everything went well.
On the first appointment after my op my first words were "when can i get back on my bike".
After five years i was discharged from having to go back up to Addenbrookes as Psa results were really low.
I wish @PK99 all the best and please men go and have your prostate checked.

*One thing i forgot to say was that the operation has left me with a flat tyre and incontinence but that's worth paying the price in my eye for what could have been a different outcome.

Thank you for sharing and for your words of support.


The message to get out there is that Prostate Cancer IS curable if caught early, and if will only be caught early by regular PSA tests. I was almost too late.

 

[lazybloke]

Thanks @PK99, wise words.

My grandfather opted to trust in God to save him from prostate cancer. I'll spare all the detail and simply say: there was no miracle.


Thankfully my dad didnt **** about, out came his prostate and he's as right as rain.

 

[bruce1530]

I'm on a similar journey to @PK99

PSA has been monitored for several years, all OK. Flow test last year fine. Several DREs (the "finger test") fine.

At the start of the year, they noticed that PSA had risen slightly (from about 2.7 to 3.4) - and sent me for a MRI, which identified a lesion on the prostate. A subsequent biopsy showed cancer in 2 of the 14 samples they took.

It appears to have been identified at a very early stage and has not spread.

Various options for treatment; for me (in the words of the consultant "reasonably young, reasonably fit, not too overweight...") surgery is the recommended option. I've been referred to the regional specialist centre in Glasgow for treatment.

So earlier this week, I met a very nice lady who has some very sharp knives, for an initial consultation. I'm now on the "low priority" (that is a good thing!) waiting list, treatment will probably be late autumn, although I may get a cancellation.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

I'm on a similar journey to @PK99

PSA has been monitored for several years, all OK. Flow test last year fine. Several DREs (the "finger test") fine.

At the start of the year, they noticed that PSA had risen slightly (from about 2.7 to 3.4) - and sent me for a MRI, which identified a lesion on the prostate. A subsequent biopsy showed cancer in 2 of the 14 samples they took.

It appears to have been identified at a very early stage and has not spread.

Various options for treatment; for me (in the words of the consultant "reasonably young, reasonably fit, not too overweight...") surgery is the recommended option. I've been referred to the regional specialist centre in Glasgow for treatment.

So earlier this week, I met a very nice lady who has some very sharp knives, for an initial consultation. I'm now on the "low priority" (that is a good thing!) waiting list, treatment will probably be late autumn, although I may get a cancellation.

Are your results outside the normal range for your age?

 

[PK99]

Are your results outside the normal range for your age?

An increase alone should trigger an MRI.
Age specific norms are only really relevant in the case of an isolated sample.

 

[bruce1530]

My new sponsorship deal…,

 

[bruce1530]

Are your results outside the normal range for your age?

As @PK99 says, changes and trends in PSA are more critical than absolute levels.

PSA is a protein produced by the prostate, and put very basically, it can be a measure of how unhappy the prostate is. In general, low is good, and high bad. But not always - you can have prostate issues and still have low PSA. Conversely, PSA levels can be raised by infection, exercise etc, and also increase with age. So it's a non-definite indicator, but in general high PSA means an increased likelihood of cancer.

I'm told that the medical profession start to take more of an interest when your PSA rises above about 3. It used to be 4 was the threshold.

Mine had gone from 2.7 to 3.4. On the day of the biopsy, it had dropped slightly (3.2). A couple of weeks later, it was up at 5 - probably because my poor wee prostate wasn't happy about having had needles stuck into it....

 

[bruce1530]

I've been referred to the regional specialist centre in Glasgow for treatment.

So earlier this week, I met a very nice lady who has some very sharp knives, for an initial consultation. I'm now on the "low priority" (that is a good thing!) waiting list, treatment will probably be late autumn, although I may get a cancellation.

Enjoyed a couple of night's B&B courtesy of the NHS at the weekend. Room was lovely - I've stayed in worse Premier Inns. Food was rotten.

Treatment was spectacularly good.

Operation went well, clean removal, lymph nodes OK. Back home now, originally sore in places I didn't know you could be sore, but now feeling remarkably good. Don't need anything stronger than paracetamol for pain.

Another PSA check in 6 weeks, but they reckon that they've got it all.

 

[Slick]

Enjoyed a couple of night's B&B courtesy of the NHS at the weekend. Room was lovely - I've stayed in worse Premier Inns. Food was rotten.

Treatment was spectacularly good.

Operation went well, clean removal, lymph nodes OK. Back home now, originally sore in places I didn't know you could be sore, but now feeling remarkably good. Don't need anything stronger than paracetamol for pain.

Another PSA check in 6 weeks, but they reckon that they've got it all.

I genuinely find that incredible.

Walk in with that horrible disease and walk out free. Amazing.

Recover well.

 

[SpokeyDokey]

Enjoyed a couple of night's B&B courtesy of the NHS at the weekend. Room was lovely - I've stayed in worse Premier Inns. Food was rotten.

Treatment was spectacularly good.

Operation went well, clean removal, lymph nodes OK. Back home now, originally sore in places I didn't know you could be sore, but now feeling remarkably good. Don't need anything stronger than paracetamol for pain.

Another PSA check in 6 weeks, but they reckon that they've got it all.

Good stuff! Wishing you a speedy recovery.

 

[bruce1530]

I genuinely find that incredible.
Walk in with that horrible disease and walk out free. Amazing.

Incredible and amazing are the sort of words that I've been thinking. I've been a bit flippant when I describe it here - that's my way of coping.

But when I checked into the QEUH in Glasgow at 7am on Saturday morning, I had cancer. I went down to surgery just after lunchtime, and at 4pm I was in the recovery room. The cancer was in a jar somewhere.

I've got a few cuts and bruises. They'll heal. I'm sore, but that'll pass.

About 3 hours later, I was back on my feet, although not particularly steady. 2 days later, I'm home.

Incredible and amazing. Sometimes the awesomeness of this just creeps up on you.

 

[Slick]

Incredible and amazing are the sort of words that I've been thinking. I've been a bit flippant when I describe it here - that's my way of coping.

But when I checked into the QEUH in Glasgow at 7am on Saturday morning, I had cancer. I went down to surgery just after lunchtime, and at 4pm I was in the recovery room. The cancer was in a jar somewhere.

I've got a few cuts and bruises. They'll heal. I'm sore, but that'll pass.

About 3 hours later, I was back on my feet, although not particularly steady. 2 days later, I'm home.

Incredible and amazing. Sometimes the awesomeness of this just creeps up on you.

Mrs Slicks mum had a very similar experience with breast cancer ( I really struggle to use the word) and that was when I realised how amazing it is to walk out cancer free after what they would consider a reasonably simple procedure. I then go onto to think about others, but that's neither here nor there. You enjoy your awesome experience.

 

[lazybloke]

News of a prostate cancer blood test has just popped up on my google feed

Link

Frantically busy at work so have only glanced through the article, but looks a significant step forward in accurate detection, so might one day allow screening without far fewer false positives/negatives.

Looks only to be available privately at present

 

[PK99]

News of a prostate cancer blood test has just popped up on my google feed

Link

Frantically busy at work so have only glanced through the article, but looks a significant step forward in accurate detection, so might one day allow screening without far fewer false positives/negatives.

Looks only to be available privately at present

As I understand it...

The past issue with false positive PSA tests was that they led directly to biopsy via the anus. With very real risks of nasty post procedure infection.

Now the protocol is:
PSA
MRI
Trans perineal needle biopsy
= fewer unnecessary biopsies + cleaner procedure = fewer infections

 

[PK99]

As the OP can I just celebrate Bruce's Journey, which seems as positive as mine.

Can I also encourage anyone fearful of being tested, JUST EFFING DO IT.

Caught early a complete cure is not only possible but likely.