Allen
Gentry and Jackie live in Texas, USA. He was 53 when he was diagnosed
in June 1992. His initial PSA was 34.5 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and although
he doesn't give his staging it seems it was T1c. His choice of treatment was surgery
and here is his story:
I
began getting an annual physical in the late 1980's and was in excellent physical
condition in 1992, though I had begun to put on weight, even tho' I played racquetball
regularly and hadn't changed my dietary habits. All previous DRE's including the
1992 exam had revealed a normal prostate gland. For the first time my internist
ordered a PSA. I will never forget the day he called with the results. I was in
my office with an important customer and I took the call assuming he was calling
with the normal results. My memory of the rest of the customer meeting is kind
of a blur.
He referred me to Don Johnson, a urologist, associated with
the Dallas Presbyterian Hospital. Johnson performed a biopsy and the lab results
revealed that three of the six samples were malignant with a Gleason grade of
3+3. A follow up bone scan was negative. He recommended radical surgery and stated
all other treatments were less sure to provide the intended response. I was busy
as hell trying to run a company in a very competitive market and really didn't
want to spend time researching alternatives. I agreed to the surgery and it was
scheduled for eary August.
The surgery was performed at Presbyterian. There
was no cancer detected in the lymph nodes and the surgery was completed successfully.
Post Op lab results revealed that the tumor filled the entire left prostate with
some extension into the right prostate, and was approximately 3.5 cm. Gleason
score was 4+3. The left margin showed carcinoma but the seminal vesicles were
clear as was the bladder neck.
Johnson's recommended post op treatment
was 6 weeks of 5 day a week beam radiation to begin in December. That treatment
was completed in January and results of my next PSA were < .1
Incontinence
was a slight problem for a couple of weeks after the catheter was removed, but
I've not had a problem since. Impotence has been a different matter. The pump
and injections were somewhat effective for a couple of years but by 1996 nothing
seemed to work. I declined to pursue implant surgery and have been effectively
impotent since 1997.
My quarterly, semi-annual and annual PSA tests were
all <.1 until 2001 when it measured 0.10. Growth has been gradual until this month
when it changed from the August 2006 measurement of 0.56 to 1.02 ng/ml. I am scheduled
for a Prostascint scan for next week.
I've purposely left out a lot of
side effects of the treatment and would be happy to discuss them with anyone who
is interested.
LATER
On
Monday, February 26 I reported to the Texas Cancer Center in San Antonio for a
Prostascint scan and CAT scan. These tests revealed cancer in the prostate bed.
My oncologist, Brad Prestidge, recommended either Intensity Modulated Radiation
Therapy (IMRT) or Androgen Deprivation Therapy (ADT). I told him that back in
the early 90's when I had my intial radiation therapy doctors told me that if
there was recurrance, radiation would not be an option. Brad indicated that with
the new technology and the time duration since my last treatment IMRT was a viable
opton. Wanting to avoid the side effects of ADT, I've opted for IMRT. I'll be
going in next week for a simulation run with a CAT scan then seven to ten weeks
of five day a week therapy. He tells me the side effects will be similar to my
original radiation treatment, which were primarily bowel related. I can handle
that.
Will
keep you posted.
On
May 7th 2007 I completed 37 IMRT treatments to the Prostate Bed. The side effects
were almost nil. Certainly, nothing compared to the original EBRT treatments in
1992.
I
am going back for my first post treatment PSA test in July. I've been warned that
the results may be up, down or unchanged at this early stage, but my oncologist
wants to begin monitoring it early.
Allen's
e-mail address is: algentry@aol.com
