Brent
Pettigrew lives in Ohio, USA. He was 54 when he was diagnosed in November 2001.
His initial PSA was 9.3 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 3+4=7 and although he does
not state his staging it seem that he was staged T1c. His choice of treatment
was Surgery. Here is his story.
In April 1998 my PSA was 1.0 In the Fall
I had knee replacement surgery that led to post catheterization prostatitis which
was treated with various antibiotics in '98 & '99.
My PSA was 2.5 in August
1999. My PSA was 4 in June 2000. I went to a local Urologist that said my prostate
was normal sized and told me to not worry because I was too young for prostate
cancer. I insisted on an ultrasound which he later cancelled because it was inconvenient
to his schedule.
From 9September, 2001 to November 2001 my PSA went from
8.9 to 9.3. My ultrasound guided biopsy showed cancer in the right lobe but none
in the left.
I weighed my options: I was the first in my family with PC,
it was a rapid rising PSA, I was young, all factors in my research indicated my
best option was RP (Surgery). I wished for nerve sparing surgery since there was
no initial signs of cancer in my left lobe. I researched surgeons and elected
to have RP at the Cleveland Clinic (Great doctor but bad hospital experience).
Based on initial biopsy the surgeon left the left nerve bundle. The post-operative
histopathology report showed more cancer on the left than the right with some
cancer cells in the fat around the left seminal vesicle. My side effects were
minimal with occasional incontinence but retention of potency.
My PSA
remained at 0 until June 2005 when it was 0.20. I elected to have EBRT (External
Beam Radiation Treatment) in June 2006 which brought the PSA to 0 again. In June
2007, it recurred at 0.20 Then it became 0.30 in December 2007 and now is 0.60
(April 2008). I am now weighing my options.
Brent's address is: bryanvet@bright.net
