YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

BRONZE

Charlie C and Cathlene live in California, USA. He was 73 when he was diagnosed on June 6, 2008. His initial PSA was 4.1 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was (3+4)= 7 and he was staged T1b. His choice of treatment was Active Surveillance. Here is his story.

I'm a native Californian, growing old in retirement. Started going to a urologist in 1998 at age 63 for BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) symptoms. He put me on Cardura, which worked well for a while, but with worsening symptoms as time went on. I moved and located a new urologist in 2001. In this time frame, my PSA went from 1.9 in 2000 to 3.0 in 2003. After Cystoscopy in early 2004, the doctor recommended laser - green light - TURP (Trans Urethral Resection Procedure), which was performed in June of 2004. The good side - the procedure went well with an overnight stay in the hospital. Was back at work within 2 days. The not so good side - BPH symptoms slowly closed in over time - just difficulty in urinating.

Cystoscopy in March of 2008 showed re-growth, so the doctor recommended a conventional TURP procedure. PSA at that time was 4.1 The TURP was accomplished on May 28, 2008. 48 hours with the catheter wasn't fun, but tolerable. It took a while at home to get things calmed down - there are skid marks on the floor where I turned in to the bathroom with that urgent need. Unlike the laser procedure, the conventional TURP was very effective in clearing up BPH symptoms.

Five days after the TURP I got the call. "You have cancer!" Based on the TURP chips, the report showed Gleason (3+4) = 7, with 25 % of the 21 grams of chips involved. Staging is T1b. I've read cancer is detected this way a pretty small percentage of the time. Met with the doctor and scheduled a biopsy for September 12 (allowing time for the TURP effects to settle down).

Oddly, just prior to the biopsy, the PSA had dropped from 4.1 pre-TURP down to 0.4 post-TURP. It would seem the TURP cleaned out a good deal of cancerous tissue and a lot of the prostate. Got the 12 core biopsy results back - negative for cancer. All cores normal!

Did follow-up with the doc 16 weeks after the biopsy. PSA was up to 0.8, doubling in 3 months, but biopsy effects may be influencing the result, I'm told. That brings us to the end of January 2009. The next PSA and visit will be in April

So, here I am, certainly not alone when it comes to PCa, but feeling like an odd-ball with T1b staging and then a negative biopsy. What a combination! The good news, all functions are normal. I can pee again, like a teenager, a real delight for a 73 year-old. Hopefully more PSA results will show better what the trend is. Meanwhile I'm doing a lot of reading, and watching and waiting, which is the last thing I ever thought I would do.

Charlie

 

UPDATED

April 2009

 

 

Had a visit to the Urologist in early April. My PSA has gone back down to 0.4, the same as at 3 months post-TURP. A real roller coaster ride over the last 8 months, from 0.4 to 0.8, now back to 0.4. I'm now on a 6-month re-check cycle. With the negative biopsy after TURP, and the latest PSA at 0.4 again, we are in the active surveillance mode.

I'm pleased I have basically no side-effects from the TURP. Have yet to find others that have knocked out their cancer with a TURP procedure, if that is what has occurred.

 

UPDATED

December 2009

 

 

Had the 6 month PSA mid-September. Came back 0.5, urologist is pleased with that result (was 0.4 one year ago). Had another 12 core biopsy in late October that came back negative. Will be staying on the 6 month schedule for PSA.

Looking good, so far.

Charlie's e-mail address is charlie.pca@comcast.net