YANA - YOU ARE NOT ALONE NOW

PROSTATE CANCER SUPPORT SITE

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Tim Dunton and Donna live in Maine USA. He was 54 when he was diagnosed in April 06. His iniital PSA was 4.4 ng/ml and his Gleason Score was 3+3=6. He was staged T1c and has decided that Watchful Waiting/Active Surveillance is the best option for him now. Here is his story:

I am a healthy, active 54 year old with no family history of PC until last year. I have been having a yearly physical exam for the past six years. My PSA had been slowly increasing from 1.5 ng/ml in 2000 to 4.4 ng/ml in 2006. In April of '06 I saw a urologist who suggested a biopsy. One week later I sat in the office and heard the "C" word. Out of 12 samples, 1 sample showed less thann 5% cancerous cells. I really hadn't expected to hear that I had cancer. My prostate is enlarged (49cc) and the urologist had thought that the PSA was a result of the BPH. The urologist told me about the options in regards to treatment, showed me pictures of patients' abdomens after he had performed Robotic assisted Prostate Removal.He wanted me to see what a neat job he did and how minimal the scars from the surgery would be. He suggested I take a couple of weeks to decide on my choice of treatment. I knew surgery was his clear choice without him coming out and saying so.

Two weeks later I came back with questions about choices.

He dismissed my questions and at one point turned to my wife and asked her if she could help me understand the situation. I left angry and with determination to learn all that I could about this "disease."

I made an appointment in June to meet with a surgeon at Johns Hopkins. He shared his results with nerve-sparing surgery, limited side effects from incontinence and impotence. He cautioned me that a Raical Protatectomy might not cure my frequency and urgency symptoms of urination.

In September I returned to JH and met with a radiation/oncologist in regards to seed implants. He discouraged me from having this procedure because of my BPH and he difficulties I would have urinating after the treatment. I tried to get that information over the phone instead of making a trip to Baltimore but the Dr. wouldn't look at my records without an appointment. At least the Red Sox were in town and it was easy to get tickets.

Continuing my rsearch on the internet I read some patient stories from this web site in regards to Focal Cryotherapy. In January of 2007 I met with Dr. Gary Onik in Florida. He did a 3-D Mapping biopsy taking 76 samples. I was under general anesthesia and it was a painless (as far as I knew) procedure. The pathology report found cancer in only 1 sample out of 76. That sample had less than a mm of cancerous cells. The one sample was in a different area of the prostate from the cancer that was found in the April 06 biopsy.

Dr. Onik told me about Irreversible Electroporation,a new procedure that has FDA approval and that he will be starting to perform this spring. The procedure sounds promising for me as it will also be used to treat BPH by destroying the cells and eliminating the constricture on the urethra. Dr. Onik said that he could do a focal treatment on the cancer and treat the BPH at the same time.

At this time I am using Active Surveillance as my treatment option. I have been eating fresh fruits and vegetables, drinking pomegranite and cranberry juice, exercising and generally taking better care of myself. I am more concerned with the symptoms that go along wth the BPH than am with the "C" word. The frequency and urgency effect my quality of life at present. I feel fortunate that my cancer is such a small amount and that I have some time to gather information.

If you have a question, comment, concern or a free trip to the surfbound coast of Costa Rica please write.

Best wishes to you all. YANA

Tim.

 

UPDATED

March 2008

 

 

I am still using Active Surveillance as my choice of treatment. I have my PSA tested every three months. The most recent tests were:

March, 2008: PSA 4.8 ng/ml

November, 2007: PSA 5.3 ng/ml

August, 2007: PSA 3.5. ng/ml

As you can see the PSA flucuates but has not shown any overall trend to go up. The urologist feels that the PSA value is more an indicator of BPH (Benign Prostate Hyperplasia) than of PCa.

In August of last year when the PSA was the lowest it has been since before my diagnosis in April 2006 I was taking 1200 mg of Ibuprofen/day. I still take 600 to 1200 and it does improve my flow.

I hope that some of you find this info helpful. Read all you can. Best of luck to you.

Tim's e-mail address is: mainewave22@yahoo.com