Hi Sandwich.

I can understand your worries. But when I was diagnosed, my PSA was way up at 70. But due to my dear wife making me go to the doctors, it was caught early. I was treated with hormone therapy and also radiotherapy and my psa dropped down to 0.01, the lowest they can measure. It is still very low some years later so I hope you can take comfort in my story. 

I wish you and your husband good results. Please let us know how he gets on, Brian

Hi sandwich.

I was diagnosed with early stage prostate cancer back in 2010, and had surgery to remove it. Since then, I've had no further problems (touch wood!). I was 56 then, 64 now. 

PSA is a good indicator for prostate problems, but not a good indicator for prostate cancer. For instance, I know someone whose PSA is around 20, and despite lots of tests, no cancer can be found.  However, my own PSA barely went over 5 and cancer was found in me. Another friend has a PSA slightly higher than mine, but again no cancer. 

This is the problem with PSA. It's not very specific for cancer.  Still, in practice, once your PSA rises above 4 or 5, the doctors will want to exclude cancer as a possibility. When I had my diagnosis, the first step was a prostate biopsy, followed by an MRI if the biopsy was positive.  Today, the first step is a "multiparametric" MRI scan which might be followed by a biopsy if the MRI shows anything that needs checking. The advantage of this is that it can avoid the biopsy if the MRI looks ok, but also can inidicate the best place to take a biopsy sample. 

So, to answer your question, a high PSA isn't necessarily bad news.  And in fact, prostate cancer caught early needn't be bad news either.  Obviously, no one actually wants cancer but prostate cancer caught early is very curable, and sometimes it's growing so slowly that it doesn't need treating at all. 

I hope your other half is ok, but please let us know of any developments. 

Hello woodworm and telemando, thank you for your kind words and useful information. Well the results show prostate cancer but looks to be contained. Will receive a letter for a biopsy appointment and then radiotherapy. Half expected but still a shock when you actually hear the diagnosis :(

He was given the choice to have the prostate removed, but seems to have opted for radiotherapy due to the side effects. I'm not sure whether it would be better just to have the operation and at least have reassurance that it was all removed??

Hi sandwich2

Really sorry to hear of your hubby's diagnosis. However, it sounds like it's been caught early and the doctors are talking of a cure, not just a long-term containment.

Speaking personally, and this is just my personal opinion, I would suggest he gives the surgical option a long hard look before dismissing it. There is no treatment option that is without side effects, and the side effects of radiotherapy need to be carefully considered, too. In my case, I was guided away from radiotherapy because I already had long term irritable bowel disease, and radiotherapy can definitely cause bowel problems.

If your hubby is being offered surgery at one of the state of the art hospitals where they're doing many operations a week using robots, then this could be a good option to consider. My own surgery was done at a big hospital in Bristol using Da Vinci robots, with a team doing 6 or more operations a week. Sadly, I could only have one sided nerve saving so I still have erection issues (but that doesn't stop me from having great orgasms). I recovered urinary continence after 3 months, and stopped wearing pads after 6. I still continue doing the pelvic floor exercises. 

With prostate cancer, there is usually time to consider the options carefully and not rush into a decision. In the end, however, it is a personal decision and at some point you have to throw the dice and cast your fate to the winds.

I'm always happy to talk further on this. 

janei1 makes a good point. If a man has radiotherapy first then surgery after a recurrence is always difficult and may be impossible. However, if he should have a recurrence after surgery then a course of radiotherapy is successful in producing a cure in about 80% of cases.

Of course, recurrences are rare after treatment for early prostate cancer. 

Thank you janei1 and telemando, its sort of a blur after the results yesterday. The consultant seemed to think radiotherapy was a good option and although no treatment is pleasant or risk free, in my mind surely removing it would be a much better safeguard. Will have another chat to discuss the options, dont want to put pressure on him. Still waiting for biopsy appointment letter so I guess until then he can still change his mind on the treatment he opts for??

Hi sandwich2

Your husband is in the driving seat. If he opts for a different treatment then they will obey his wishes. 

There is a prostate cancer UK website with its own forum which he might find useful. 

Hi All,

Finally some more news...turns out to be a gleason score of 7 and T3. Hospital are arranging a bone scan just to be on the safe side as this wasnt done at the the time of the mri and biopsy.

Going to start him on hormone tablet form and then radiotherapy and follow up injections. 

Staying positive and trying to be light hearted as the side effects sound like something I can relate to - hot flushes, etc, etc ;)

Hi Sandwich

Your comment regarding the hot flushes rang a bell with me. When I was on the hormone therapy, I suufered badly with hot flushes. My wife and I had a contest to see who was having the most. At one point I was way in the lead both for the amount and for the severity. If I had a £1 for everytime I heard my dear wife say, "Now you know what us women have to go through" I would be a very rich man ha ha.

I found those hot flushes are crafty littlen devils. I used to be sitting still when suddenly without any warning I was covered in sweat. Just like someone had poured a cup of warm water over me. Thankfully they would go just as quickly. The other side effects were I put on quite a bit of weight which I am still strugling to lose. One more side effect I found hard to deal with. They say it can bring on mood swings which I never suffered from but it did have the effect that if I heard sad or sometimes even good news, I would have tears running down my face and I had no control over this. I found this very embarassing. I was watching TV one night and thought my wife was in the kicthen. The news was on and they had just broadcast an item about the husband and wife who abused their eighteen month old daughter. I love kids and suddenly I was in floods of tears. Suddenly My wife who had come into the room said, "Why are you crying". I had to explain the reasons why to her. 

The treatment your husband has been prescribed worked well for me so I trust it will work for your husband too. Wishing you both all the best and thanks for the update, Brian.