Prostate Cancer Help?
Hi all, thank you for reading my question. My dad was just diagonsed with prostate cancer last monday. The funny thing about this is that his PSA levels started at 7.6, when they told him he might have cancer, he changed his entire diet around, every two weeks he had to go for blood work. Everytime his PSA levels kept going down. The last PSA level he had was 4.2 and the doctor said, everything seem to be ok, but if he wanted to be 100% sure to get the biopsy done.
Well he did get the biopsy, last monday the doctor told us they found very little cancer. My dad decided to get his prostate removed, we are going to talk to the doctor again on monday to give him the decision.
My question here is, if anybody knows why his PSA levels would go down instead of up? and does this mean his cancer maybe hasn’t spread? He has done a psa level for the past 2 or 3 years know, and this is teh first time cancer was diagnosed. He is 56 but very heatly otherwise. Anybody out there with experienc
PSA is produced by both normal prostate tissue and by cancerous tissue. The most common reason for a temporary rise of this magnetude is infection. It’s also possible that he has BPH…benign enlargement…which is contributing to his PSA reading. With a reading of 7.6, I’m surprised they didn’t have the biopsy done earlier.
If his choice is radical therapy, he should take some time and research options and practitioners. It takes more than 10 years for PCa to kill, so he has some time to think this through. The consequences of prostate treatment can be quite serious, and he should come to terms with the potential consequences before finalizing his decision.
If his choice is surgery, then he should consider robotic prostatectomy, which is rapidly becoming the preferred method, thanks to lower trauma and rapid recovery. It’s important that his surgeon have a great deal of experience. A surgeon who has done 1000 prostatectomies would be a much better choice than one who has done 50. Although every urologist can perform this surgery, there are a small number of "artists", who are considered both by peers and patients to be more capable than average. He needs to find one of these surgeons. The probability of permanent impotence following surgery is anywhere from 20-70%, with the choice of surgeon being the key variable. And he will probably be incontinent for a period of time, with a small chance that this will be a lifetime condition.
“Patients’ choices in terms of what therapy to have for prostate cancer really are based on their individual situation and their acceptance of certain risks or benefits from that treatment.” Drs. Tewari (leader in prostate cancer research and surgery) and Schlegel (Department Chairman) of Cornell Urology discuss “treatment choices” in the context of patient profile and the acceptance of certain risks. They emphasize the importance of having all the right knowledge and being an informed prostate cancer patient when facing prostate cancer treatment decisions. Prostate cancer requires you to get through all the physician bias and make informed decisions in partnership with your prostate cancer doctor.
“A lot of the risk in terms of developing prostate cancer is genetic and not something we have full control over.” Dr. Schlegel (Department Chairman) of Cornell Urology discusses the role genetics play in Prostate Cancer.
“Surgical removal of the prostate can either be done with an open incision, as has been traditionally been done, or with a robotic approach.” Dr. Tewari and Dr, Schlegel, of the Dept. of Urology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, present the two main type sof prostate cancer surgery, as well as explaining the advantages/disadvantages of each.
OR-Live webcast March 26, 2008 from Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center
“It’s important to have a wide variety of different treatment approaches and different support groups for men who have prostate cancer.” Dr. Schlegel (Department Chairman) of Cornell Urology discusses various treatment options for men to consider when faced with prostate cancer. Including hormonal prostate cancer treatment options and surgical. He also discusses adjunctive therapies for prostate cancer patients.
“Actually the first morning is very important, because by that time you know exactly how that patient is going to do down the road.” Dr. Tewari, of the Dept. of Urology at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, shares both clinical and psychological dimensions of recovery and healing.
An educational video describing treatment options for the prostate cancer patient at Chicago Prostate Cancer Center. World leader in minimally invasive treatments. Dr. Brian Moran, world renowned radiation oncologists in the field of prostate cancer and advanced biopsy techniques. Over 10,000 procedures performed since 1997. Brachytherapy provides cure rates equal to surgery and IMRT with lower risk of side effects. One time outpatient procedure, minimally invasive with return to normal activity within a day. Safe and effective. No risk of radiation exposure to family members.