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.

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In my experience, I would strongly advise AGAINST getting the surgery. Since my Dad was the first in the family to get Prostate Cancer, we went blindly into the decision process, simply following the surgeon’s urging to have surgery. He regretted it immensely. In our case, this was not an easy recovery and it took all of 6 weeks. Then Dad became extremely upset about his incountinence & nerve damage leaving him wearing depends & unable to have sexual relations. The surgeon said these "uncomfortable" conditions would get better in time. They did not. I would like to add that my father was only 52 when diagnosed & in extremely good physical condition, in fact he was running 5 miles a day. He basically had always been able to put his mind to anything & was able to overcome it, but the nerve damage was something that was permanent. We tried every exploratory surgery available but, nothing was able to repair any of these conditions. The thing about surgery that upsets me is that most surgeons say the risk of these conditions are minimal & rare. In my experience, this is a huge lie. Last year USA Today in an article on Prostate Cancer, said that 90% of all these surgeries had some level of nerve damage resulting in these problems.

My Uncles have all learned from this & opted for the Seed Implant. They have had sucess with this option & no side effects. They opted for this internal seed over the external radiation, again due to the risk of impotence & incontinence that external radiation carries. In your case, since all 3 options are available, I would guess that your family member has been diagnosed with Stage 3 or below? This can play a big part in which way a Dr. will lean for treatment too. With that in mind, I would suggest getting a 2nd opinion to get a better picture of what may be your best option.

In addition if the cancer is localized, you might consider looking into clinical trials being conducted in your area for High Intensity Focused Ultrasound. I have read of many successes in the use of this cutting edge research treatment. To find out about local trials being held in your area, you can contact a local Cancer Center, Teaching Hospital, or go to the NIC website www.cancer.gov. Click on the Clinical Trials sub-heading & simply fill in the type of cancer, stage, & zip code for info.

There are alot of options out there today but, I believe you are doing the right thing by researching the best fit for your family member. In addition to the medical treatment, you might suggest making some dietary changes too. Cutting out food items that have hormone additives like read meat, dairy etc. and opting for limited amounts of these items only if labeled Organic Homone-Free. High doses of Vitamin D3 (which you can buy at any store) have also shown positive results in fighting all cancers but, studies have shown a very good response in slowing Prostate Cancer Cell Growth.

Hope some of these tips have helped. Difficult decisions ahead but, remember to use all available resources to assist you in these stressful times. Most hospitals offer a Prostate Cancer Support Group, ask a hospital social worker for info on one in your area. They offer a vast amount of info on treatment choices, good Surgeons and Radiologists, and are great for support & reassurance. Good luck in your research. Please feel free to email me anytime if you ever have any questions. God Bless!

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Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer- related death in American men. When diagnosed and treated early, it is highly curable.

The Comprehensive Cancer Center at Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Center in Winston-Salem, NC, is a National Cancer Institute-designated Prostate Cancer Center of Excellence. This offers patients access to specialty-trained urologists, radiation oncologists, medical oncologists and clinical trials to provide patients with the best treatment for their particular form of prostate cancer.

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Here’s some commercial information:

http://www.pinnaclehealth.org/body.cfm?id=639

And the National Cancer Institute pages:

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/pdq/treatment/prostate/Patient/page6

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wtk/brachytherapy

Best wishes to your husband…