Re: OT: Update on my Prostate Cancer

Great numbers Larry! There is every chance that the RP will take care
of it and that will be the end of it.

Some of the other postings on this thread indicate that there is a lot
of misunderstanding regarding the PSA screening. Just as a high PSA
does not always mean prostate cancer, a low PSA does not mean that an
individual is prostate cancer free. While they are not the rule, there
are plenty of men out there with PSA < 1.0 who have been found to have
Pca. This is why any reputable PCP will do a digital exam as well as a
PSA. When I had my irregularity detected via the physical exam, my PSA
was 0.6. My Urologist has seeen cancers in men with PSA's lower than
mine.

Anyone who doubts the value of screening should pay a visit to a
support group with men who have advanced Pca. Many of them have
advanced Pca because they were not screened - pure and simple. It is
true that screening will not detect all cancers and that positive
results from screening are not conclusive. In my case, my biopsy was
negative. But as unpleasant as the TRUS/Bx was, I am thankful to have
had it. In my case, my Uro plans to see me every six months for the
rest of my life and I am thankful for that as well.

It is true that "most men with Pca die with it rather than of it." But
having communicated with a number of men suffering the effects of
advanced disease, that is a chance I would rather not take. Screening
has very likely saved Larry's life.

One more point - Pca is not a single disease: there are different
types. Some of the rarer types are very aggressive and difficult to
treat (from my research, these are often the ones accompanied by low
PSA results - by low, I mean PSA<2.5).

Doing nothing (known as "watchful waiting") is a great option for a 75
year old man with numbers like Larry's. But if you're in your 50's -
it's not - unless you like to gamble.

Best wishes and good luck to you Larry. I'm sure you're going to be
fine.

Ken

.

Relevant Pages

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