Prostate cancer concerns

1 reply
42 subscribers
383 views

I have recently had an MRI and bone scan since a high PSA reading (30) and a digital examination revealed a possible prostate problem, I had no other symptoms.

The MRI shows T3a lesions which extend beyond the prostate capsule. It's pretty certain to be cancer, but aggressive or not? Only a biopsy will tell. It possibly hasn't extended beyond the prostate into surrounding organs, but the next stage, T3b, is when this happens.

For this reason, I am quite concerned to get things moving asap, I don't know how long these stages take to evolve.

This is my question; the report was 3 weeks ago, the urologist called me to say I must have an X-ray and biopsy, both of which I consented to, how long does it normally take for the NHS to react to this? The MRI and bone scan were very quick, but it's gone very quiet since.....my local hospital is Southend University Hospital.

Why can't I start hormone treatment now on the assumption that it is cancer, as seems very likely? This is supposed to effectively stop the cancer progressing.

Should I try to contact the Urology Dept, I don't have any point of contact for help and assistance, or should I just wait? This information vacuum is most concerning.

I'm concerned that my age (75) may be against me, I'm very fit and have no other issues.

What's your advice?

Helen K- Macmillan over 2 years ago

Hi tunybgur

My name is Helen and I’m one of the Nurses with the Macmillan Support Line. Welcome to our online community.

I’m sorry to hear about your wait for further investigations. We know that waiting for tests and results can be a very anxious time. This could be because of the high number of people needing certain scans. The delay you are experiencing may be because of the high number of people needing these kind of tests.

You’re right, taking a biopsy is the only way of knowing for sure whether an abnormal area or lump (tumour) is cancerous (malignant) or non-cancerous (benign). But it can also inform your team about the grade of the cancer if it is malignant.

Grading is about how the cancer cells look under the microscope compared with normal cells, this informs whether it is thought to be aggressive or not. In prostate cancer the Gleason score and Grade Group help the team decide on the best treatment to give.

Hormone treatment come with a significant risk of side effects and you team would not start you on this unless you have a confirmed diagnosis of malignant cancer.

It’s normal to worry that the cancer will spread during this time. But we know that most cancers usually grow slowly. Waiting a few weeks for a scan or treatment does not usually affect how well treatment works.

You could try contacting the urology department at the hospital as they may be able to tell you if a date for your investigations have been booked.

However, if you are still unhappy about the length of time you have been waiting you can talk things through with the patient advice and liaison service (PALS) at your hospital.

I hope this information helps. Please feel free to get back in touch if you want more information or support.

Best wishes,

Helen K,

Cancer Information Nurse Specialist

You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.

Ref/CF

Disclaimer

Prostate cancer concerns