Active Surveillance versus Treatment

Hi Skeggiered and welcome to the forum. Sorry to hear of your diagnosis but good news it has been caught early and you have options all with intent to cure. Though T2 is often seen as a good choice regarding active surveillance AS, other factors need to be considered age, general fitness and any other health issues you have as well, as your Gleason score and PSA, my circumstances were different to yours, AS was not an option for me, but I know a few guys on here were in a similar position to you and will hopefully reply to your post , best wishes.

Eddie

• Thank you Eddie for your reply. 

Morning Skeegiered I’m also T2,3+4,Gleason7,I was advised to go on AS but after a lot off thought and talking it over with my family I decided I wanted the HT and RT,I also have Rheumatoid Arthritis and Type 2 diabetes so the Operation to remove the prostate was off the table,I’ve just started my journey being diagnosed in January and started my HT last Monday ,which I’ll be on until August but at least that’s the Cancer stopped in its tracks then I’ll go on to RT in August,there’s a lot to way up and your head will be all over the place but ultimately it’s your final decision,everyone on here is a lifeline because we all share a bond and understand what we’re going through nice to meet a fellow warrior,take care Robert

Good Morning Skeggiered  A warm welcome from me to the Prostate Forum - even though you would rather be elsewhere!!

It's a good question and at the end of the day the answer is down to personal choice after doing as much research as possible. I always think if you have a diagnosis - do something now whilst younger and fitter - but that's a personal opinion. To help you decide I have attached a link to "Active Surveillance" and "How Prostate Cancer is diagnosed"

https://shop.prostatecanceruk.org/our-publications/all-publications/active-surveillance

https://shop.prostatecanceruk.org/our-publications/all-publications/how-prostate-cancer-is-diagnosed

I hope the above helps. Feel free to ask any questions, however trivial - you will get answers.

To help us help you can you please add to your profile your diagnosis (Initial PSA, Gleason Score and TNM stage). To do this click on the chair on your home page in the top right, then "profile" and then "edit". (You can read my profile by clicking on mt avatar - but you don't need to write a book!!)

Best wishes - Brian,

Morning Skeggiered,

We did not have a choice of AS. My husband PC is advance so treatment was the only choice. As Millibob was saying is down to personal choice in your situation.

I will point out two things which we consider worth thinking about due to our experience:

Treatment has side effects. It's save life but it come with side effects mainly fatigue, hot flushes and ED. This relates to HT. I do not know anything about surgery ( was not relevant to us) and do not know about chemo, my husband has not had it yet. Saying that, my husband tolerate the side effects and at the moment he is swimming his daily 60 laps.

The 2nd thing is the AS itself. This PC snicked on  us without warning in between 6 months of PSA tests. If you chose AS my take on it that you should demand PSA blood test very often maybe every two months and MRI if possible once a year at least. If they refuse to give you the MRI and you can afford it, I would go and do it privately. That was our mistake back then.

Good luck with whatever route you choose

Best wishes

Dafna

Hi Skeg

T2 is obviously low although u don't give a Gleeson or PSA which I assume are lowish.

I was on AS for 4 years from 2013 which went ok but u do have to go for repeated PSA tests and yearly MRI scans to monitor.

Looking back I may of cut the 4 years back a bit especially as having the RT was no problem.

One other thing if your stats are really low then you may possibly escape the HT but possibly may be needed if stats went higher and tumour approched the gland edge.

Could be worth finding out the tumour size to see where more preciously you're at 

Best wishes 

Steve 

Thank gor your reply Robert and good luck with your treat. 

Thank you for your reply. 

*Treatment * not treat 

We’re in a similar position. Just waiting for bone scan results  to make decision.  He is 79. Extremely fit and active. Gleason 3 +4   PSA 6.6.  T3a.    We feel AS or watchful waiting are preferable to the side effects of tablets etc. 

take a look at the Oxford uni study into prostrate cancer 2023 and their results