Questions to ask. Kinda overwhelmed.

Hi Brian,Thank you for your reply; I really appreciate the sense of community. It's great to have someone to correspond with. Yes, pre-biopsy consult.

I'll say one more thing.

I got a blow-by-blow description of what happened at the biopsy for other friends, who took great delight in ensuring that I was "well prepared". In some ways that worked, because I was prepared for something much worse.

I would summarise it as "in no way fun, but not nearly as bad as I feared".

Hello John

Sorry to hear about your anxiety. This is a very normal reaction to receiving anything that leads the medical team to mention the word 'cancer'.

The MRI scan report certainly indicates that there is cancer present . The biopsy will tell you how aggressive the cancer is and will determine what you will be advised to do next. You may be invited to have other scans to make sure that there are no tumours elsewhere in your body - which, at this stage, would look unlikely since the rest of your abdomen is clear according to the MRI report.

It would therefore seem that the cancer has been caught early enough to either watch (active surveillance) or treat. Cancer is most often slow growing but the fact that one tumour is right against the prostate wall is concerning.

So, my suggestion for questions would be:

1. Before biopsy - Will this be a template biopsy (through the perineum)? These are more accurate, scan guided, less risky for infection and can reach more parts of the prostate than the older TRUSS biopsy (through the back passage)

2. After biopsy - what is the Gleason score - this tells you how aggressive the cancer is and will determine the next course of recommended action and, so, what would that be?

3. What are the treatment options? 

To add to this, I would urge you to get as much information as you possibly can to help your decision-making. Millibob has given you some good links as a starting point.

I would also suggest that you keep a diary of all the medical people you speak to - names, contact details and what they have said. The further you go, the more of a blur it all becomes.

I would use the diary to try to take control of the timeliness of your ongoing medical appointments. With the names and contact details you can politely but assertively chase appointments up if there are long delays. We got through the system more quickly by saying we were happy to take late cancelled appointments and drop everything to go to the hospital.

I hope this helps. The early days are filled with shock and fear but things do settle. By the sound of things, you have been diagnosed early enough to be cured - I hope so !!!

Hi Mstev2,

Thank you for your reply. Hearing from the group means a lot to me. It gives me hope and encouragement that there is light as I go through this journey.

Thank you,
John 

Hello John5309 

It's no problem - we have all "been there, got the T- Shirt".

The biopsy was for me the hardest part of my journey and I had the old type of TRUS biopsy (you can read my journey by clicking on my name or avatar).

I would think you will be heading for a Trans-Perineal Biopsy (TP) and you will find full details of this in the first link I gave you in my first post.

You lose your dignity and yes it hurts a little, but remember the staff have seen it all before and it's to ensure you are placed on the right treatment path.

I hope this helps - any questions, fire away, you will get answers, however trivial you may feel your questions are.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi WorriedWife,

Thank you so much for the advice. I've copied all the questions and will document everything possible. I really appreciate your help.

Thank you, John 

Hi John5309 , sorry you have joined our club, but it would appear you have probably caught it quite early so would appear curative.  Nothing set in stone until your biopsy results and I understand where you head is at present.  We have all been through it, but it does get better once you understand what you are dealing with and the treatment plan.  Good luck and ask any questions you want.  David

Hi David, Thank you very much for taking the time to reach out. It really means a lot. Even a few words of encouragement go a long way. Thanks again,