Dad’s Diagnosis

Good Morning Cinderella97 

Thank you for your post and it's great to read your dad's completed Triplet Therapy and Radiotherapy and his PSA is low. Your dad's T3aN0M1b was no doubt given to him on initial diagnosis and as things have progressed it's possible it's not been updated.

Here's a link to our guide to:

The Staging and Grading of Prostate Cancer

On my original diagnosis from my biopsy i was graded a Gleason 7 however when further "Chips" from my prostate were taken I was "upgraded" to a Gleason 9 so grades do get changed.

I do hope the above helps.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hello Cinderella97 . My understanding is that the T in the staging relates to organs so the T3a says that the cancer has just broken out of the capsule but not into any other organs (an organ is basically any soft tissue including things like the skin). The M1b is saying that it is in the bone and in your dad's case it is the pelvic bone. There is no evidence of any spread to the lymph nodes. The cancer cells can spread anywhere in the body before being picked up and lodge there. Once it is found in the bones or lymph nodes this can act as a highway for further spread. T4 means that it has spread to other tissues such as the bladder. So, it is quite possible to have even a cancer confined to the prostate but also have bone metastases. Are you confusing T4 with stage 4 cancer which is when the cancer has spread to another area outside of the prostate?