Prostate Cancer

Pandax 7 hours ago

5 replies
173 subscribers
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I am after some guidance/advice, if possible please.

Around 2 years ago my father who is now 80 years old, had a positive FIT test, that traces of blood were found in his stool sample.

Because of the invasive procedure he declined any further investigations.

Fast forward to the end of last year, my dad was struggling to urinate and although he was finding it hard, and often, he was able to still pass urine with much trying.

Until late last year after trying to urinate for over 3 hours he couldn't, he kept trying and was able to after around 5/6 hours.

Early part of this year he has low red blood cell count, and low other tests.

He was diagnosed as normocytic anaemia and they placed him on regular blood tests to monitor to see if it got worse.

2 months ago he couldn't pass any urine and was in serious pain, literally screaming.

Accident and emergency put a catheter in, but commented on exam he had a large prostate, and amounts of sediment in his urine.

On scan, he had retained 750ml of urine before he was given a catheter.

Around a week later the catheter blocked, again in severe pain, accident and emergency flushed it and said it was due to large amounts of sediment. Only 550ml of urine in bladder this time.

Blood tests taken, and urine.

Just over a week later he was back in serious pain, this time they used a much larger catheter, and also ran urgent bloods and PSA test.

It had blocked because of sediment again, this time only 400ml of urine in bladder.

2 weeks all was well, until he was in severe pain again, back in and the large catheter was blocked.

Flushed it, admitted this time, as they had mentioned previous attendances and needing to keep him.

Now told there was huge amounts of sediment in urine, and likely it would block again the catheter.

Informed after spending all day admitted that his PSA levels were high, at 35. Also noted his kidney function is down over previous visit. Large amounts of sediment in urine continuous, lost of 1kg of weight in 2 months and extreme exhaustion.

We've been told cancer pathway should of been started on the visit before when they did PSA there.

2 week pathway entered, told to chase if hear nothing.

Last time they inserted the catheter it was noted his prostate felt 'pretty large' and had some difficulties getting the catheter to pass it.

Obviously we don't know for sure, until they do tests, but the symptoms above, is cancer likely? I've not slept properly since finding out, and had a difficult talk with dad, as he didnt fully get what was being said, he says he wouldn't be surprised if it is cancer as he's felt very tired for the last year, lost weight and mostly only passes loose stools.

Initially doctor said 35 could just be because of catheter but since told he shouldn't have a higher PSA of 4/5.

Given his other symptoms, just looking for what is most likely going to be found to prepare us, if at all possible.

He is constantly exhausted, falls a sleep sat up often.

Sediment is still passing in very large amounts, no urine infection now or in last year.

Please can someone give some support / guidance.

Thank you

Millibob 6 hours ago

Hello Pandax

Welcome to our club, but I am so sorry to find you here.

Yea dad’s PSA is high but that may be all the fiddling about with the catheter (although I doubt it’s caused all the rise!).

So I started my personal journey with more or less the same issues as dad. Prostate grew, crushed my bladder exit, unable to wee and my bladder crushed my Kidneys! (If you click on my user name or avatar you can read my full journey). The sediment may well be from the kidneys-after I was catheterised it took a week for the kidney debris to clear!

So (we are not medically trained) my personal view is he’s probably got prostate cancer, he probably needs a TURP operation to “shave” his prostate so he can wee properly. Has he had his eGFR (kidney function bloods tested).

I hope this helps - we are here for you - ask any questions, you will get answers. (I may be late replying as I am on holiday ).

Best wishes - Brian.

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Grundo 6 hours ago

Hi Pandax

Sorry to hear , there's a lot going on with different issues.

The only thing I would add, as Brian has covered it all really, is that important to have a MRI which should show if any cancer is within the prostate gland.

If something does show up then a biopsy would probably be needed

Best wishes

Steve

Pandax 4 hours ago in reply to Millibob

Thank you for your reply.

Its all come as a shock if im honest.

Initially we were told may be an enlarged prostate but this was before PSA test.

Hes had a FBC, PSA test, Urine test and DRE so far.

DRE reported 'large smooth prostate' but prior to PSA test.

They said last bloods his kidney function is down since blood test a week before.

Hes had the current catheter in for almost 2 weeks now, but urine has huge amounts of sediment, more than his first catheter and appears to be constant.

Weve been told Urology will make contact within 7 days, but will chase Monday.

What do we need to push for first, MRI?

The doctor at A&E has said things havent be handled as they should of been, saying cancer 2ww pathway should of happended sooner.

Weve been blood catheter likely to block again, and to return but worried because last time they were planning to keep him, only agreed to discharge after urology agreed to see urgently.

He has had discomfort in genital area for months he has told me when we were at hospital

Pandax 4 hours ago in reply to Grundo

Thank you for your reply, will push for this next week as seems they are lacking updates of next steps so far

Worriedwife 4 hours ago

Hello Pandax

sorry to hear about your Dad’s health problems. I guess he’s feeling pretty fed up right now.

So, please note that I am not a medical doctor but I was a registered nurse working with patients with kidney problems. I have been retired for 10 years and so don’t have up to date medical knowledge.

as Brian has said, an enlarged prostate ( whether just because of older age or because of cancer) can block the tube ( urethra) that normally drains urine from the bladder. As a result the urine backs up into the kidneys and starts to stop them functioning properly. The kidney does a lot of things - eg clears excess fluid and toxins and waste products from the body. When they don’t function properly lots of things go out of balance in the body and the results can be anaemia, tiredness and lethargy, itching, swelling of ankles , yellowing of the skin, deranged blood chemistry etc etc etc. The aim is to stop the kidneys being further damaged and hopefully recover ie, in your Dads case, stopping the urine backing up by passing a catheter

Doctors reach a diagnosis by finding causes and eliminating possible diagnoses. So, with a positive FIT test, impaired kidney function and urinary retention with raised PSA , they now may need to do some invasive tests to get to the bottom ( pardon the pun) of what is causing your Dads problems so they can give him the correct and best treatment.

the positive side of all this is that if it is prostate cancer causing his problems, it is an eminently manageable cancer even if it has progressed to being at a non curable stage. The doctors have a whole armoury of drugs to help .

If there is a suspicion of prostate cancer the pathway to diagnosis is PSA test > MRI scan if anything suspicious > biopsy if cancerous cells found > more scans to see if there are any secondaries ( metastases).. I am not sure whether an MRI scan would show or exclude all potential causes of the positive FIT test. Normally the positive FIT test would be followed up by colonoscopy - I think - but i am not a bowel expert!

my concern is that your Dad might not understand the need for some tests which he might find invasive and uncomfortable as he refused tests for the positive FIT test. Nobody can do these tests without his consent.

I do hope that this has helped and that all goes well for your Dad. Do ask any question on this forum as there is a wealth of experience here but note that we are not doctors ourselves and our experience has been gained by treading this rocky path that prostate cancer has provided for us and sharing it here.

best of luck!

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