Did anyone ever feel that Prostate wasn't a "Big" Cancer?

Hi Steve 

There is often quite a bit of talk about PC being the one to have as it's easily treatable.

That maybe the case if it's confined to the gland but once spread outside often it is not curable although treatment can successfully last for years.

Even confined to the gland sometimes it can come back to bite u.

U don't say what your stats are, I presume lowish and confined to the gland.

Best wishes with your treatment, let us know how it goes 

Steve

Hi Grundo,

Cancer is just in prostate, Gleason 7.  9/29 biopsies had cancer.  Some aggressive.  Get to meet Oncologist  on 30th July.  Will find out more then.

Steve

Hi Steve

Your posting really struck a chord with me!

When I told a relative of my diagnosis, she dismissed it by saying that a man she knew had been living with PC for over 25 years and that it was not something to worry about. I was diagnosed over 3 years ago and have actually found that one cannot help worrying as, overnight, you are placed outside your comfort zone and the "fear of the unknown" is the hardest thing to come to terms with. Every case is different but it sounds to me that you are in a relatively fortunate position in that your cancer has not spread beyond your prostate which can make future treatment more complicated.

My advice to you is to always take a pen and paper to all meetings with your consultant and, if possible, take a partner or friend, as there is a lot to absorb, particularly in the early days. Also, avoid all blogs other than those on Macmillan or Prostate Cancer UK.

My very best wishes to you for the future. 

Andy

Hi Andy,

Thanks for that.  My partner goes with me to my appointments and she asks all sorts of questions.

I know I couldn't manage on my own.

I started writing a "thought diary" but it has turned into a novel.  The language is choice in parts.

Cheers

Steve

Hi Steve.

I was completely the opposite. My father died of PCa when he was 53 (I was 22) and I was devastated even though I was 71 at the time of diagnosis. My treatment seems to have been very successful but I still feel that I am in remission rather than being cured despite the fact that I have now outlived my father by more than 20 years.

Having said that I intend to enjoy whatever time I have left and treat every day as a bonus. I do a lot of walking, go rowing a couple of times a week and swim nearly a mile twice a week too.

I hope your treatment path is successful.

Hi

The only difference with prostate cancer, ( which is on e of the biggest killers ) is that it is slow to grow, if treated quickly then what could be terminal, is very curable. 
Some people do not understand this, jokes are often made without prior knowledge. The people that treat us take all cancers for what they are.

I myself have incurable PC and I have never had any doubts about my final conclusion, but until that happens I will give information to those that do not understand the implications of what they might say.

Hopefully you attend other meetings and spread the word, or if you can go to a maggies centre where there are many people like you and me, who freely discuss anything.

Stay safe

Joe

Hi Seamus,

From not knowing anyone who has had PC, it's amazing how many people I know have Father's, relatives and friends who have PC. It never gets mentioned, until now.

They say most men who have PC are unaware they have it, as not every man gets tested.  I probably wouldn't have thought about getting tested if I hadn't been in the Freeman Hospital for Pulmonary Embolis in both lungs.  It was Dr Ward who asked me if I had ever been tested before.

Glad to see you are doing well.

Steve

Hi Joe

I know what you mean about people not understanding, I wasn't aware.

Now I try to make as many people aware as possible. I know that I am still in the early stages, on Hormones, due to start Radiation treatment in a couple of months.

I have managed to get a few blokes to go and get tested, for their own peace of mind if nothing else.

I've never thought "Oh it's only Prostate Cancer" for a second.

Sure, it's a slow cancer, compared to many, and these days over 50% of men will die of something else before the  prostate cancer gets them.

Which is nice. But on the other hand,

- the treatment for prostate cancer is life changing for most, and no picnic for almost all.

- some people do get cured, but they never know it. All their lives, they live in the knowledge that it could come back at any time. And for most, it does, sooner or later.

- I won't regale you with tales of late-stage prostate cancer, let's just say 'bone metastases' and leave it at that.

Cancer is cancer. It's never nice. The details vary with the location, but it's cancer. Never "only" anything.

Hi Steve

The one thing about cancer, it does not matter how old you are, or how healthy or rich it has no barriers, it’s just more and more people are developing symptoms with it than say forty years ago.

Stay safe

Joe