Prostate cancer

Sorry about your news. Mine was Gleason 9, and so the consultant advised against surgery. I had radiotherapy after MRI, CT,PET and bone scans revealed the cancer had not broken out of the prostate. Unfortunately it has now spread to the bones. The radiotherapy was painless but time consuming, and lasted 14 consecutive days. Luckily I was retired. Appalling this was done over the phone. I had a face to face with my oncologist. Good luck

Thank you I have opted to have surgery but have to wait till the 18th August befor i see the surgeon. I was told that the cancer is in the left lobe thats top left of prostat so was told thats why that suggested surgery or radiation therapy 

Hi

Astonishing you had to hear the news over the phone. I never had the option, so it was HT and RT. Which in some respects was good as I didn't have much of a decision to make.

Regards

Stuart

So sorry about your news. Same sort of situation here, informed over the phone Gleason 3+4. I'm here for any sort of insight on handling and possibly considerations, my consultant seems very much pro surgery but ED is a big consideration for me as less than 50yrs old.

Hi Jeff, I’m so sorry you were told over the phone, we were called in for diagnosis in January ‘22. My husbands Gleason score was also 7 ( 3+4) T2 possibly a T3a (just broken through capsule). After initial diagnosis they gave us options, surgery or radiotherapy, we were then given appointments to speak to surgeon/doctor giving us all the information on each treatment and then leaving it down to us to make the final decision. We opted for the radical prostatectomy in March and he hasn’t looked back.

All the best with your journey. 
Take care 

Sam x

Sam,

How can hospitals justify giving a Cancer diagnosis over the phone?

Possibly the worst thing a doctor can say to you!

I would have still been livid now, 14 months later.

Glad the surgery went well (I wasn't suitable for surgery, don't know if I would have went for it though).

I don't regret the Hormones and 20 fractions of VMAT Radiation.  It was a must!

I'll stop now before I rant on and on!

Best of luck in recovery. 

Hi Steve, I know I’m flabbergasted, I just can’t see how that could happen and not even by a doctor, no excuses  We knew it wasn’t good news when we were called in but at least you can prepare yourselves and also have questions ready to ask. 
Surgery was definitely the right choice for us but would by no means say it’s right for everyone. I don’t think the severity of the after effects are talked about enough, luckily Pete’s recovery has been amazing but was really worried about him for the first month after op. 
Glad all well with your continued recovery. 
Take care 

Sam x

My urologist apparently always did this over the phone back in 2016.  I found it was very hard to take in everything he was saying by phone - especially as he called my steam powered mobile. I am also slightly deaf which didn't help and our mobile signal where we used to live was not good - still isn't that good here but I think that's my mobile rather than the signal.  I know that the news is difficult to take in in person also but I think It is far better face to face where you are able to access other information straight away can have another person with you and the attention of the cancer/Macmillan nurse.  Also he phoned about 2 hours after his nurse had notified me he would - I know it is difficult for them to keep to a definite time but my wife had had to go to an appointment herself and had only just got back in time to catch the end of the conversation - had she been there I would have had her listen in and contribute as she has such a cool head which was able to hold a lot more information than mine could in that situation.  Eventually after about a month found my way to our Maggies Centre - only a stones throw away from his consultation room and of course to online forums like this one which helped.  I really thought when he phoned that I was clear because thought he would call me in for a face to face if I was not.   Found out he always telephoned the results whether positive or negative when I joined the Walnut Club for prostate cancer sufferers at our local Maggies Centre.

I eventually had 9 months of HT and 20 RT sessions and 6 years on PSA undetectable.  Diagnosis PSA 13 Gleason 7 (3+4) T2 (possibly 3) N0M0.  T3 disease could not be ruled out as the tumour was pushing out of the back of the prostate so microscopic cancer cells could have escaped so RT was the best way to ensure that if this had happened the Rt would mop any of these escapees up.

It is bad , my husband was also told he had cancer over the phone . He was advised to take the first available radical prostatectomy by robot . I don’t know if it’s an age thing ? He’s 56 . He had the op in London on the hottest day of the year - 19.July - they cancelled all the ops  after him so he was lucky . He says the worst thing so far is the catheter , he’s already had to go to A &E with what he thought was a blocked catheter- he’s ok now and only 4 days til it’s removed -he’s hoping he can concentrate on getting better then . We only had the secretary to talk to until he went to London. I was in bits but talked to a professional on this site which helped. The staff at UCHL are very good and always ring back quickly . Best of luck to you

Hi everyone I actually found out  I was positive for prostate cancer thought my Patient Access account  while  ordering a new prescription for other medications I am taking I had my biopsy done six weeks previous and was waiting on results from hospital .I clicked on to my Patient Access account and noticed a note my GP  had made a telephone appointment with me for the next day to do a Cancer review with me. .Well to cut a long story short next day received my call ,Doctor had thought I had already been told by hospital as she already had results over a week .She apologized for the mix up . It was another 2 weeks before  I actually received my diagnose from hospital. on the 8th June which was 2 months after my biopsy. Thankfully things have move on and I have now started my first round of treatments.Hope everyone is keeping well and fighting fit . Pete