frightened by gleason 7

Hi, I'm Tony and I and my wife are very much in the same boat as you and your husband. It is a major shock to hear that you have cancer but ,in the words of one of my consultants, "if you are going to get cancer then this is the one to have ". Now a little bit about me...I'm 68 and was diagnosed towards the end of the summer. Like your husband I had no symptoms at all, but a routine blood test revealed a PSA of 4.7, when repeated by the hospital it had risen to 5. This is still a low score ...PSA scores can be in their 100s...one of the really helpful regulars in this group had a score over a 1000 !. I then had the biopsy which revealed that I had a Gleason score of 7. You can find a lot of info about Gleason scores on Macmillan, but basically the cells found during the biopsy are examined and on the basis of their aggressive nature are given a score out of 10. Apparently anything below 6 is not considered a problem. 7 would suggest that the cancer is only moderately aggressive. So they know the cancer is there and how aggressive it is, then they need to check if it has spread outisde the prostate..primarily to lymph glands or bones. That's why your husband is going to have MRI/CT scans. This is more or less standard practice and it is certainly what happened to me. This process is known as staging...you can find out more on macmillan. My scans showed the cancer was very small and had not spread beyond the prostate. Armed with all this information the consultant can then work out which way to treat the problem. Without it it would be difficult to make any suggestions. Let's hope that when all the facts are in the picture will be a lot rosier for you both. When all the test swere over the consultant offered me a series of options....wait and watch to see if it will develop, radiotherapy or a radical prostatectomy (complete removal of the prostate). The last two offer a potential cure for the problem in many cases. They were in no rush for me to make up my mind, but in the end I opted for a prostatectomy. This is my new year's gift and it arrives on Jan 20th ! I know it's hard to be positive about anything at this stage, but it is treatable, even curable. I'm sure that you are going to get so many responses from other folks out there and believe me if you've got questions someone out there will have the answers. They can also help to put things in perspective. In the meantime keep your chins up ! We're thinking of you !

Hi...I'm in pretty much the same situation.I'm 54 and was diagnosed two weeks before christmas and after having a blood test my PSA came back as 63 and had to have biopsies which did come back as having cancerous cells and a gleason score of 9.I had the bone scan which i had the results of on the 23rd Dec showing too that the cancer had spread to my hips and shoulder.This meant i can only have the hormone treatment to begin with and have to wait and see how it responds to this.It is very frightening to be told you have cancer and i still haven't got my head around it yet but i will get there and so will your husband and you.....above all don't give up hope it is one of the treatable ones and life has to go on. i wish you both all the very best and sincerely hope you husbands outcome is favourable i have my fingers crossed.....

Dear Tony thank you so very much for your reply and all the information,  I so needed to speak to someone other than friends and family members .  I am so so sorry you are in the same place and although I truly wouldn't wish for anyone to be in the same boat I cant tell how great it feels to speak to someone who really understands. You have calmed me no end with your information and explanations and news that scans are pretty much the norm,.  Lots and lots of luck for the 20th. My thoughts will be with you both. Best wishes 

My Gleason score is 7 and I'm not frightened.  Fed up yes, but not frightened.  Tell your husband to have the scans, they are important in deciding the best ongoing treatment plan. 

In fairness, I did have a high PSA for five years before I was diagnosed so I had plenty of time to research and prepare myself for this diagnosis if it came.  I've had my diagnosis for four months now. Do I have a treatment plan yet ?  NO !!   That's why I'm fed up !!!

Dear Richard, thank you very much for responding.  I am so so sorry your scan results were not good thus restricting your options. I really hope the treatment goes well for you. I also hope we both find that once we have got used to the shock that  the fear will be replaced with hope. I don't know how long we will have to wait for appointments and results!.It's all so scary. Keep in touch on how everything is going for you ... I wish you lots and lots of luck  

Hello, yes I think I can give a glimmer of positivity. I was diagnosed with this wretched thing just over 2 years ago, PSA at 146 and Gleason of 8. Since then I've been on hormone therapy which has largely been successful + some recent radiotherapy which was really effective. I continue well. Only a few weeks ago I was dancing and making a fool of myself at a wedding. Not bad for someone who's 58 next month.

He will be frightened. I remember how I felt when I was told, like all the foundations, physical and mental, suddenly whipped away leaving you terribly vulnerable. It didn't last though. Certainly, get your husband to take the MRI and CT scans. Information gleaned form these are essential to getting an accurate diagnosis and effective treatment.

Good luck to you both.

Hi,

Welcome to this site which is wonderful for help and support.

The shock is par for the course, but as treatment starts and you know where you are going you will take it all in your stride.

PSA 5, Gleason 7 is nothing to worry about. My PSA was 19 with Gleason 7, and I was promised a cure. In December my PSA had fallen to 0.1 after treatment.

Gleason number is made up of 2 parts reflecting the the two lobes of the prostate and these are added together. Each side is allocated a number 3 - 5 and these are added together. Gleason 7 is probably 3+4, so not very aggressive at all!

Your husband hasn't felt any symptoms which is quite normal, I had only minor problems with flow and that is not surprising at 74.

I suggest you ring the prostate cancer charity on 0800  074  8383 during office hours and ask for a copy of their "Toolkit" which gives details of all the treatments available together with the side effects.

The scans are routine to check whether the cancer has spread. If it has there is no need to panic, since there are all kinds of treatments for the different stages.

Good luck with your journey and let us no how your husband is getting on.

Big hugs to you both,

Colin xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Thank you for replying.  I have to admit to feeling terrified right  now and I know that's no good for anyone! Usually it is me being strong and holding everyone up. I guess it is the shock coming out at the moment.  i have spent so many hours on here researching thousands of sites looking for glimmers of hope and as soon as I find something positive it is counteracted with grim news!  all bad for my fright right now.  Lots of luck in finding a treatment that suits you and your lifestyle and more importantly leads to many many good years.  All the best

The internet can be a mine of misinformation! Try not to worry, prostate cancer is one of the slowest growing cancers and usually responds well to treatment. Once you accept you've got cancer, then you want rid of it as soon as possible, but you have to wait for scans and results and this can be a worrying period. Trust your doctors, they have handled this many times before and know what to do.

As Tony said Mal, one of the Community Champions, had a PSA of 1100 and this has responded well to treatment. Others have had PSA figures in the thousands, so 5 means that it has been caught early and that is important for successful treatment.

My treatment has now finished and I am being monitored every 6 months, but no problems are expected. I have friends who have been treated 20 years ago and are still clear.

Colin xxx

Hi Peter.  Thank you so much for the hope.Everyone has been so kind in sharing all their experiences and as I read these out to my husband I can see he is beginning to feel stronger and I am feeling much much calmer in knowing we are not alone!  Lots and lots of luck with your ongoing treatment and long may you continue with the dancing.  Keep in touch