Newbie

Welcome to the community. Sorry to read about your partner’s diagnosis of advanced prostate cancer.

I’ve put a couple of links below to help explain the figures on your post.

I’ll try to explain in my own terms.

PSA is produced mainly by prostate cells, the normal range for someone between 50 and 59 years old would be between 0 and 3.5, for 60 to 69 it could be up to 4.5.

Whilst a raised PSA does not necessarily mean cancer if it is raised and rising year on year it warrants investigation e.g. an MRI scan and possibly a biopsy.

The Gleason score indicates a number up to 5. Gleason 4 or 5 definitely indicate cancer.

The higher the number the more the cells are different from normal cells I.e cancerous.

The pathologists give the first number (4 in your partner’s case to the highest number of unusual cells and the second number (5) to the second most common unusual cells.

The numbers are then added together with Gleason 9 being pretty aggressive.

The T4 tells you the cancer has escaped the prostate and invaded other areas beyond.

The N1 tells you that one or more lymph nodes have cancer present.

The M0 tells you that the cancer hasn’t spread to the bones or soft tissues.

The radiotherapy will have targeted the cancer with the hormone therapy starving the prostate cancer cells of testosterone which they need to grow. Continuing with hormone therapy will help the radiotherapy work better and hopefully kill all the cancer. Time will tell with your partner having regular PSA tests.

I hope in my crack handed way that helps but feel free to ask questions.

Wishing you both all the best,

https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/just-diagnosed/advanced-prostate-cancer

Understanding Staging results

Hi

Here we will try and answer any questions you have about your partners treatment and medication. 
As Idol4 has already told you what all the numbers mean, apart from the PSA the others are fairly high, did the consultant happen to say if it was incurable? Or has any scans been arranged, the two treatments so far will attack the cancer reduce and his PSA, normally ( and I’m not a consultant) chemotherapy or a simuler medication eg enzalutamide. 

Please keep asking us, the more we know the better answers we can give.

Stay safe

Joe

Thank you for explaining in a very detailed way,I really appreciate your help in this x 

Joe,when we asked doctor during his radiation therapy she said they were trying to cure it. Not sure when he will be called back.getting his third hormone injection next week. His radiation finished onn17th Nov, he is still up all Night peeing (about 9 times) and still weak although getting stronger every day. They said it was locally advanced. Thank everyone for their comments and support

cheers X

Hi

I certainly hope he gets better, we all love hearing those words, your in remission, better still they don’t expect the cancer to come back. Still if you need just to chat or not sure about something, we are glad to assist in any way we can.

Stay safe

Joe

Thanks Joe, it would be amazing to hear those words. Not sure how long after radiation they send for you or even if the would know by then. 

x

Hello spencert, I asked the Radiologist today about follow up as I finish next Tuesday. She said usually 6 to 8 weeks with Oncologist after your last session. 

Sending best wishes to you and your partner. Graham. 

Locally advanced does put it into the curable bracket so fingers crossed they do cure it, advanced is a different beast so at the moment the diagnosis is on his side.

Good luck for you both and stay positive

Keith