Opening up to my Prostate cancer

Hi Ian. Sorry to hear of your recent experiences . I am no prostate cancer expert but, from an uninformed position . Would offer the following comments:

The PSA reading is high and a strong indication of prostate cancer. PSA reading alone is not a diagnosis of PCa in and of itself. There can be false negatives and false positives and the raised  PSA can be caused by other factors such as infection, sexual intercourse etc - but I’m not sure whether or not these would raise the PSA to 94?

You don’t say whether the scans showed tumours in the prostate? I suspect they would have given an indication of tumours( sometimes called pirads)  I assume that by the number of samples taken, you had a transperineal guided template biopsy procedure? This method is more accurate in sampling potential areas for cancer than the old trans rectal procedure which could often miss a cancer area.

re being in limbo. This was, for us, the worst part of the whole cancer journey. We felt like our lives were being consumed by appointments, worries, loss of control, fear etc. it is a horrible time! However, you will get through this ‘treacle’ and come out the other side with a diagnosis of some sort and a treatment plan. A lot of us posting here know exactly how difficult this all is but we battled on and got through to the next stage! Keep your eye on responses here and I’m sure you will get a lot of very helpful and supportive comments.

i do hope all goes well for you. Even if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, it is not the death sentence it once was! They now have a whole armoury of treatments to either cure or treat it. Do come back to us and let us know how you are getting on

Hi Ian.

Welcome to the club that everyone doesn't want to be in!!!

But don't worry my friend as we are all here to offer you much needed help and support.

Yes I am another new be ish, I had my diagnosis last June by accident following a bladder scan.

I was put onto Hormone Therapy (tablets and injections) and my PSA Levels have dropped like a lead balloon ever since.

Like you it was a huge shock all around & at first a lot to take in.

We have many others who have been through similar situations and hopefully they will be in touch shortly but if you need any further help and advice please please let me know.

Prostate Worrier.

Hello IanF Ian - A warm welcome to the online Community.

I am so sorry to find you here but - it's a cracking place to be for help and advice (and a general chat).

PSA is a good indicator of Prostate Cancer but as other posters have said - there can be false positives - and as you are now on Hormone Therapy any future tests will show a lower result.

I agree - there looks like there is something causing the high readings and you have to trust your team to find this - the good thing is you are now on HT and this will stop any further growth. The waiting for a formal diagnosis is the hard part of the entire journey and I do hope you can resolve the issues next week.

Stick with us - keep us posted and we are all here for you. Ask anything you want - however trivial you may feel it is.

Best wishes = Brian

Thank you  so much for replying to my post worried wife 

It has helped me so much reading the posts and replies on this forum. Hearing all the positivity coming from everyone is exactly what i needed at this time.

I will keep you updated on my journey through this 

Thank you Prostate Worrier 

This type of forum is exactly what I need at this time helping me understand what's ahead for me.  

I initially went to a dark place on getting the news of the PSA results and hearing for the first time I have the big C word.

Thankfully My wife showed me this site and just reading every ones experiences  I now see massive light at the end of this tunnel.

thanks again 

Hi Brian 

Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.

I know I am at the beginning of a long journey with this but with all the help and advice i have read on the forum, feel 100% more positive about what's ahead.

Ill keep you up to date on my progress

thanks again Brian 

Hi Ian,

Did your wife post earlier in the week?( CindyF) If it was her she said you would be joining, so hello and welcome. It's a great place for reassurance and advice. I won't repeat what I said then, but definitely keep us posted on whats happening with those biopsies. 

Best wishes

L

HI Barry W

You are right on. It is my wife Cindy F that posted earlier on and then got me on here.

I certainly will keep you up to date on my progress.

Hi Ian, welcome.  It is one hell of a shock that we have all been through.  You will read others saying it, but this stage is really the hard part.  Once the diagnosis gets firmed up and a treatment plan emerges it really does get easier.  Great that you both have been able to arrive on this forum.  Please ask any questions, as you progress.  Best wishes,  David

Hi Ian.

No probs my friend yes this forum is great as it gives you a chance to speak to people (men) who have got the   we are all living with Prostate Cancer daily and we can offer you real life experiences which make a real difference believe me.

Please please come back to us if you require any further help and support???

Prostate Worrier.