(In)active surveillance

Hello David - welcome.  I expect you are feeling a bit anxious whilst waiting for the MRI results? If you have not heard within a reasonable time, can I suggest you contact the specialist nurse or your doctors to chase up the results. Not knowing and waiting for results is horrible. We learned very quickly that it is often necessary to actively chase up results and appointments! 

I do hope that the results are good for you and that you can continue with surveillance. That said, if treatment is now recommended, it is nowhere near as bad as we feared. They have to warn you about all the side effects but I have never spoken to anyone who gets every single side effect and most of them are manageable!

Good luck!!!!

Hello DavidjL and a warm welcome to the forum, though sorry you have to be here, having needed 3 MRIs and 2 biopsies to detect your cancer and being diagnosed Gleason 6 indicating a very small slow growing tumour of low or very low risk and is causing no issues with day to day life, and you being 79, Active surveillance was the likeliest way to proceed with the hope it may never be a problem and treatment will never be needed. Though as your latest blood test shows  your PSA has risen. that may change, Though there are a few possible causes for your PSA rise, prostatitis, a UTI or enlarged prostate, as well as your sample being tested at a different lab, or you having exercise or sexual activity before your blood test. I hope the results of your MRI are kind, If you should need any advice or have any questions regarding your results, please ask and if you could add your PSA numbers that would help us to help you, take care and good luck.

Eddie

Hi David

You don't give any PSA results which would help with advice given , the last 3 or 4 would be handy.

I presume that your previous MRI is showing a small tumour so it all hinges on what the latest MRI says.

Hopefully u can continue on active surveillance but even if treatment is needed it does sound to be curable.

Best wishes

Steve 

Hello DavidJL  Another warm welcome from me, although so sorry to find you here.

I think the advice in the posts above says it all. I do hope you are able to stay on active surveillance BUT if you do need to start on a treatment journey, things are pretty easy to tolerate these days and being a low Gleason the treatment (Hormone Therapy) would not be for a long period.

Feel free to join in with any conversations and ask any questions you may have - however trivial they may be.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi David,

Nice to "meet" you, though sorry that you need to join this club of reluctant members. I too am a low-Gleason-score active surveillance person, though a tad younger than you. It was explained to me that active surveillance is for when the cancer is believed to be 100% curable. So glass half empty; we have cancer. Glass half-full, the professionals believe that if it becomes threatening, they can cure us.

Best wishes, I hope that your MRI scan reveals nothing of concern.

Sean.