Hello New to site.

Hi Wife1 - welcome to our band of brothers (and sisters). All hospitals have different approaches to treatment and I assume that the PSA of 20 (which isn’t worryingly high) is the reason for commencing hormone treatment. I think this is sensible as it does not exclude other treatments further down the line, such as surgery )they used this approach a lot during Covid). Try not to worry - you appear to have a great medical team working towards the required solution.  I was also 4-3 and I can remember the relief when bone and CT scans came back clear - and with your statistics I think that clear scans are likely for your hubby too.  I chose radiotherapy (see my bio by clicking on my name) and my PSA is now virtually undetectable. Good luck with the scans and let us know how you get on.  Our other members will be along shortly, I’m sure, including Millibob .  AW

Hello and a warm welcome to you.

My hubby has similar stats, click on my avatar to look, and he is 58. No symptoms but picked up a 3.8 PSA following a screening.

He was put on Biclutamide as soon as we had all the results and this was to prepare him to go on Zoladex implants a few weeks later. They do this to stop the initial HT causing tumor flare,where the cancer is stimulated. The HT ,whatever one, stops the cancer in its tracks,stops it going walkabout and shrinks the prostate so it's easier to treat.

My hubby's bone scan came back clear so we are now waiting RT to start.

Try not to read anything into the prompt HT start,it is a good thing for all the reasons above.

This group is a great place to be although none I'd us really wants to be here! Ask anything and you will get loads of help.

Best wishes to you both x

Hi again - I suspect you mis heard the treatment programme, or made a typo.  I think the injections (probably Decapeptyl) will be every 12 weeks.  This will reduce testosterone to a very low level, and deprive the cancer of its food supply. This will weaken it and shrink it prior to radiotherapy or surgery.   AW

Hello Wife1, I’m so sorry to hear about your husband’s diagnosis. If you are like me, this news has thrown you into complete turmoil? I just fell apart and cried enough tears to fill a reservoir!

like you, my husband had no symptoms and was T3a, N0M0. Gleason 4+3 PSA 10. If you could let us know your husbands PSA before treatment, that would help people advise whether or not your medical team might ‘know something’?

I always remember the prostate cancer nurse saying to my husband, ‘As soon as you take this first tablet the cancer stops growing, right then!’ I’m not sure whether this is clinically correct but I couldn’t get that first tablet into him quick enough!!!! I drew a lot of comfort from that! His PSA plummeted! 

fortunately, my husband did not have any secondaries show up on the scans but there is alway that niggling worry they might have been too minimal to have been detected. However, we can all take comfort from the fact that there is a sophisticated range of treatments to throw at this disease if the first line treatment fails.

obviously, these treatments bring side effects with them and appear to effect some men more than others. That said, life still has quality and we can and do enjoy ourselves etc! 

my advice to you would be to get as much information as you can so you will feel as if you have some sort of control. I would also advise letting your husbands close blood relatives know of his diagnosis as they will now be considered at higher risk and need to get tested. Finally, I would advise being politely assertive with your medical team to ensure you get timely appointments! 

Do let us know how things go and do remember that everyone here is on a similar journey and willing to offer you all the support and info you need! Good luck!,

Hello

Thank you for your reply I really appreciate it.

They said that surgery is not an option as they can’t say they would get all the cancer if they remove it. Doing tablets and injections for 3 months (I think was a bit of a shock) and then doing radiotherapy as the nurse said this is the only option available. And then will discuss when scans are done. 
Thank you again for the quick reply we o my have result yesterday and still trying to wrap our heads around it. 
Could I ask please how was the bone scan? They said about putting in dye and waiting 3 hours and then said it’s a long scan. 
Thank you again. 

I am not sure what the injection sorry, but my husband is having first one in 3 weeks (should have been 2 but no appointments). Then said every 2 weeks but can have it done at our GP surgery. Then 3 months time start Radiotherapy. 
Tablets are Bicalutamide. 
But I could be wrong, like you said it’s a lot to take in. 
I am very pleased your levels are now so low. What was your level if you don’t mind me asking? Please tell me if over stepping. 
Thank you 

Hello wife1, forgive me for jumping in re bone scan! Our experience was that you turn up and they give an intravenous injection of something which is radioactive. They then sent us away for 3 hours. We returned for the scan . We were told the scan takes about 20-30 minutes and the results are sent to a ? radiologist for interpretation etc. if the radiologist detects anything suspicious then repeat scans are done there and then and take another 15 minutes or so.

so, when my husband had to have an extra 15 minutes I was a gibbering wreck! We were later told that we had been inappropriately misinformed about this extra 15 minutes! 

There was something about not going near children or pregnant women whilst radioactive and to sit to pee but I can’t remember the full detail now as everything was just a horrendous blur of misery and anxiety and tears+++ at the time.

i do remember being told that the results would take 2 weeks but the radiology people saying the results would be on the computer the next day. I rang and demanded the results and we were given them over the phone - all clear. More tears!!!!!

I had, by this time, started keeping a diary of every hospital encounter with names and contact details of everyone we spoke to. I quickly learned that we had to monitor and take control of appointments , outcomes etc as our journey through the diagnostic process can best be described as lackadaisical. Urology was dreadful but oncology was fantastic as far as care, punctuality, service etc goes!

Hello

Thank you for your reply, yes like you I have done nothing but cry and it’s not happening to be I feel so guilty for being like this when my husband is being so strong.

I told some of our children yesterday as we came home as my eyes were so sore (looked terrible big red nose the works), my husband just said say something now.
I still have some other children to tell. 
My husbands PSA was 20. 
We then had a 5 week wait for an app at the hospital with consultant as the were no appointments. 

The reason he has the psa test was his brother had it done (older) and it came back abnormal.

Did your husband have his prostate removed?

Thank you again for replying. 

Hello, further to my previous reply, my hubby had the bone scan and he said it was really easy, he actually dozed off in the scanner. No after effects. He has other medical issues so can't have surgery so hopefully we start RT in July. X

Hello Wife1 

A warm welcome to our little club - I am sure you don't want to be here but it's a great place to be for help and advice from those who have "been there - done that".

I see from the above you have already had some great advice and support. If I may stick my oar in-

* The diagnosis is Initial PSA20 Gleason 7 (4+3) T3  - now there are some more numbers and letters missing. (I am a T3aN0M0) - do you have the missing figures please?

* The bone scan is painless - the dye sticks to any cancer and shows up on the scan.

* Depending on the TNM scores from above and a clear bone scan I would have thought your husband would be fine with wither surgery, HT/RT or Brachytherapy.

As a little bit of light reading I have attached a copy of Prostate Cancer Uk's great booklet "How Prostate Cancer is Diagnosed" -

https://shop.prostatecanceruk.org/our-publications/all-publications/how-prostate-cancer-is-diagnosed

I hope this helps - let me know if you need anything else - no question is too trivial - we've all been where you are now.

Best wishes - Brian