Newbie

Hi Calvoa and welcome 

I have to say that unless I'm reading this wrong it looks like no MRI has been done at all which if true seems very odd.

That is what would tell u if cancer contained in the gland or just broken through which is what they saying it is T3a but no MRI to confirm.

Anyway RT and HT the best way forward for you but do push for a MRI just for confirmation purposes.

Best wishes 

Steve 

Hello Calvoa00242 

A warm welcome to the group although I am so sorry to find you joining us. 

You look to have everything in hand and appear to know where you are going with your treatment. If you haven't had an MRI have you been sent for a bone scan?

Which reminds me - as you are on hormone therapy and this in turn can weaken your bone structure, have you been given a prescription for calcium and vitamin D tablets?

Feel free to ask any questions - we as a group are happy to give you the benefit of our experience (in fact if you click on my name or avatar you can read my personal HT/RT journey to date).

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Steve, yes we thought it was strange and asked the urology McMillan nurse who said it was because I had a CT thorax scan a few weeks earlier. When I met the oncology consultant she was surprised and booked me in for an MRI. Not had any results yet.

Best Wishes 

Roy

Hi Brian, the oncology consultant was supposed to be subscribing the calcium and vitamin c but that was 3 months ago and it’s not arrived.. I’ve bought some from Tesco and hope I’m taking the right amount. Bit of an issue with communication at the hospital

cheers Roy

I thought thorax was for the chest but anyway as long as they do a MRI soon and hopefully not broken through the gland or just as they predicted t3a just broken through so still curable.

All the best 

Steve 

Good morning Roy from another T3a, Gleason 9 club member, and welcome to the group. Although my PSA was somewhat lower than yours (18 at the GP’s blood test, 11 at the hospital’s), it does seem a different process to most of us to have a biopsy before an MRI, as I understood the MRI results guided the biopsy for accuracy. My results showed 6 ‘targeted’ and 6 general samples. Out of 12 biopsy cores I had 10 with cancer cells, which prompted the 4+5 diagnosis. The CT and bone scan came later. But I’m no expert. Your specialist might have been guided along another diagnosis path and started you on hormone therapy earlier due to the different PSA result I guess?

And you have reminded me to ask about calcium and Vitamin D tablets… Thank you!

I completed pelvic radiotherapy as the T3a meant it had spread to the lymph nodes too, four months ago. If you would like to read my process and experience just click on Amplitude above. It’s good to read others as well as were are all different. Good luck with the rest of your diagnosis and treatment and please keep us in touch…

Hello Roy (Calvoa00242) 

You should be able to get a prescription for Calcium/Vitamin D from your GP surgery to ensure you are on the correct dose.

I am also a fellow member of the Gleason 9 (5+4) T3a club and Amplitude makes a great point in his post above. Yes I was started on Hormone Therapy well before my MDT to stop any further spread of the cancer although my circumstances were quite unique (click on my user name or avatar for the full story).

Best wishes - Brian.