Prostate Cancer Support Group

My case is very similar to your husbands. At 53 I was diagnoised with advanced prostate cancer with a PSA of 23.5. All 12 cores of the biopsy were positive, 2 up to 75 percent and a Gleason of 7, that was almost four years ago. I had one injection of lupron(hormone therapy) 3 month shot and external beam radiation. Nine months later the cancer returned. I went alternative treatment that has been extremely sucessfull. I still have my prostate and I am not on any drugs or traditional treatment. I have lowered my psa from 2.39 to 0.45 over the last 2 and half years. Cat scans and MRIS only pick up masses, not individual cancer cells. It sounds like your husband has advanced prostate cancer, its not confined to the prostate. Move slowly and get second opinions. According to Web MD there is no cure for advanced prostate cancer. You can visit my web site at www.alternativeprostatecancer.com
for more information.
Today I am getting healthier with my approach, diet and alternative approach is important in defeating this beast. I am proof you could win!
Dan

Ask your doctor if its advanced, if it is surgery won't cure him, he will need additional treatments like radiation or hormones. You really need to see an oncologist who specializes in the prostate.
Dan

Agree with Dan. Get to a good oncologist/radiologist. My husband was very lucky, caught the cancer early...2 tumors with a 5 score. He underwent 8 weeks radiation treatment and will be having his first PSA level check soon. A good cancer center will give you all your options and information. We were lucky there as the center he went to was excellent. Good luck to you and your husband. This is a great place for answers and support.

Thank you for your responses. We went in for a second opinion. The Urologic Oncologist spoke to us for more than an hour yesterday. This physician used to be on staff at Sloan-Kettering Institute in New York.
It has been confirmed that yes, my husbands cancer is agressive, and he is in the high risk group.
The only different option he could offer my husband was to join a clinical trial which consisted of 5 weeks of external beam radiation and chemo which would shrink the prostate. After the 5 weeks of therapy he would then undergo a radical prostatectomy.
I did narrow him down and asked that if my husband elected to only submit to the radical at this point, and he, the doctor, found clean edges and no lymph involvement, would he then postpone radiation and chemo unless he saw a reaccurance. The answer was yes.
With this being said we have decided to forgo the clinical trial therapies, and go directly to surgery.
Why if there is the smallest chance that my husband would not have to undergo radiation and chemo whould he undergo unnecessary modalities when the end result was a radical prostatectomy anyway? At this point we do not want my husband to be a guiena pig. Only 15 men have undergone the trial at this point and they do not have any numbers to really go by yet.
This last specialist has agreed with all of the treatment my husbands current Urologist has suggested.
One main thing that was good was the punch of my husbands seminal ves was negative. The punch was taken from the side which was the questionable side for outside spread.
We were given a survival rate of 50%. So we need to think of our glass half full, not half empty.
Connie

I would suggest you see radiation oncologist that specializes in the prostate. Short form hormone therapy would shrink the prostate, then have external beam radiation. there should be no need for Chemo.
just consulting with urologists isn't enough. I was also told I had a 50% survival rate, to me that means the glass is half full, attitude is everything. Good luck whatever you decide.
Dan

Whatever your decision is regarding treatment my thoughts are with you. I think Dan has some darn good info and advice, we got lucky and had a very good experienced oncologist/radiologist. Best of luck to your husband and you. Take advantage of all the services you can get, they were all tremendously helpful to us.

I was diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 59, 10 years ago. Two months later, I had a heart attack and had a stent put in place. We did extensive research on radiation, iodine, freezing, etc., and selected our method. I don't remember my gleason score or psa levels, but have scored 0 ever since. Because of my heart attack I was not allowed to use viagra. But thanks to a determined and understanding spouse I have fully recovered sexually, enjoying sex once or twice a week or more. I lost 25 pounds and sustained it by watching my diet and working out 4-5 days a week. Am 70, my wife is 62.

I forgot to mention that I had a radical prostectimy. My doctor says he did not do the nerve sparing method.