Dad has prostate cancer
Hi,
I posted awhile back about my dads psa being 28. He had a biopsy done and we got results today that its prostate cancer. Kind of shocked. This is the first time dealing with this in my immediate family. My dad has alot of health issues. Diabetes and kidney failure and is on dialysis 70 years old. Dr said my dad needs pet scan and ct scan but is pretty sure cancer is contained. If it is he thinks that radiation and testosterone removal therapy is a good idea due to my dad's other health issues. I heard that removing the prostate can be a good idea too but with my dads age and comorbidities I think the dr is concerned it's not worth it which I understand. But not sure according to the research I have done before and the paperwork I got today if radiation will have alot of side effects? My dad is kind of weak already. I just need some advice. Questions to ask drs. We have a long road ahead but dr seemed positive. My dads gleason score is 7 which worries me as dr said it is more aggressive cancer. Has anyone else had a score of 7 and still been ok? Whatever advice or thoughts you all are willing to share or what I need to do moving forward would really be helpful. Kind of stunned but trying to stay hopeful. Thank you!
I can't give advice on whether or not your father should have his PSA removed or have radiation. That's certainly up to you, your family and the medical community. But I did want to give you a little encouragement. When my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer, his Gleason score was also 7. He's still here enjoying life 13 years later. So while it's a high Gleason score, there can still be a future.
That's great news. Thanks for sharing! What type of treatment did your husband decide to have?
Hi this is Sue's husband Dan. One correction my intial PSA was 85 and then 99 (not 7) at time of discovery in 2008. Went with robotic surgery, then 5 cycles of taxotere and the many years of CAB with Lupton and Casodex. Radiation was not an option for me as cancer had matastisized. But I think Sue is my main reason for still being here-she takes good care of me. Good luck, DanF., moderator, ProstateCancer.net. thank you to you and your wife for all the information! Glad to hear you are doing ok after treatment👍
Hi
. Sorry to hear about your father's diagnosis, but it is great that you are able to advocate on his behalf. First, I want to share with you this article about the Gleason score, which notes that a score of 8-10 is considered high-grade and that 7 is more ambiguous: https://prostatecancer.net/diagnosis/gleason-score. The doctor should be able to explain more on your father's particular result. In general, a Gleason score of seven opens up a lot of possible treatment options. There are various types of radiation therapy, so it is important to look at the options, such a proton and Cyberknife. This article from our editorial team gives an overview of radiation therapy and the types: https://prostatecancer.net/treatment/radiation-therapy. Concerns over comorbidities are certainly understandable. My father-in-law was directed away from surgery due to an Afib issue. He had a combination of Cyberknife and traditional radiation for his Gleason 8 cancer and is doing well. Hopefully others will chime in with their experiences and thoughts. Wishing you and your father the best. Richard (ProstateCancer.net Team) Thank you very much Richard. I will look into these links that you sent. Have not heard of the other types of radiation yet. I'm glad to hear your father in law is doing well.
