40's is too young for PC

By GRVERDEJO

2 min read

As I read these articles, I have yet to come across someone that is dealing with PC in their 40s. Here's my story and hope others can relate.

Diagnosis with prostate cancer

January 2022, I saw my physician for my yearly check-up. Being 48, I was interested to see my Testosterone level. I was a 6 days a week, 2 hours a day weight lifter with no symptoms or family history of any prostate issues! We talked about hormones and the thyroid, but no mention of the prostate. Luckily my physician decided to check off PSA on my lab referral.

PSA check found cancer

The results came back with everything normal, except for my PSA. It was off the charts reading at 28! We all thought it was a mistake and retested again in 10 days. Unfortunately, it rose to 29. I was quickly referred to a Urologist. Concerned with my score a biopsy was performed immediately along with a Cat Scan and a Bone Scan.

Good news and bad news

The good news was the CT and Bone scan came out "mostly" negative. There was a questionable enlarged lymph node. I wasn't so lucky with the biopsy. The Urologist took 13 samples. 12 of them were positive with a Gleason Score of 8-9. It was aggressive cancer. I did as much research as I can. I have 2 young children (9 & 7) and I was determined to fight through this for my family!

Surgery as treatment

By April, I was in surgery for my Radical Prostatectomy. The bad news didn't end there. It had spread to nearby lymph nodes and lost the chance to be cured. I got diagnosed with Stage 4a prostate cancer. Reconnecting with my faith and using the benefits from years in the gym helped me remain positive. On occasion, I still had my temporary relapse of crying and feeling beaten, but I was able to brush it off and say "I'm here now. What am I going to do about it!"

Hormone therapy as treatment

Fast forward to July, and I am now on ADT (Orgavyx) without radiation treatment. My PSA has dropped to 0.02. Thank God, I loved doing squats and never skipped leg day. It gave me a strong pelvic floor and don't have a problem with incontinence. Mechanically erections are possible, but ADT is keeping me from being stimulated.

Years to come

I still have the fear of "How many years I have..." Most men going through this are in their 60-70's. I'd like to believe that I will manage this longer than most. Again all this is still very new to me and my family. The side effects of ADT and being married are a whole other story. I'm learning to adapt to the 'Now" me.

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alan226 Member
Interesting. IMO, everyone over 40 should get PSA tested. It ia a simple, inexpensive blood test. I'll bet most people that have yearly checks get bloodwork done anyway. I have 2 friends that developed colon cancer in their 40's. Of course the guidelines say don't start colonoscopy testing until 50 at the earliest. One of my friends caught it early and it's curable. The other is stage 4 and doesn't look good. Just because a doctor rules something out because you are "too young" doesn't make it true...
Sue Franke Moderator & Contributor
It seems like cancer doesn't have an age limit. I see children and my heart breaks for what they have to go through when some type of cancer appears in their body. Yes, 40 is younger than most prostate cancer patients but I wanted to share my husbands experience to give you some encouragement. Like you, he didn't ask for a PSA test at age 54. His employer offered free testing so since free things always seems like a good deal, he took the psa test. His psa was near 100. He had a radical prostatectomy. His cancer had also escaped the prostate. He was diagnosed as stage 4. He had lots of treatment, lots, for which we are grateful. Because here he is nearly 15 years later living a full life as a stage 4 prostate cancer patient. While a stage 4 diagnosis is frightening, it doesn't have the consequences that diagnosis had many years ago. Best wishes to you as you continue through your treatment and challenges. One other note - my husband also refers to himself as the "now" me. He says he's a far better person in the "now" mode because he appreciates life, looks for the beauty in the everyday, and family is even more important than it was pre-cancer.
mulligan Member
A friend and colleague found out he had prostate cancer in his late 30's. He never talked about it and lived with it on the job for at least twenty years after he found it and for over a decade post retirement. He's gone now, but he had so many other issues it probably wasn't the prostate cancer that got him it was everything else.
Richard Faust Community Admin
Hi <inline-mention username="GRVERDEJO" user-id="4613636"/>. As <inline-mention username="Sue Franke" user-id="4506969"/>'s sharing of her husband's journey illustrates, many cancers, even at stage 4, can now be treated as chronic conditions. And the even better news is that advances are coming faster than ever. For example, the PSMA PET scan can locate recurrent PCa at quite low levels of PSA (see: <a href="https://prostatecancer.net/clinical/psma-imaging-scan" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer ugc">https://prostatecancer.net/clinical/psma-imaging-scan</a>). The Orgovyx you are currently taking is another great example as a step forward in hormone therapy. Wishing you the best and know that this community is here for you. Richard (ProstateCancer.net Team)