Your doctor just told you that you have prostate cancer. Then they tell you the best plan is to monitor it. This is the reality for thousands of men diagnosed with low-risk prostate cancer who enter what's called "active surveillance (AS)."
I really enjoyed reading your comprehensive article, Keith. My husband is on AS and we can definitely relate to many points you have addressed. I have a technical question to you as I consider you an expert based on your personal journey. My question is about PSA post biopsy. Our urologist has recommended to do a PSA at a 6 months mark post biopsy. My husband is tempted to do it at 3 months mark to have a baseline and then again 3 months after. What are your thoughts? I know there’s a lot of inflammation post biopsy and perhaps 3 months isn’t enough for healing. Thanks in advance. Healthy wishes to you. Oksana
This post hit a lot of buttons for me. I was Gleason 7 (3+4) in only 2 cores out of 12, with relatively low percentages in each. My urologist told me that there was "absolutely no rush" to make a decision on treatment, and I could take a 6-month vacation if I wanted. He gave me the "100 Questions" book to read, and I joined every Facebook group I could find, watching countless YouTube videos and reading articles from PCF and PCRI. I had a discussion with a radiation oncologist about doing radiation (combination of HDR and standard). But in my head - which was increasingly full of anxiety and dread - I thought the best answer was to just remove it all, especially if the tumor was small and completely contained in the gland (although there was some nerve involvement). I do not regret that decision for surgery (on 9/25/24) one bit.
The thing that helped me emotionally - more than anything else - was the camaraderie of the guys on the Facebook groups, especially the ones that were specifically aimed at gay/bi men and trans women. This quote from your post spoke volumes to me: "...Whilst there was plenty to read on the internet, it's finding people that have been through it that I found most helpful. … Often you can read and read but, at the end of the day, talking to someone, is the most important part…" Many of the guys in these groups have become lifelong friends because we share a unique path.
Thanks for all you do, Dr. Keith. I'm incredibly grateful that you've chosen to share your experience and expertise with all of us.
Hi Steve. Thanks for your insightful comment. And did you notice the ongoing synchronicity with my birthdate that I've mentioned several times in my posts? Your surgery was on my birthdate, 9/25. LOL! Take care, brother.
I really enjoyed reading your comprehensive article, Keith. My husband is on AS and we can definitely relate to many points you have addressed. I have a technical question to you as I consider you an expert based on your personal journey. My question is about PSA post biopsy. Our urologist has recommended to do a PSA at a 6 months mark post biopsy. My husband is tempted to do it at 3 months mark to have a baseline and then again 3 months after. What are your thoughts? I know there’s a lot of inflammation post biopsy and perhaps 3 months isn’t enough for healing. Thanks in advance. Healthy wishes to you. Oksana
Hi Oksana. The literature says to wait at least 6 weeks after a procedure involving the prostate. Take care! https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7691013/
This post hit a lot of buttons for me. I was Gleason 7 (3+4) in only 2 cores out of 12, with relatively low percentages in each. My urologist told me that there was "absolutely no rush" to make a decision on treatment, and I could take a 6-month vacation if I wanted. He gave me the "100 Questions" book to read, and I joined every Facebook group I could find, watching countless YouTube videos and reading articles from PCF and PCRI. I had a discussion with a radiation oncologist about doing radiation (combination of HDR and standard). But in my head - which was increasingly full of anxiety and dread - I thought the best answer was to just remove it all, especially if the tumor was small and completely contained in the gland (although there was some nerve involvement). I do not regret that decision for surgery (on 9/25/24) one bit.
The thing that helped me emotionally - more than anything else - was the camaraderie of the guys on the Facebook groups, especially the ones that were specifically aimed at gay/bi men and trans women. This quote from your post spoke volumes to me: "...Whilst there was plenty to read on the internet, it's finding people that have been through it that I found most helpful. … Often you can read and read but, at the end of the day, talking to someone, is the most important part…" Many of the guys in these groups have become lifelong friends because we share a unique path.
Thanks for all you do, Dr. Keith. I'm incredibly grateful that you've chosen to share your experience and expertise with all of us.
Hi Steve. Thanks for your insightful comment. And did you notice the ongoing synchronicity with my birthdate that I've mentioned several times in my posts? Your surgery was on my birthdate, 9/25. LOL! Take care, brother.