Unsure about the future
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Midnightworker (imported)
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Unsure about the future
My PSA levels were rising. From a 2.1 in april 18. up to 6.4 in oktober til 8.9 in January 19. So i was send to the urologist. she found something during examination and all bell's went off. Now i am sceduled for an MRI scan, echo and a biopt. My testis don't work anymore so i am using tostran. testosteron levels are around 13. That is low in the normal range. Now i am wondering if i could take the hormonal route when the outcome of the examinations is cancer. i have been without testosterone for about 3 years. And i had totally no problems. Libido was ok, no depression, i only grew boobs.
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sparkey49 (imported)
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cutnbulls2ox (imported)
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Re: Unsure about the future
It sounds like just turning off your artificial testosterone would effectively neuter you for slowing down any prostate cancer if that would help. If you got prostate cancer on testosterone levels low enough to grow boobs, then its probably only going to be held off by radiation, chemo, or surgically removing the prostate gland itself before it spreads to any other parts of your body.
Your dr will probably send you to a cancer specialist dr if your tests find any cancer. The cancer dr can then explain how you still got prostate cancer with such low testosterone for years and what your treatment options are.
It seems like prostate cancer is set in motion when men are younger, and it only shows up on tests when men get older. I ve never seen any data or medical studies on how young men need to be testosterone free to hold off or prevent getting prostate cancer years later. So its impossible to know at what point in your life the path to one day getting prostate cancer really began.
The best of luck on your test results and outcome. Keep us updated on how it goes.
Almost every man will get prostate cancer if he lives long enough. Most men will face this if they live long enough.
Your dr will probably send you to a cancer specialist dr if your tests find any cancer. The cancer dr can then explain how you still got prostate cancer with such low testosterone for years and what your treatment options are.
It seems like prostate cancer is set in motion when men are younger, and it only shows up on tests when men get older. I ve never seen any data or medical studies on how young men need to be testosterone free to hold off or prevent getting prostate cancer years later. So its impossible to know at what point in your life the path to one day getting prostate cancer really began.
The best of luck on your test results and outcome. Keep us updated on how it goes.
Almost every man will get prostate cancer if he lives long enough. Most men will face this if they live long enough.
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TopManFL (imported)
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Re: Unsure about the future
Hey @Midnightworker,
Thanks for the update. It's scary to be where you are right now, but you are not alone. I assume the echo and the MRI are going to be trans rectal. Neither will be fun, but not much worse than a colonoscopy.
The biopsy is also done trans rectally. If your doctor isn't prepared to use general anesthesia, find another doctor. Seriously, you should be out like a light and remember nothing of the biopsy. Some doctors are still doing the procedure in their office and are either telling patients that it's not so bad or they are attempting to numb up the area with lidocaine first.
Don't settle for anything less than an anesthesiologist and being completely under. If your urologist can't offer that, than find one that can.
Hundreds of thousands if not millions of men have lived through having a prostate biopsy in a urologist's office with no numbing or anesthesia. So, you'd live through it. But, it's so painful for some men that they stop the procedure in the middle (most doctors want at least 12 needle samples - they are really small needles). Other men who've been through the procedure in a urologist's office have refused followup biopsies despite them being prudent just because they won't go through that pain again.
Not all men have a bad experience from a prostate biopsy. Still, I'd seriously be demanding full anesthesia. It does add to your cost, because it has to be done at an outpatient surgical center instead of in the doctor's office.
The other two tests are a walk in the park.
The FNA (fine needle aspiration) biopsy will tell you if the cancer is testosterone dependent. If it's not testosterone dependent, than it's most likely going to result in your doctor recommending active surveillance (it used to be called watchful waiting, but patients hated the term as it sounded as if the doctor was just passively watching for something bad to happen. So, the changed the term).
Once the biopsy is done you will know more. My advice from having had many surgeries is to try and take it one day at a time. If that doesn't work, then hour at a time. Because, you caught it early based on such a rise in PSA so quickly that's a good thing.
Thanks for the update. It's scary to be where you are right now, but you are not alone. I assume the echo and the MRI are going to be trans rectal. Neither will be fun, but not much worse than a colonoscopy.
The biopsy is also done trans rectally. If your doctor isn't prepared to use general anesthesia, find another doctor. Seriously, you should be out like a light and remember nothing of the biopsy. Some doctors are still doing the procedure in their office and are either telling patients that it's not so bad or they are attempting to numb up the area with lidocaine first.
Don't settle for anything less than an anesthesiologist and being completely under. If your urologist can't offer that, than find one that can.
Hundreds of thousands if not millions of men have lived through having a prostate biopsy in a urologist's office with no numbing or anesthesia. So, you'd live through it. But, it's so painful for some men that they stop the procedure in the middle (most doctors want at least 12 needle samples - they are really small needles). Other men who've been through the procedure in a urologist's office have refused followup biopsies despite them being prudent just because they won't go through that pain again.
Not all men have a bad experience from a prostate biopsy. Still, I'd seriously be demanding full anesthesia. It does add to your cost, because it has to be done at an outpatient surgical center instead of in the doctor's office.
The other two tests are a walk in the park.
The FNA (fine needle aspiration) biopsy will tell you if the cancer is testosterone dependent. If it's not testosterone dependent, than it's most likely going to result in your doctor recommending active surveillance (it used to be called watchful waiting, but patients hated the term as it sounded as if the doctor was just passively watching for something bad to happen. So, the changed the term).
Once the biopsy is done you will know more. My advice from having had many surgeries is to try and take it one day at a time. If that doesn't work, then hour at a time. Because, you caught it early based on such a rise in PSA so quickly that's a good thing.