Prostate Cancer Blog

Archive for the ‘Prostate Cancer Stages’ Category

My dad was just diagnosed with stage 7 prostate cancer this weekend. I would like for some people to reply with comfort, success stories, tragic stories, etc. Please broaden my horizon of thinking that there’s only one way out of this.

I’m only 19 years old and he’s 51. He still has two little girls to graduate high school and I’m frightened that he won’t be around. Please offer stories and/or comfort.

I have worked in a Urologists office for about 3 years now. We have many patients that have been diagnosed with prostate cancer. There are many treatment options out there, from surgery (robotic prostaectomy) to hormone treatment (radiation treatment). Think positive, your father is probably feeling down about things himself right now, i would try to stay as positive as possible. especially for your younger sisters.

To determine a Gleason score the biopsied tissue samples are run through a microscope to determine where the cancer is the most prominent (the primary grade) and then where it’s next most prominent (the secondary grade). the two grades are then added together to get the final gleason grade.
A score of 7 indicates that the cancer is moderately aggressive.

check out the website attatched it is very informative.

This isn’t a typically symptom of prostate cancer. You will need to speak to your oncologist.

Syptoms of prostate cancer include
increased frequency of urination
difficulty urinating
painful ejaculation
blood in urine or semen
painful urination
raised PSA, prostate specific antigen

there are no set timelines for symptoms to appear, some people may experience many of these sypmtoms while others may not. The risk of prostate cancer increases with age and peaks at around 50. If someone is experiencing any of these symptoms they should contact their GP. obviuosly raised PSA is not something you can tell but if you ask you GP he can takesome blood and perform a PSA test. This is the best indicator for prosate cancer

Any encouraging stories from any one who knows anyone or had Stage 4 prostate cancer?

Yes, a man I know with stage 4 prostate cancer had is prostate removed and underwent chemo therapy. The first year was real rough for him. While he did have some side affects from the chemo, he is still alive and his health is good. He was diagnosed & treated 6 years ago.

here are some web sites that have lots of information about the "grading" systems of prostate cancer and what they mean.

http://prostatecancer.about.com/od/treatments/a/stage4.htm

http://www.urologychannel.com/prostatecancer/stagingsystems.shtml

Sometimes it never does. Typically the older you are (60’s, 70’s), the less aggressive Prostate cancer is. For those who advance, the time frame between stages varies soooo much. It depends on if the patient is faithful with all follow ups, post diagnosis. Any unusual symptoms should always be reported to your oncologist, no matter how slight the symptom may be. Always try to stay a step ahead and be proactive in your care. Bloodwork, scans, etc should never be missed.

We’ve been dating for little more than three years, and I’m on a somewhat familiar basis with her family. The doctors don’t know in what stage the cancer is and he’ll be going through testing throughout the month. She’s pretty broken up about it, but I’m not particularly sure how to go about comforting her.

Greetings!

I have recently been diagnosed with Prostate cancer. The process of testing helped to eliminate guessing. My consultation after the test to discuss options, took away much of the apprehensive thoughts. It seemed that once the news was out, many of my friends had stories and experiences. Some of their comments were helpful but some would have been better left unsaid.

I think you can best encourage your loved one by letting her know that you are there for her if she need to cry or talk. Just be her friend. You do not need to become an expert on the cancer. Encourage her to love on her dad with words of encouragement and love. A hug and a kiss on the cheek will do wonders.

Dad needs the chance to become his own expert on the subject and the confidence that his family will support the decisions he makes about a course of treatment.

This is how I feel. Sincerely, Chas G-a future cancer survivor

My father -in- law has prostate /bone cancer and is in the last stages. He has become so mean that no one can handle being around him. He has always been very hard to get along with but now it is impossible because he makes things up all the time about members of the family and tells everyone what to do. I mean this is really extreme he even threatened to kill one of them because she drove on the road he had said not to drive on. He was not joking when he said it. Now he keeps making up stories about people he doesn’t even know. Oh and he is still going to work so he isn’t lying in a bed being made to feel like he is useless.

Is this related to the cancer? Is the time near? What do we do to make him more comfortable and make it easier on him so he will stop saying hurtful things? He has never been nice but it is now getting out of hand. What should we do?
He is in the last stages. The doctors said. He is no longer responding to chemo, radiation or any drugs. He has to take pain meds now till the end.
Just let you all know he is not on morphine.
I show him more than a bit of compassion. That is why I have asked these questions. I wanted to know how to make him more comfortable and I wanted to know how to handle this. For the person who says "show a bit of compassion" I’m sorry that you can’t see that this is what I’m trying to do here. Also maybe next time you should "show a bit of compassion" to those who are dealing with this first hand.

It is not uncommon for cancer patients to become dillusional. Towards the end, they may sometimes have a hard time distinguishing fantasy from reality. My dad had brain cancer, and I know how hard it can be. My grandmother also had bone/breast cancer. She was in a lot of pain and was also very hard to deal with. At the very last stages, she often told stories of things that didn’t happen and saw things that weren’t there; especially with the meds.
All you can do is try to make him comfortable, try not to let his attitude get to you, and make his last days enjoyable. I know its hard to do, but you’ll feel better that you did.

I would read the links I provided you to give insight on the good/bad side of the procedure(seeds). I personally don’t know much about prostate cancer, but have a Grandfather who had it, and is now (thank god) clear.

If this is for you or someone close to you, I wish you the best
Definitely do some reading and do what you feel is right for you. While 29 sessions might sound bad, maybe it’s better, or vice-versa with the seeds procedure.

Would like to know if Herbal or Ayurvedic medicines can cure Prostate Cancer which is in the advance stage. ?

No, there is no hard proof that they can cure cancer. I’d strong recommend sticking to mainstream treatments. If you’d like to take Herbal / Ayurvedic treatments, I’d suggest doing it only as a complement to mainstream treatments.

There’s some info on alternative treatments for cancer at http://www.cancerdoubts.com

My father was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is in the early stages of it. I don’t know exactly what phase or much about it for that matter. Nonetheless I am worried and scared and so is my mother. He has two options to remove it either chemo or surgery. Does anyone know which option might be better and does anyone have experiences where someone in their life had this and was fine afterward?

I had prostate cancer. It’s a slow growing cancer, so your lucky if you catch it early enough. I had my prostate removed, and am now cancer free. Been so for four years. I recommend the operation. Chemo tends to kill some of the good cells. And who needs the sick feelings from chemo? The results of the operation wear off quickly.