r/ProstateCancer

Good day fellow prostate cancer brothers. I have learned so much from this group as I have been healing from my prostatectomy last year on June 6th. My uncle has been diagnosed with prostate cancer and he chose radiation. He’s hoping to keep all functionality as we all would. His doctor is currently giving him 5 weeks of hormone therapy prior to radiation.

My aunt contact me yesterday and said after only a week his PSA is now 1.95 his previous was 27. My aunt is yelling praise the Lord he’s cured but they haven’t treated the actual cancer. I do understand that the hormone therapy suppresses hormones to starve the cancer but it is not a long term solution, correct? Had any one gone through this? Did your PSA go down? If so what does it mean so early on? Thank you for any assistance.

I’m finding more guys besides myself, my father and grandfather have higher PSA in our family of have secretly had treatment or may have died from this disease.

Thank you again for sharing and educating.

Hi all. My dad is around 68 years old and I just found out his total PSA level is 28.03 and his free PSA level is 2.48. I'm pretty scared because the ratio is 8.8% and apparently that means there's a good chance that he has PC. I really hope that isn't the case. He's going in for an ultrasound tomorrow, but these results were up for about a month. Does that make a difference?

Also, his PSA levels were apparently only borderline high about four months ago. I could not find his actual bloodwork, but apparently the highest is 0.9 something so if the doctors weren't concerned then it couldn't have been that far off. I'm not sure if that's a huge jump or what it means. He has been dealing with an H. Pylori infection and using hardcore antibiotics for it but I'm not sure that means anything.

Maybe if he had an underlying UTI or something. I don't know.

I asked about his symptoms. He says he doesn't have any trouble going but feels like his bladder is a bit full sometimes.

I'm pretty nervous and looking for some reassurance. Are there cases where people had this ratio and didn't have PC?

Seeking advice regarding bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection (ePLND) for Gleason 3+4=7 (Grade Group 2) prostate cancer.

My upcoming RALP with Dr. Dechet at the Huntsman Cancer Institute includes a bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection. However, when I discussed this with my local urologist, he dismissed the necessity of the node dissection, suggesting it is often performed at teaching hospitals primarily for training purposes rather than clinical necessity.

Given my favorable intermediate risk status (no cribriform pattern), I am trying to reconcile these conflicting perspectives. I recently came across new research (see link below) suggesting that pelvic node removal is increasingly recommended for patients in my risk category. This paper is particularly significant because its primary endpoint was the reduction in the risk of distant metastasis, rather than solely focusing on biochemical recurrence.

My local urologist has questioned why I am not choosing a local procedure, but I find the expertise of a high-volume RALP surgeon like Dr. Dechet to be far more compelling. I’ve decided that the travel required for a specialist is negligible. I would appreciate hearing if others have navigated this kind of disagreement between local surgeons and specialists regarding the necessity of lymph node dissection.

Has anyone else faced a similar discrepancy between a surgeon at a major cancer center and a local urologist/surgeon regarding the necessity of lymph node dissection?

https://www.auajournals.org/doi/full/10.1097/JU.0000000000004821

Hello fellow PCa members. I appreciate each and every one of you and value your insights.

I had RALP in January 2025, with a Gleason 7 (3+4) score from the pathology report. For the past 18 months my PSA has been undetectable (<0.06) however today the PSA ticked up to 0.07 . My concern is that it is no longer 'undetectable'.

For others who have experienced this, I would appreciate your insights into what I can expect as far as next steps. Another PSA test in 3 months? Another PSA Pet Scan? ???

Thank you again.

I was just thinking about how relieved and excited I was when I met with my surgeon in September and heard those magical words, “clear margins, your pathology is a home run.” Three blood tests later and it’s hard to even make sense of it all. Went from clear margins to .02, .04, .05 and the next blood test is going down tomorrow. I well understand there are zero guarantees however, it is mentally tough being on that downward roller coaster. Wondering what the community has experienced with this situation.

I had a SpaceOre done a month ago and my radiaition oncologist said I had RWI because of the SpaceOre surgery failed and he also changed my therapy from SBRT to a 20-time radiation. I am wondering if RWI will cause any serious side effects long term and the reasons why my therapy plan needs to changed. My doctor said the change was for the safety reasons and my RWI was because of my anatomy.

Is this also a medical malpractice?

As mentioned the other day, had the catheter out. More importantly, yesterday had a meet with the urologist to review the pathology report.

Confirmation of the cancer of course, but "all margins clear" and clean lymph nodes was great news. So now it's wait and see. Next PSA test will be in apx 6 weeks. Fingers crossed.

Surgeon seemed pleased. Not half as pleased as I was.

I am finishing 45 IMRT Treatments next week on Wednesday. I have been on 1mg. finasteride for hair loss for 8 years. I have a appointment with my Urologist on October 8th. I called to ask when I should stop the finasteride since I will be getting blood work done and want true psa

Nurse called me today and told me stop finasteride on September 15th get bloodwork done before appointment.

I used Claude to get some answers and Claude stated that wash-out time is not enough. AI isn't always correct.

I would rather reschedule the doctors appointment rather than getting a false reading

I am asking here because I am not going to rely on Claude's advice

Again stop finasteride September 25th

Bloodwork (Psa and total testosterone) latest Wednesday September 30th

Urologist appointment October 8th

My husband has T1c Staged prostate cancer with 3 out of 13 positive cores; Gleason 6. 6, 7(3+4). His father and brother died of PC ages 89 and 73 respectively. Three doctors: his urologist and two surgeons are recommending removal of the prostate. We had an appointment with an oncologist radiologist, but my husband cancelled because he said he wasn’t getting radiation after talking with the other doctors. After watching his dad and brother suffer, he wants the cancer out of his body. I’m thinking he still needs to visit with the radiologist. I know the decision is his to make and I don’t disagree with his choice; I just think once he’s had that surgery and going through the difficult recovery he will have better peace of mind knowing he weighted all of his options. Please advise. Btw: He’s 69yo

Hi all, when my grandpa was diagnosed with prostate cancer last october/november i had a look here one time, i wanted to know what to expect...what to prepare for, our chances. I didn't post, after i while i just decided to stay positive and hope for the best. He died yesterday, passed away peacefully without any pain, according to the hospital...69 years old, would've turned 70 just next tuesday. Honestly i'm a mess, i don't even know why i'm posting here...i guess i just hope our experience will help someone.

So as i said, he was diagnosed in late october/early november 2025, we first took him to the hospital in august since my grandma noticed his pants being covered in blood. He told her he had blood in his urine so we rushed him to the hospital to find out what's wrong with him. No conclusive diagnosis by the end of that visit, we were hoping it was just an infection or something. Couple visits later he had an MRI done at the month i mentioned and then came the diagnosis: stage 5 prostate cancer already showing spreads on his ribs. We were shocked to say the least, but since he was still feeling well and fine we didn't worry about it.

He got reassigned to another hospital where a treatment would be decided for him. He didn't get chemo or anything like that, what he got instead was some injection that was supposed to shrink down the cells and keep the thing from spreading...also some kind of medicine. Apologies for those who are wandering but i don't know the exact name of either.

First dose recieved in december, next one in january and then february. After that it went from monthly to every 3 months with blood tests every month. Things went great first. In fact he felt so good that in late february he greenlit the purchase of plane tickets to the uk to visit my parent (we are living in hungary). After that the blood test results were still good, but his walking got slower and harder little by little to the extent he decided not to come when the departure date arrived in late march. My grandma stayed with me while me and my gf went so we didn't waste all the money we spent on the plane tickets. Towards the end of our stay his lower back started to hurt so much while laying down he had trouble to sleep. We bought him a new bed, new matress but after a while nothing worked.

When we returned only a week later he used a cane to walk and slept while sitting in a harder armchair. For the next week-week and a half things progressed to a point where with the cane he also needed personal assistance to walk. April 16 i was at work when i got the call from my grandma, he was taken to the hospital since he weren't able to get up at all. Turns out tumors formed in his lower back vertebraes, several were cracked and one had a collapsed top. They were contemplating doing a surgery on him but decided not to since it might just do more harm than good. They told him he wouldn't be able to walk anymore...even sitting up was a best case scenario for him.

They released him last day of april after giving him some radiation therapy for the pain and that's it. At least he was at home after that cause man if he hated one thing that was hospitals and doctors. Taking care of him was anything but easy but we did manage somehow, we did everything we could. This is the point where things went from bad to pretty shit...and sadly it was only downhill from here. Of course even sitting up turned out to be a pipedream, we did not even try fearing we'd be the ones breaking his spine, but even much later after we found a physicotherapist she was only able to make him sit up wiht varying levels of pain.

During the following month he lost a ton of weight, the first blood test taken after his new condition was still good but after that...complete 180. Late july he was taken to the hospital again after strong sweating, low body temperature and low blood pressure...infection they said. A week and some blood transfusions later he was sent home. Not long after that his voice became weaker and speaking got gradually more difficult for him. He didn't say he had any pain in his throat, we suspected it was the cancer spreading to it. There was another MRI done on him this august 5, we thought we'd get our answer about his throat but this time they were only checking his chest area.

Full of tumors, there were several tumors all over his ribs...stomach...everywhere ranging anywhere from 5 to 10+cm. Then just last week came what turned out to be the sign of the end. Frequent stool in a quantity that seemed impossible considering his almost 0 apetite, vomiting, reduced liquid consumption. He was taken to the hospital last friday, my grandma went in with him. They told her not to expect too much and that they'll do everything. We visited him on sunday for one last time...barely concious but since he said he didn't sleep anything the previous night we all hoped it was just tiredness. Then the phone call came yesterday moring. It was over...he fell asleep forever, supposedly peacefully and unlike the doctors prediction when he became bedridden without any pain. Hell during his july stay the doctor said considering how many tumors he had it was a miracle he wasn't in constant pain.

He was a tough cookie, but in the end he lost...and now we will have to cope with life without him somehow. Rest in peace now grandpa...you earned it!

My condoleces to anyone who lost family, friends or anyone close to them like this. If not for my grandpa's stubborness to refuse to visit doctors or tell us what's wrong with him until it's not too late maybe this would've been caught earlier when the chances to turn this around would've been better. But this is a "what if" asked too late.

So in the end to make a relly long story short, don't be afraid or stubborn to take a test and detect it early.

I belong to a very nice but small golf club in New England. For the last few years the club sponsors a ‘Pink’ day for breast cancer. I keep wondering why we don’t do the same for prostate cancer. While breast cancer is slightly more prevalent in the female population than prostate cancer is in the male population it is equally important to raise awareness, support and funds for prostate cancer treatment and research. Most of us probably don’t share or talk about our disease simply because that is how we are wired as males. Yet, sharing our stories and communicating the importance of early testing and detection can and does save lives. I think it’s a reasonable ask to have the club include the same awareness for PC. What do you guys think? Had anyone done this at their club or elsewhere?

My dad was diagnosed with Stage IV metastatic prostate cancer that had already spread to his bones, lymph nodes, and a small spot in his lung when it was discovered. He is 63, Gleason 4+4=8, and started ADT recently. He had his first docetaxel chemotherapy treatment five days ago.
His MRI was PI-RADS 5. His PSA was around 140 when the cancer was first discovered, rose to 169 before treatment, and is now down to 18 after starting ADT.

The first couple of days weren’t so bad for him but Today, day 5 after his first chemo, has been the hardest day so far. He is extremely sore all over and says his pain is 10/10. It hurts him to lie down, he could barely sleep, and he was crying from pain this morning. He is not nauseous, but the full-body pain and fatigue have hit him much harder than we expected.
He also had two episodes this morning where he urinated on himself without realizing it was happening. It has not happened again since then, but because he has bone metastases and the pain is so severe, we are contacting his oncology team/after-hours line to make sure he is evaluated and to rule out anything urgent.

His boss had asked him to go on a moving trip out of state for work, and I’m relieved I told him it was not a good idea. After today, he said himself that he would not have made it there okay. I think this is making it clear that continuing physically demanding work during chemo may not be realistic.
I know nobody here can give medical advice, and we are reaching out to his doctors. I’m mainly looking for real-life experiences from people who have gone through docetaxel with metastatic prostate cancer:
• Did you or your loved one have severe all-over muscle, joint, or bone pain around days 4–6 after chemo? How long did it last, and what actually helped?
• Did anyone experience urinary accidents, urinary retention, or other bladder changes during treatment? What did the oncology team find or recommend?
• What should I ask his oncology team about getting his pain controlled before the next cycle?
• For anyone with a physically demanding job, when did you realize work or travel was no longer safe during treatment?
I hate seeing him suffer like this. I’m trying to help him plan for what is realistic, keep him safe, and make sure he has as much support and quality of life as possible. Thank you to anyone willing to share what helped you or your family.

Did any of you guys receive pre-op wipes that you’re supposed to use the night before? My husband is freaking out because he won’t be able to have sex with me one last time the day of surgery.

Has anyone that has watchful waiting after a prostate cancer diagnose taken Ozempic and had a PSA rise? I had surgery 20 years ago and radiation. It never was clear. The spa has hovered around 1.4. 3 months ago it was 1.4 and yesterday it was 2.1 and the only change is I started Ozempic 9 weeks ago. I have looked and there are mixed opinions on this. So I am wondering.

Experiences/Reasons for choosing would be helpful thanks

I’ve read that some of you have had radiation without ADT but have any of you done the opposite, and like me, started on ADT and are not going to have radiation? I’m 3 1/2 years post RALP and my PSA was 1.0 before I started this therapy 30 days ago.

Hello all. I’m in my mid 60s and just had a prostate blood test and my psa was 35.5, how concerned should I be?

I’m 67, 5 months post-RALP, PSA 0.35 9 weeks after surgery. Because of the high PSA, I had a PSMA PET scan in May. Here’s the summary:

2. There are 2 directly adjacent left perirectal/distal internal iliac chain mildly tracer avid lymph nodes measuring 5 mm and 4 mm, concerning for early, developing nodal metastases.

3. Additional mildly tracer avid 5 mm left pelvic sidewall lymph node further cranial, concerning for additional early, developing nodal metastasis.

4. Faintly tracer avid tiny right presacral/external iliac and further anterior right external iliac lymph nodes, as described, nonspecific given tiny size and faint tracer uptake, however additional early, developing nodal metastases are a consideration versus reactive/inflammatory lymph nodes. These are not as definitive as the contralateral lymph nodes described above.

5. No additional site concerning for tracer avid nodal or distant metastatic disease.

I’ve been taking with the Mayo Clinic and OHSU in Portland (close to home) regarding radiation therapy. OHSU wan to do 32 daily treatments using EBRT with IMRT using protons. Mayo would do 25 daily treatments using the same machine except with X-Rays. They said that the xrays have better image guidance and less potential for rectal bleeding.

I would like to know if any of you have experience with either type of procedure and your thoughts about which one might be best for my situation.

I will also be on ADT at the time of the treatments.

Summary of my situation: Gleason 4+4=8, Cancer has escaped the capsule and infected a nearby lymph node. Also "innumerable" small nodules in the lungs consistent with metastatic cancer from unknown promary. PET PSMA scan only dimly lights up the prostate and lymph node. No other area of the body light up (not even the lungs). Started to see the specialists and this is where I've landed:

Urologist referred me to pulminologist (lungs) who said he has seen more nodules appear since last scan and referred my to a cardio-vascular surgeon who suspects the lungs are melanoma but wants to do a biopsy to confirm. This will be a 5 day hospital stay because they need to go in through the ribs. Admission scheduled for this coming Sunday. He referred mt to an oncologist who I saw today.

The oncologist said "not" to do the surgery and go onto ADT instead, then review in 2 months. If the lungs improve then it's probably prostate cancer in the lungs, if not then it's some other for of cancer (which would have had 2 more months to grow in my lungs).

I then messaged my original urologist what to do and he agrees with the oncologist to delay surgery (one line reply, no explanation).

However this leaves my in a situation whereby the specialists are giving conflicting advice. If I delay the biopsy and it's not prostate cancer in my lungs then I give it 2 more months to grow (and melanoma grows fast).

My bias is to override them and do the biopsy to give me certainty on what is in the lungs. However it is a very invasive procedure and I will be out of action for about 6 weeks - at the very time I should be excercising to counter the ADT therapy.

Nobody seems to be captaining the ship and it's up to me, the patient, ot make these calls.

Anyone gone through anything similar and any suggestions?

I am approx 8 weeks post radiation. Sbrt+imrt+ adt

I have a weird groin rash resembling jock itch. I have treated it as jock itch with otc meds. I’m fairly sure it isn’t jock itch.

I gained around 12lbs from adt so things might be rubbing more down there. I have read that’s skin sensitivity can happen during / after radiation

Same detergent I’ve always used. Same underwear.

I see the doc next week just curious if this has happened to anyone ? Zinc oxide diaper rash cream helps doesn’t make it go away but it’s messy

Anyone ever experience this post radiation ? I’m leaning more towards it’s from weight gain / more going on down there.