Prostate Cancer Discussion

Look, we can keep going down this rabbit hole, but I feel like we’ve totally veered off track here.😉
Both you and I were actually on the same page earlier.
Just check my first post against yours—where you laid out your own experiences—and you'll see we aren't saying anything different. Maybe I just tried to keep things super brief instead of throwing a bunch of studies and stats at you.
After that, it was just the two of us dragging this topic out, and honestly, we definitely went off on a tangent.

My grandfather was diagnosed with prostate cancer about eighteen months ago. He underwent several surgeries, and everything seemed to be progressing well until about a month or two ago. That’s when he had to be hospitalized due to severe hematuria. He spent a month in the hospital before being discharged, but the bleeding through his catheter simply wouldn't stop. It caused him immense pain. He was only home for about two days before we had to rush him back to the hospital. He’s been there for three weeks now, and he has become incredibly frail. He’s constantly on IV fluids, which I suppose is what's keeping him going. While the bleeding has finally stopped and his urine is clear now, he is just so weak. He can barely speak and refuses to eat anything at all. He insists his body just doesn't want food. Does anyone have any suggestions on how he might recover even a little? To be honest, I feel like my life would be in complete shambles without him. Everyone around me seems to be passing away. My other grandfather died two years ago, and my younger cousin, who was only 23, passed last year. I am desperately seeking any kind of advice or help.
😢

Hey, I am seriously so sorry to hear about your grandfather. Maybe it might help if you guys look into getting him some Abbott Nutrition? It’s that liquid enteral nutrition stuff—they have a bunch of different flavors and the ingredients are all super balanced out. You'd need a prescription for it, though, so definitely check in with his doctor first. Honestly, it really helped me out back when I was struggling just to eat solid food...
Fingers crossed for you, good luck.

Anorexia can be a direct consequence of cytokines released by tumors, which indirectly affect the hunger center, leading the individual to refuse food... try explaining to him that he needs to eat even if it feels forced... He also needs to recover from the bleeding before we can expect his appetite to improve, unless the tumor continues to interfere, though hopefully that won't be the case... In addition to what's already been suggested, taking a B-complex supplement after each meal might help increase his appetite and aid nutrient absorption.

Unfortunately, my grandfather passed away. There was nothing more we could do for him. He hadn't eaten anything for nearly a month, which is what ultimately caused his passing; he was only able to take in small amounts of water and his medication. I am at a loss for words...

Can we close this thread?

I’d like to pose a question: why isn't the physician responsible for his care being held accountable for medical negligence? They did absolutely nothing to address my grandfather's anorexia caused by cytokine storms.

My grandfather was treated over in Chicago at one of those major medical centers, and I actually have a separate thread about this here this so please, take a look at what happened with my grandmother too

Hello World!
My dad is dealing with metastatic hormone-refractory prostate cancer; he’s actually been fighting prostate cancer for ten years now, and until recently, he was managing quite well on hormone therapy, but since metastases appeared in his bones, he’s moved onto a regimen of docetaxel (Taxotere) and Zometa.
I was wondering if anyone else here is going through a similar treatment plan, and specifically, if anyone deals with hematomas or bruising as a side effect of the chemo—the kind where even a minor bump, like accidentally hitting the corner of a table, leaves these little sores that seem to take forever to heal. His platelet count has dropped a bit and stays consistently between 125 and 135, which the doctors tell us is perfectly fine, and they say the bruising and slow-healing skin issues are just standard consequences of chemotherapy, but so far, I haven't run into anyone else describing this exact problem. On top of that, after his chemo sessions, his throat gets so painful that he can really only manage soft, pureed foods, so we rely on Nestlé Health Science and Abbott Nutrition as supplements during those few days when he can't eat much. I have to say, the website www.chemocare.com has been a real lifeline for me lately. It’s packed with information about chemotherapy and offers answers to just about every question you could have—the kind of stuff your doctors might not mention, either because they’re too overwhelmed with patients or because they’re still one of those types who don't appreciate being questioned.
I’ve spent so much time reading up on prostate cancer, and I would truly love to connect with other people who—unfortunately—are walking this same path, both those facing the illness and those of us supporting them as family members.
Hang in there, everyone, and stay strong! Don't let the skeptics get to you—those people who mock any sort of alternative approach—because I believe a person should utilize every resource available to them alongside conventional medicine (though, of course, you have to use common sense to filter out the nonsense). A doctor I know once told me, "I don't care what my patients do, as long as it isn't hurting them." I also remember reading an interview in a journal where a few women spoke about their journeys with curing breast cancer; one woman mentioned that she was willing to try absolutely anything, and if someone suggested that digging a hole in her backyard might help, she’d probably go right out and do it.
People who ridicule those who are sick and trying to find a way to heal are honestly just cruel. While it’s important to be critical of complementary medicine, there is absolutely nothing wrong with finding a solid program that might support traditional treatments.
After all, Ben Gurion once said, "Anyone who doesn't believe in miracles isn't a realist."

Best to everyone, Gigi

So my dad randomly ended up getting a prostate screening this year. He dropped about 18 pounds over the last year, but honestly, he hasn't had any symptoms at all. He’s super active and his appetite is totally normal. Nothing seemed off. He’s 47, and we were all thinking maybe it was some colon issues, but the doctor ran some PSA tests and they came back high—PSA at 6, free PSA at 8. We ran the labs three times and the results were always the same. They did a biopsy and it confirmed adenocarcinoma, Gleason score 3+3=6. It showed up in the second core (40%) and the third (10%), while the rest looked fine. He’s scheduled for surgery in mid-November. If anyone’s been through something similar, what were the prognoses like? How did things turn out for you...

Hello World

I’m looking for some insight on these results and the diagnosis. This is for my father, who is 67 years old.

Prostate Biopsy Results:
Prostate Adenocarcinoma (Gleason Score 3-4)
The biopsy included four samples from the left side and four from the right. These tissue segments are heavily infiltrated by tumor cells, ranging from irregular to small glandular formations lined with atypical cylindrical epithelium.

Conclusion: Given the initial high PSA levels of 43.44, radical surgery was not indicated. I recommend starting anti-androgen therapy with Casodex at 150mg once daily.
Follow-up required in 3 months: PSA levels, liver function tests, creatinine, urinalysis, and a urine culture.

Thanks in advance.

Hey Jerry Garcia3,

I was so sorry to hear about what your dad is going through right now—that’s a heavy diagnosis to carry, but hang in there and stay strong.
How is he holding up? Have you seen any changes in his results since they started the treatment?
With the PSA levels being that high, everything really hinges on how he’s feeling physically and mentally, but if you ask me, surgery might be the way to go just to get ahead of the disease and slow things down as much as possible.

The only reason I even signed up for this forum was to reach out and tell you that when my own dad was starting his treatment, we actually had to push back pretty hard to get certain procedures done that weren't originally on the schedule.
Every single day is a gift, and you just have to fight for them.

Sending all my best wishes your way, and seriously, if you ever need to bounce some info off someone, don't hesitate to reach out.

Hello World!
My dad’s been fighting prostate cancer for three years now. He’s already gone through chemo and everything. By the time they first caught it, it had already spread to his bones, and lately, those metastases have moved even further. The pain he's dealing with is pretty intense.
If anyone here has been through this, I’d love to hear how you manage the spreading, the pain, or the loss of appetite. Is anyone else struggling with eating? It’s tough for him right now—he just doesn't have an appetite, and honestly, the thought of food just makes him nauseous.
His doctor is running some more tests at the moment, and we might be looking at another round of chemo after that. I don't know his exact PSA levels off the top of my head, but to be honest, the doctors and our whole family are way more worried about his bone health than the PSA numbers.
Anyway, if anyone is going through something similar and wants to chat, feel free to reach out.

My dad is turning 80 this year.

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer yesterday. Since he lives in a different city, I asked him to read me the results over the phone—this is what he told me:

- prostate adenocarcinoma
- PSA 63
- Gleason 5+5

That’s all the information I have for now.

He’s scheduled for a bone scan at the end of the month—that should tell us if there's any metastasis.

In the meantime, I’m trying to wrap my head around these findings.
What exactly do these numbers indicate?
Based on these specific metrics, what are the odds that the cancer has already spread to the surrounding tissue?

Thanks in advance for any insight. I won't pretend—I am incredibly scared.

Bumping this. Looking for recommendations for surgeons in the States who specialize in minimally invasive procedures or use waterjet technology.

I'm 49—just had some bloodwork done recently and my PSA came back at 5.3, which is high. My doctor is sending me in for an MRI now. Has anyone else dealt with this? Honestly, I'm pretty freaked out and spiraling toward the worst-case scenario.

Ryan Sanchez20 said:I'm 49—just had some bloodwork done recently and my PSA came back at 5.3, which is high. My doctor is sending me in for an MRI now. Has anyone else dealt with this? Honestly, I'm pretty freaked out and spiraling toward the worst-case scenario.

My levels have been sitting anywhere between 5 and 8. I’ve done the MRI and the biopsy, and everything turned out fine.
I have ExxonMobil, but it’s manageable—just regular checkups every six months.

I’d really appreciate some input here—especially if anyone has medical expertise and wouldn't mind sharing their thoughts.
My husband had surgery for prostate cancer about ten years ago, back when his PSA was at 18.
After the operation, the doctor mentioned the cancer had actually broken through the capsule. For a while after the surgery, his levels dropped all the way down to 0.0. But then, slowly, it started creeping up again until it hit 0.18. According to the standard protocol, once it hits 0.20, he's supposed to go in for radiation. It stayed right around 0.18 for almost a year, but during the last checkup—after six months—it jumped to 0.21. His oncologist suggested that waiting until the summer might not be the best idea for radiation, so he wants to run one more test and then hopefully get him scheduled by September. Now, just a month later, it’s already climbed to 0.25... though the oncologist isn't changing his stance yet. What do you guys think? I'm honestly pretty scared—is this kind of rapid rise normal?