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Terry C and Glynnis live in Beijing China. He was 54 when he was diagnosed on September 23, 2009. His initial PSA was 12.0 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and although he does not give his staging it seems likely he was staged T1c. He is undecided as to his choice of treatment. Here is his story.


I just received the results of my biopsy and am not sure about the staging. I found this site as part of my research and feel that it will be very useful especially as I am located in China (albeit with an American oncologist). I will post more later after I have had a consultation with my doctor, but thought I should register now.

 

UPDATED

January 2010

 

 

I have been dragging my feet to tell the truth. I just finished reading the 2003 version of Dr. Sheldon Marks book - Prostate and Cancer - and that is providing me with more incentive to come to a decision soon.

I am very reluctant to do a Radical Prostatectomy for several reasons not only the potential ED complications and penis shortening, but I am am uneasy with a major violation of body and removal of organ approach given my more holistic view of the body and health. Western Medicine is so narrowly focused and specialized and I just have to believe that a prostate has other functions than just producing seminal fluid and that it is part of a whole with impacts on the whole. The other aspect is my feeling that PC is a natural development and a natural sign of ageing with a horrible name. The problem is my relatively youthful age, like Terry Herbert's ... but not as severe except for my elevated but stable PSA of 12.0.

I really need to set up another PSA test as the last one prior to Biopsy was in August, I also need to find out some specifics on the cancer. As far as I know, the DRE was normal i.e. no tumor or hard parts felt, plus I don't have info on the size/volume of my prostate which should be available from the radiologist who did my biopsy. I have had a bone scan and a lower body CT scan which were normal, though I know it won't definitively rule out any spread outside the wall, especially to the Lymph Nodes, but those results are reassuring.

I like the sound of Proton Beam Therapy and there is a center in China, but it isn't convenient location wise and we are talking 45 days or so!! (also don't know how many cases of PC they have handled as well) I still need to research HIFU which sounds awfully attractive to me from what little I know, and in fact I am going to read up more on HIFU on your website this afternoon and also research where it can be done competently. I am also researching Bangkok Thailand as a possibility for treatment. But again, I haven't really decided on what treatment yet, so I guess I need to nail that one down first.

I need to spend a lot more time on the site, rather than just random sampling of people's stories.

I would love to hear your opinions as well.

 

UPDATED

September 2010

 

 

I am still sticking with Active Surveillance.

My PSA test in early March was 14.99, but then dropped down to 12 again in June. Rectal examination again showed no physical evidence of hardness or tumor.

I need to do another test this month and explore whether I should do another biopsy.

Terry

 

UPDATED

October 2010

 

 

My latest PSA went down to 10.78 from previous 12.5 and 14 at one point. My annual biopsy even better with only 1 out of 12 samples with cancer and Gleason score reduced from 6 to 4. [Most laboratories (in the USA in particular) would categorise this result as 'no cancer found' or similar since in January 2010 it was agreed that only those specimens from a needle bipsy that were grade 3, 4 or 5 would be labelled 'cancer' - see Gleason Grades for a summary of the decision.]

Active Surveillance is working GREAT!!!.. and I can't really give any recommendations as to how it happened, as I really didn't change my lifestyle much at all, just basically paid PC not much attention at all.

Hope this gives encouragement to others who are considering Active Surveilance.

Terry's e-mail address is: tienruay@gmail.com