THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO AN UPDATE REMINDER IN 2014 SO THERE IS NO UPDATE.

I was rather lax in getting to the doctors. And to make matters worse, there is a strong incidence of cancer in my family - all kinds and both males and females.

My cancer journey begins with having a mole on my back for as long as I could remember, but my wife noticed it changed color and shape. She told me to get it taken care of, but of course, I did nothing about it until my daughter went and made an appointment to see a dermatologist. But to get the referral I had to go to my primary. While there, the nurse recommended since I had not had blood taken in at least eight years to have some drawn.

I got my dermatology referral, but while waiting for my appointment I got a call from my primary saying I had a very elevated PSA - 28 - and that I had to come in immediately to see the doctor. We went down, talked to him and he hoped it was an infection. I was prescribed an antibiotic and told to come back in three weeks to see if the repeat PSA was lower. During the time I was taking the antibiotic, I had the "mole" removed from my back. Two days later, I get a call from the dermatologist telling me it was a "malignant melanoma" and that I had to see a plastic surgeon immediately to have it removed. Are you folks with me so far? I've basically gone 63 years with no real major health problems and I get hit with not one - but two cancers - in a matter of three weeks.

Needless to say, the PSA did not go down, it went up - to 34.8 and I had to have a prostate biopsy. The urologist explained he took 12 biopsies and that cancer was in at least half of them.

After seeing other oncologists, I opted to have a radical prostatectomy. I was told by the surgeon "we think we got it all"...

Came through all the surgeries fine, everything was localized, nothing had metastasized or so I thought. I went back for my first repeat post-op PSA in March and I was told it was a 6. Then I get a copy of the pathology report dated November which says the words "positive margins and invasive". I now have to wait until April 11 to go for a second opinion as to which way to proceed. My post-op Gleason is still a 7 (4 and 3), the tumor is graded T2c, and it was a bilateral cancer.

My concern is that my surgery was in November and I am only now finding out about the pathology. How bad is it that if I need additional therapy I will have waited six (6) months? Also, if there any other surgery that can be done?

Thanks for all your help.

Tim

Since the last time I wrote I was a newbie to the world of prostate cancer -- and the many survivors out there. Luckily, so far, my story is a positive one.

In October 2010, I had the prostate removed at a well-known Philadelphia hospital by one of the best surgeons in this area. He said that it was very large, but it "looked like they got it all -- and the lymph nodes were negative". I recuperated in the hospital one full week, and was discharged with follow up in 2 months. However, because I needed a hernia repair, I was back in the hospital one month later having that done. Everything was going along fine.

However, I found out that having the surgeon say "they think they got it all and negative lymph nodes" is very different from seeing a pathology report. My wife kept asking for a copy and finally -- five months later -- read the report. It said: Post-operative Gleason: 7; Margins: positive, multifocal and invasive. But the real kicker was when I asked the doctor what the PSA was. I had to pull it out of him and he finally said -- six. He was totally shocked at the number because he said I looked so good and healed so well. He said it was a fluke -- an anomaly. But you don't have to be a scientist to figure out if the cancerous prostate was removed, the PSA should be almost 0. His recommendation was to come back in a month to be retested.

In the interim, my wife made arrangements (in case the PSA did not go down) with another cancer hospital to see the medical oncologist there for a second opinion. We went back to see the surgeon four weeks later and it went up again -- to 6.6. Definitely not good....

We visited the other cancer hospital, met with the oncologist and oncologic radiologist who recommended IMRT radiation, as well as Lupron therapy. They both agreed that with radiation and Lupron -- I stood a very good chance of having a non-detectable PSA.

I got my first dose of Lupron in May of 2011 and radiation started in July 2011. Luckily, I had no side effects -- but the PSA still was up. Finally, at Christmas of 2011 -- I had my first non-detectable PSA.

I'm a cancer survivor -- am healthy -- I work out on a stationery bike every day and burn approximately 800 to 1000 calories per day -- I eat well. I'm taking calcium twice a day.

God has blessed me -- and I'm healthy!

After having a transurethral radical prostatectomy, I went back for my 3 month checkup. My wife asked the urologist what my PSA was....and he wouldn't give us an answer. Finally, after asking three times he said SIX. Now, it doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out if you take out the prostate that it should be non-detectable. He explained the lymph nodes were clear, but that the margins weren't, so there could possibly be some leftover cancer cells somewhere. He said we could to ADT. I wasn't happy, so I called Fox Chase and made an appointment for a second opinion. They recommended Lupron, and 3 months of radiation. The Lupron killed any amount of desire in me, but it also killed any other cancer cells. The radiation worked fine. The worst side effect was losing hair on my chest and legs. I didn't get tired; I was able to do the stationery bike every day. My appetite was fine. But the libido is gone. The ED drugs help, but I don't like the side effects from them. I am now on a six-month regimen for the PSA, which has been non-detectable now for over a year and a half.

I am blessed and I thank God every day for coming through this.

Tim's e-mail address is: beth.hegedus AT yahoo.com (replace "AT" with "@") (but this e-mail address may no longer be valid)

NOTE: Tim has not updated his story for more than 15 months, so you may not receive any response from him.