rlfuller7

Hey rl,
I know you're plenty worried and you want to get some kind of treatment going fast. I understand as I'm in your shoes, but I'm more than a year and a half ahead of you. I was diagnosed with gleason 9 in June of 2011. Had the DaVinci Robotic surgery in Sep-2011. Pathology report showed seminal vesicle invasion, perineal invasion and one lymph involvement. I began hormone therapy and radiation treatment in Nov-2011. Completed radiation in Jan-2012 and stopped hormone therapy in Mar-2012. Since then I get a PSA test every 3 months and so far the PSA is still undetectable. I have read several books by Dr. Charles Myers and I am following his advise on diet, vitamin supplements and exercise. I still worry, but nothing like I did for those few months after diagnoses. Over time your worry will calm down too, even with gleason 9. Make sure you have a good oncologist and then work with him closely. Gook Luck and God Bless.

rlfuller7:
I see you have connected with several What Next contacts. I'll just add 2 cents to your questions. My prostatectomy was on Feb. 4, 2010. I needed radiation, but was advised I needed full healing before starting. I started radiation May 27, 2010. The radiation lasted for 7 weeks. The main radiation side effect was general fatigue. Shortly after my surgery I was put on hormones - Lupron & Casadex generic. I continue to receive these & expect to for probably 2 more years. Currently, I feel good, am active and have a PSA of <.08. ED is a part of my life.
I am thankful for the aggressive treatments I have been through and for my life today.
Best wishes going forward, a survivor, Ross

Hey rl..thanks for the info..I'm scheduled for the DaVinci robotic..same. Sounds like it went good for you. Nice

Hey rl..thanks for posting your info. I'm in the same boat as you. You're ahead of me. I'm scheduled for prostrate removal in mid Dec. I've got the same carcinoma as you and a Gleason score of 6(3+3). Just now going through the hospital preop procedures and such. Wish you all the best.

One of the most daunting tasks for me was being diagnosed in 2001 with gleason 9 stage 3 and having no idea what to do. I spent a lot of time on the web and worrying a lot.I had external beam radiation in 2002 and a prostatectomy.Radiation damaged my ureters and I had urinary diversion sugery in 2009 ie stoma and urinary appliance.Personally I would avoid radiation if possible and move to hormone therapy.Radiation therapy techniqes have improved and the radiation is focused and directed to the tumor.I went to J Hopkins had scans and all the rest.No detectable cancer but PSA was 11. So the diagnosis was micro metastasis ie blood stream and lymph system.At some point in the future this would be expressed as a tumor.
I came back home and continued with my local oncologist.The PSA had climbed to 130 by 2011.Did ketoconezal and taxotere neither treatment effective,still no detecable cancer but high PSA.I started Zytiga this year in September.I called my oncologist yesterday and PSA was 25. There are "super" hormone lowering meds out there that have been developed and FDA approved that seem to really work.Leading edge thinking now is to have a genome done and an analysis of the genetics of the type of PC specific to you and then determine the meds or treaments that would be most beneficial to your type of cancer.One thing I learned is that Prostate cancer is a complex disease.There are at least 20 genetically different types,thus the reason to find out the genetics before treatment.No one size fits all.Refer to jessica@prostateforum.com.These are video conferences given by Dr. Charles Myers that can be subscribed to -free.Also visit the PAACT website.Hope this is useful,Mark