They're all discussed at length in any of the prostate cancer books, and
making any decisions without studying at least one of them is folly. Popular
ones include those by Strum, Walsh, Lange (PC for Dummies), Blasko, and
Bubley, and you really should study 2 or 3 of them. There's way too much at
stake and way too much complexity to choose a treatment without it.

I.P.

Welcome Larry, even though I realize you'd rather not be here.

One of the guys who knows the web sites with all the information online
will be along shortly.  I want to recomment the book Dr. Walsh's Guide
to Surviving Prostate Cancer as the best overall survey of this complex
disease.

RP is radical prostatectomy, removal of the prostate gland and some
attached things

RRP is retropubic radical prostatectomy, big incision navel to public
bone and removal of the prostate gland (I had that, age 52)

LRP is laparascopic radical prostatectomy, removal of the gland by way
of devices poked through holes; fast recovery

Grade 3-3 apparently means Gleason grade 6.  You will need to be sure
you have that number right.  Gleason 6 is not immediately life
threatening, so don't rush your treatment decision.

You need one more number, and that's stage.  A number like T1a, T1c.
That is the diagnosis of how far the disease has spread, if at all.  If
you didn't get that, check back with the doctor.

Talk to ya later.

jimhoney

<snip>

there's a bunch of Acronyms here, but don't get to thinking they're
all applicable to yourself !! :)

http://www.prostate-cancer.org/resource/acronyms.html

If you go thru the basic progression of events from when you started
to feel something to where you are now, you may be able to determine
where you're going in the future.

Chin up!

-- Reader to complete...
-- Please reply to this ng as my email adress is fake:

-- Regards

-- CC

Larry,

You definitely need to research your condition.  The decisions you make in
the next few weeks will affect the rest of your life and it's length.

Your PSA is relatively (compared to us) low.  Your Gleason of 6 is about as
low as you go when diagnosed.  Very few people are diagnosed with a 5.  You
did not give your Stage, but I'll bet it was T1a or T1b, again, relatively
good.

At 62 years old, unless you have some serious health problem(s), you should
have no problem with any of the several standard treatment options.

Please read Dr. Patrick Walsh's Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer.

Larry,

I was also 62 when I was diagnosed with prostate cancer just about a year
ago. See my signature for some of the details. I had a radical retropubic
prostatectomy (RRP) in May of last year and am doing fine. No reason for you
to rule out surgical removal based only on your age. As others have
recommended, read all you can and make a decision on your treatment from an
informed basis. Radiation therapy and brachytherapy (seeds) are also
excellent alternatives. Also, as others have said, you have a little time
get up to speed. I'm not sure I'd wait as much as a year, if it were me, but
a couple of months probably won't change things dramatically.

Good luck, and keep us posted.

Hang in there, Larry.
Lots of good info at www.phoenix5.org

Take care!
MikeH

Get a couple books.  I picked up "Prostate Cancer for Dummies" at a
discounted book store.  It's written by a surgeon, has a pro-cutting
spin but the information is solid.

The other book, "the Prostate Cancer Treatment Book" subtitle, "the
most up-to-date information available on seed implant therapy",
Edited by Grimm, Blasko, and Sylvester.  It has chapters by various
docs including the "name" on the Inova (Northern Virginia) Cancer
Center, Daniel Clarke, MD.  This book is pro-radiation and discusses
external beam radiation and seeds.

At 62, you're in the younger group and have, what, 20-30 years ahead
of you?  

One thing to knock around with your docs is the "Rudy Guilliani"
treatment.   It's three phases.

1. some Hormone/chemo therapy.  I did 8 months on Lupron, had hot
flashes and felt exhausted in the 2nd 4 month period.  My doc was
surprised that I had erections during the 1st 3 months. The Lupron
drove my PSA from 10+ to 1.3, to 0.8.  By the 4th month on Lupron, I
was impotent.

2.  EBRT, external beam radiation therapy.   They gave me 25
sessions from an IMRT Linear Accelerator.  Almost no side effects
other than a little fatigue and some urinary urgency toward the end.

3. 97 Palladium seeds.  Quick and easy.  You walk out of the
outpatient center under your own power.   The downside is that for 3
months, you are tired, have to pee all the time, sometimes it's a
struggle to get the stream going.   I'm in the 9th month after the
start of Lupron and the 4th month after the seeding, things are
starting to work again.  Two and a half months after the seeding, I
had a < 0.1 PSA.  

Read all you can on the treatment options, talk to both a rad-doc
and a urologist.  They will schedule you for various tests.  I had
an MRI (with coil), bone scan, ultrasound. Take a few weeks to
decide and then go for it.

My bone scan was positive and scared the docs but it was just
fractured ribs.   Last February, I was fixing the pipes under the
sink and leaned on the edge of the baseboard.  Apparently it caused
a hairline fracture.  The pain was incredible.

It was so bad that I went to my primary care doc, seeking relief.
Since I was there, he did his usual blood screen, didn't like my 10+
PSA and that's how this adventure began.  "with that PSA, you are
beyond my skills, go see this guy, he's one of the top docs in the
area."  

Hi Larry,

I wish you did not have to be here but you found a great resource.  I was a
PSA 9, Gleason 7 at age 39.  Your numbers are in a range that is showing it
will be very curable.  Look in to all options and the success rate for the
Dr. you are going with on your decided treatment.  I did 6 Months of Lupron
and Casodex with 40 3DIMRT (3 dimensional Intensity Modulated Scanning
Radiation Treatments) at Stanford and am happy so far.  I am just a 4 years
past treatment and my PSA, which had stabilized at 0.3 for the past two plus
years) just dropped on my last test to 0.2.  Remember that the new tools,
techniques are so new and good that outcome rates from even 5 or more years
ago will not be fully accurate.  I see that others have given links to good
web pages for info so go read, ask questions.  Best wishes.

Dwight

Larry, since you are just a kid, go slow...I am 64.5 yrs old, had a
Gleason of 6 and PSA of 4.8, and TC1 so I had all the options.
Initially I wanted to have it out of my body but upon further
reflection, study, and a fortuitous coin flip, I opted for
Brachytherapy.  I did not combine it with any other treatment, my
radiologist said it would be overkill.  So far, a little over 2 months
past the seeding my main side effect is slower speed and some
discomfort with urination.  No control issues, no increase in night
time urination.  Sex is very good, somewhat less firm erections at
times but the plus side is no fluid when I ejaculate.  Still plenty of
pleasure so far,that is better than I anticipated.  I think it is very
important to go to a highly rated hospital for the treatment and get a
highly rated doctor.  best of luck...Ed