This is music to my ears.  I chose my course of action based on the
statistics and probabilities and assessment of the uncertainties.

Worked for me.  I can be about 60% confident that treatment extended my
lifespan by about 30 years.

Leonard Evens on this group is a math professor who can interpret any set of
numbers.  So ask your hardest questions here.

jimhoney
Gleason 6, PSA 5.6, T2c; cured by standard RRP in 2002 age 52, no
significant aftereffects

Hi, Ernest..... welcome to the club that nobody wants to join!
I'm sorry that you need to be here, but there is much info to be gained by
talking to others who have *been there*.  So ask away!

Two sites you might want to visit if you have not done so:
www.phoenix5.org and www.cooleyville.com  .  They are two of the best sites
for information on this disease and its treatment options.

Sounds like your background will come in very handy here. Take your time,
sift through everything you can find, ask questions, and then make your
decision as to what is best for *you*.  Then, never look back!

Take care!
MikeH

Hi, Ernie.  Welcome to the club that you never wanted to join.  While I feel
you are being somewhat amusing, PCa has become somewhat of a patient-doctor
decision making process.  I suspect that would be the same in any disease
that has several solutions, each with different side-effects.

Dr. Google is wonderful, but if you want to narrow your search,
www.Phoenix5.org is a very good place to read from beginning to end.  Dr.
Walsh's book on Prostate Cancer is the other most of us carry in our
arsenal.

But, now that you found us, let me do that which you were looking for here.
Welcome you, which I have done, and tell you that Gleason 6, Stage T1c, and
5.6 PSA is about as good as it gets.  Most here were not diagnosed with less
than a 4.0 PSA.  There are precious few here that were diagnosed with T1c.
Maybe 10% of us had a Gleason of T1c and none that I know of had better.
About 40% of us were at Stage 6, but none that I know of was at Stage 5.
So, among us, you are the model for a cure.

   Welcome to the group Ernie.  And let me be the first to thank you for
not being named David.

   Two wildcards that you will want to include in your analysis are the
evil twin "I's", incontinence and impotence.  From what I can tell they are
not necessarily age related, at least not to a strong degree.  What is that,
the "r" for coefficient of correlation?   Statistics class was in 1966.
That is a long time ago and the memory is not so good anymore.  Anyway, I
came in to this thinking I would not have any problem with getting back
control of the urine, but alas, I was wrong.  I am about ten weeks post op
now, and still using five pads a day, same as when the catheter was removed.
I had ED going in, so I did not really expect much in that department.
   As you say, gather all the facts that you can and figure the odds like
Jim did.  In the end you make the treatment decision and have to live with
the consequences.
   Good luck.  Hope you enjoy it here.  There is no place better to hang
out.
   Thank you.
David S.

Ernie, welcome to a great site for support and learning. Everyone is
very open and you will receive helpful input on any questions you may
have. Let me also introduce myself:
Age 62
Retired mechanical engineer
PSA May 1, 2003 5.9 Total, % Free .58
Biopsy May 20, 2003: Gleason Grade of 3+4=7,
RRP Aug. 1, 2003; Gleason Grade of 3+4=7, 15% of gland involved
One nerve bundle saved
Perineural invasion present on left side that nerve bundle removed;
Lymph nodes-no evidence of malignancy; Tumor was organ confined.
Next PSA Nov. 3, 2003...
  You are correct. It does take you back to the project engineering
days. That is a good way to look at it. There are no perfect
solutions. Find the best resolution for you. Find the one you are most
comfortable with and don't look back. There are many personal and
medical factors to consider. Skill of the medical teams to which you
have access is extremely important. Knowing the extent of the cancer
and assuring elimination to the highest degree possible was most
important to me. Upon concluding what I believe was right for me, I
searched for the doctor and facility I believed could do the job with
the least problems. Results can vary significantly based on the skills
of the team. Going purely on general averages can be a mistake. I am
very happy with my choices. Stay optimistic. Things will work out.
Good luck. We are here for support.

Steve M.

   

Welcome Ernie, www.cooleyville.com is now www.prostate-help.org...you
will find tons of info, studies and chatrooms....each one of us made our
treatment selection based upon our needs, research, other opinions,
medical history and etc.....take the extra time to investigate and study
all treatment options and select the best for your situation.....we only
have one chance at this......Good luck!

Keith Lundy/So. California
40 Proton Beam Radiation Treatments
Loma Linda  Univ.Med Ctr..3/03-5/03

hi ernest,  boy, your results sound a lot like mine. except i got hit
with this pca 8 years before you did.

your choice of treatment looks good as to what's available to you and
what direction you want to go.  

you will hear it often - research, research, research.  and then after
you decide, go for it.

i will say welcome to the club you didn't want to join.  although the
membership fee is high, but the good news is - if you do your homework
right, you can get a rebate.  like erections, continence, and a very
good life.

best of luck

~ curtis

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional