More info from Dr. H - The Radialogist Oncologist

At Monday's meeting, the good Dr. H. spend over an hour with me. He provided a lot of information on treatment options, allowed me answer questions and didn't even get mad when my cell phone rang.

Here is what surprised me the most; when I asked him how long I probably had prostate cancer, he indicated it started 10 years ago! Ten years!

He gave me a rule of thumb; men that are 40 year old have a 40% probability of having cancer. Men who are 50 years of age, 50% of them have some degree of prostate cancer. At 60 years of age, 60% of these guys have prostate cancer. You can see the relationship! If I would live to 100, there is a 100% chance that I would have gotten the monster!

He also indicated that it takes about 10 years for prostate cancer to get to 1 cm diameter size. He told me that my cancer probably started with as a low grade cancer and then progress to the Gleason Score of 9.

So I had prostate cancer since I was 40. This was an interesting statement because it sent chills through me. In the past, I sensed something was wrong. I once attended a Prostate Cancer Fund Raising dinner at the Halifax Convention Centre and as the doctor was doing his presentation, I was thinking that I was going to get this "thing". I then went in to denial for a couple of years until I got a PSA test. My PSA where higher than normal and additional results increased slowly. When my family doctor did his DRE (finger in butt) exam, he thought one side of the prostate was slightly enlarged. But I was told not to worry, the exam was considered normal. I accepted this. But the little voice inside me said I was going to have a problem. And I did and thank God my doctor was diligent in monitoring the PSA.

Now the little voice inside me, tells me that the monster is gone, but this could be wishful thinking. I pray about this every time I go for my walks with Max.

Dr. H did not push the additional radiation and hormone therapy. He told me I have 4 to 6 weeks from now to make a decision and he wanted the surgery to completely heal before radiation was done. He stressed that whatever decision I make, I need to be comfortable with it.

A couple of other facts. If I don't have the radiation now, I can have it later if my PSA starts to climb. If there is a stray prostate cell and if it is cancerous, it will release PSA (Prostate-Specific Antigen). So if the PSA starts to increase, the monster did not go away. Only prostate cells, no matter where they are ,can generate PSA, so this test will become so important in the future.

The rate at which the PSA level increase will determine where the cancer may be located. This is called PSA Velocity. If the PSA levels double within one year, then the cancer has probably spread to an area away from the prostate area. If the PSA levels double in a time period greater than one year, then the cancer is most likely in the prostate area and then I could have radiation at that time (in the prostate area).

So I will read more, ask more questions, talk to God and then to my friends (in this order). The reason I will talk to my friends after I pray to the Big Guy is because I believe God talks through people. I am not smart enough to hear God directly but I do listen to my friends.