Prostate Cancer

[Graeme]

Hi Graeme, please add me to the list of well-wishers - I hope everything goes to plan. Stay positive!

Thanks Leif.

[Graeme]

Statistically, it seems to be more likely that men will die with prostate cancer, not as a result of prostate cancer.

The urologist that gave me my diagnosis explained it in the same way. Most men that reach a good age will have prostate cancer when they die but it is rare for prostate cancer to kill anyone. Trouble is, once it starts it will spread and infect other organs or bones which is then life threatening. An enlarged prostate can be treated and never become cancerous.

[Graeme]

I am always thinking we need to more often step back and think in advance of these things,

Thanks Alan

Definitely. Doing nothing and ignoring symptoms is not good.

[Skitterbug]

Thankfully the treatment for prostate cancer has advanced and outlook is positive for success in defeating it. But as you point out, first one must know that cancer is present, and that all important PSA test is a starting point. My hubby was diagnosed, and his end treatment was surgery. No fun going through it, but he is alive and happy after nearly 20 years. My good wishes to you for your treatment and recovery.

[LineLaline]

That's perfectly fine, Graeme! I understand, it's such fun to do this kind of work.
Let me know how you're getting on and if you think I could help

[Graeme]

Thankfully the treatment for prostate cancer has advanced

Thank you Skitterbug. Yes the PSMA PET CT scan machine they used is quite new and reassuringly accurate. Also the radiographer described their new beam therapy machine as highly focused and accurate, so that's good too. They did propose inserting gold pellets into my prostate in a similar procedure to the biopsy, to use for targeting but thankfully the new machine does a 3D scan instead. They still do the target tattoos. I wanted a 60s Who type Mod design but I just got dots like everyone else!

[Graeme]

So the radioactive marker is in some way married/attracted/attached to the cancer cells, presumably some sort of bond at the molecular level, and the marker molecules clustering around their favorite cancer cells, when they emit gamma rays, those show up as a cluster of gamma rays from the target?

A body with no cancer cells would not cluster the marker, and so the gamma rays would not be clustered?

Is that how the detection goes?
Cheers, Chris

Sounds about right.

So, researchers have been developing and testing other imaging agents that can find prostate cancer cells specifically in the body, Dr. Shankar explained.

As their name implies, PET-CT scans combine a CT scan with a PET scan, another type of nuclear imaging test that requires patients to receive intravenous injections of a radioactive “tracer” that can be detected on the scan.

In a PSMA PET-CT, the tracer used for the PET scan includes a molecule that specifically binds to the PSMA protein, which is often found in large amounts on prostate cancer cells. That molecule is linked to a radioactive compound, or radioisotope. The radioisotope used in the Australian trial is called gallium-68 (Ga-68).

From this article.

[GeoffW]

I'll add screening for another form of cancer. Bowel cancer screening takes place with a very small stool sample. If there's a positive indication, a colonoscopy is indicated. We get free test kits every 2 years in Australia, from age 50 to 74 - after that, the risks from a colonoscopy become too great.

My MIL died from colon cancer. She ignored symptoms for a long time, until it was too late. It was a long and painful journey.

[Graeme]

That's a good add Geoff. We get that one through the letter box once you get to 50 in the UK. I've not seen one for a while though.

[PJ_in_FL]

During research I performed on other cancers, I came across this study.

Graeme, my best wishes to you for a successful treatment and many years of continued excellent astrophotography. Dang it man, I really like your photos!

[Graeme]

During research I performed on other cancers, I came across this study.

Graeme, my best wishes to you for a successful treatment and many years of continued excellent astrophotography. Dang it man, I really like your photos!

Thanks PJ.

That's an interesting article. Invermectin sounds like a very promising potential future cancer treatment. Shame there are no current clinical trials happening.

I hope you're managing to stay safe from storm Ian.

[Graeme]

Had my last session of radiotherapy today. It was emotional! So, just waiting for a zero PSA test result now.

The radiotherapy sessions are trouble free but the side effects are quite tiring and mostly in the category of "too much information" for a polite conversation forum. If anyone finds themselves about to face a similar situation and has any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Regards

Graeme

[HansV]

Thanks for the update. I sincerely hope that the therapy will work, and that the side effects will be tolerable. All the best!

[Leif]

Good luck, Graeme!

[StuartR]

Best of luck

[Skitterbug]

Hi Graeme - A zero in a PSA test would be exactly the gift you need this holiday season! Take care!

[Amelia43]

Thank you for sharing your journey, Graeme. A critically important and educational experience for Lounge members, for which we are grateful. I wish you every success after your treatment, and a zero PSA will be the icing on the Christmas cake for you and your family.
Very warm wishes
Dianne

[ChrisGreaves]

Had my last session of radiotherapy today. It was emotional! So, just waiting for a zero PSA test result now.
The radiotherapy sessions are trouble free but the side effects are quite tiring and mostly in the category of "too much information" for a polite conversation forum. If anyone finds themselves about to face a similar situation and has any questions, please feel free to PM me.

Graeme, I am glad to hear/read that you are in good spirits, despite the extra labour that has been loaded onto you; trips to doctors/hospitals and the like.I endorse the comments to date. Know that you are loved, especially for your ability to "explain things"
I add that I, for one, have an omnivorous appetite for knowledge, and I would not object to a few snippets of "Did you know...?".
Any member of Eileen's Lounge who finds Too Much Information can always ask us (all) about the PgDn key.
Be of Good Cheer
Chris

[DocAElstein]

Thanks Graeme,
When someone that has a real problem to worry about shares it with us, it can help us to remember how lucky a lot of us are, IMO.
We can sometimes be a dumb animal us Humans and wait until we have a real problem to show the full resources and stamina we need to get over them. I don’t get how everyday hard stress and problems, no matter how big, can cause people to be making themselves ill about it.
We worked to 11 last night, totally wore ourselves out, to rip a hole in the ground to fill with concrete this morning to meet a critical deadline.
But now ‘snow work today… someone filled it for us in the night - with muddy freezing water and snow.
I laughed my head off, , they think I am mad, but I think more about people like you who have something to worry about, and hard and stressful things to do, and think myself lucky and thank my lucky stars for it.
Best wishes to you.

[BobArch2]

Hope you get great news on the PSA test results Graeme …