Avodart

[Guest guest]

The reason for the Avodart was 'to shrink' it. I am leaning

towards 'brachytherapy' and he said that to perform that procedure,

the prostate should be X and mine was 40-50 grams. something like

that, I would have to check my notes.

It is funny the way we all react to cancer. Naturally, first

diagnosis is like you get smacked in the gut. After much research and

talk, you see that although it is never welcome, you can deal with

it. Fact of the matter, it is probably one of the most treatable

cancers. That being said, I feel that everyone walking on the this

earth will have to deal with some form of cancer..it is that rampant.

With all the additives, pollution and state of the earth, it would be

suprising for anyone to make it through a lifetime without some form.

thanks

Dan

>

> > Last May, my PSA was rising so i went to a urologist. He did

> > the digital exam and said for safety sake, let's take an

> > ultrasound. Once in there, or up there (pardon the pun), he

> > said it would be best to take some samples and 'snipped' 12

> > core samples. The result was 1 came back with cancer. At that

> > time, my psa was 3.7 He started me on avodart and i went back

> > for a psa test in september and it was 2.1. I have decided to

> > continue and will be going back on jan 5 for an updated psa.

> >

> > Basically, I am 'watchful waiting/acitve surveillance' and

> > will report back after 1/5.

>

> Dan,

>

> I'm curious to know why the doctor prescribed Avodart. If he's

> prescribing Avodart for its principal use, relieving urinary

> problems caused by an enlarged prostate, then I understand. If

> he's doing it for the cancer, I'm curious as to why.

>

> Avodart will lower the PSA and possibly slow the progression of

> the cancer, but I can think of pros and cons to both of those

> outcomes.

>

> The possible advantage of slowing the progression of the cancer

> is obvious. The possible disadvantages are:

>

> Reducing PSA could mask further progression. Some say that you

> should double your PSA numbers when using Avodart in order to

> see what the untreated number would be.

>

> Avodart might suppress some of the hormone sensitive cancer

> cells, but one theory has it that doing so can leave more

> biological " room " for the hormone insensitive cancer cells to

> grow, perhaps making future hormone therapy, if you ever need

> it, less effective. However that's only speculation. I don't

> think anyone has any real data on this theory. There are other

> theories that come to the exact opposite conclusion.

>

> In any case, your program of watchful waiting certainly seems

> justified with only one of 12 samples showing cancer.

>

> If you haven't done it yet, I suggest that you get the biopsy

> Gleason score from the doc. You might also ask him what he

> thinks about whether it's desirable to get a second opinion on

> the biopsy slides (which only requires sending the slides to

> another lab, not getting another biopsy). I got three different

> scores from three different labs on the exact same samples. The

> scores were: 3+3, 3+4, 4+3.

>

> You also want to keep good records on your PSA values.

>

> > I am suprised how many people have surgery so quickly but as

> > everyone mentions, you have to do what you feel is the best

> > course of action. I have read that many dr's and people in

> > the know say that the 'treatment' is worse than the disease.

> > We will see!

>

> Yes, there is no question that prostate cancer is overtreated.

> Some cases that will probably never beocme life threatening are

> treated with significant impacts on the patients quality of

> life.

>

> But human emotions are involved. It's not easy for many of us

> to know that they have a growing cancer inside them and not take

> action to treat it. At the time that I was diagnosed I knew

> nothing at all about cancer except that it was a killer. I was

> in shock and had trouble understanding the doctor's view that I

> was not facing a medical emergency.

>

> Good luck.

>

> Alan

>