My
Prostate and I
19
November 2024
Those of you
who have visited my site for a while might remember that back in 2014, I had
to have a heart by-pass and that I documented my progress in “My
Cabbage and I”. I thought I would do the same in relation to my
current medical adventure, namely Prostate Cancer.
Some years
ago, I asked for a Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) test because my
father had prostate cancer, although he died with it, not of it, at 993/4!
My GP at the time essentially told me it was a waste of time as it gave
false results in both directions and I had no symptoms. He gave me the
‘finger test’ and said everything felt normal. I left it at that.
On 7 October
2024 I went for my annual blood test (this follows heart surgery
indefinitely I think and ensures the regular medication is not wrecking my
body!) and decided to push for a PSA test at the same time:
a) because I
was giving blood anyway so what’s one more phial;
b) because
there has been much more publicity about it over recent years (such as the
case of Bill Turnbull from BBC Breakfast);
c) My age
(76);
d) because
it was in the family.
I had had no
symptoms of anything awry at all. I had to have a telephone consultation
with the GP (is there any other kind?) to persuade her but she agreed to let
me have the test.
Two days
later, whilst I was on a windy corner in Otley, with the rain lashing down,
she rang to say the results were in and I was in the “dance-off” (for
Strictly fans!). At my age, the PSA reading should have been around 6.5
nanograms of PSA but it was 11.7. She had therefore arranged for me to get a
MRI scan at Airedale on 10 October 2024. Let no one say the NHS cannot move
fast when it wants to! Guess what, the photo showed a grinning tumour,
huddled against the side of the prostate, preparing its escape.
On 17
October 2024, I attended Airedale Hospital for a urine flow test – passed
– quite literally! I also had an ultrasound and another finger (she was
very gentle!). All this was a prelude to a biopsy which happened, again at
Airedale, on 22 October 2024.
For the
uninitiated, this involved having an enema before being strapped into a
chair with stirrups. It did occur to me that some people might pay good
money for this!
I asked her
to warn me if it was twins!
The nurse
(hopefully a well qualified one) sprayed a freezing solution on my perineum,
followed by a local anaesthetic. Gel and an ultrasonic transmitter were
inserted into my rectum. She then stuck a long (ish) needle/probe into the
aforementioned perineum and using an ultrasound image to help steer (I
trusted her to be a good driver!), she pushed the end of the probe into the
tumour to collect samples. The probe made a clicking noise, presumably every
time it ‘snipped’ a sample. A nurse was deployed to keep me distracted
and we talked holidays, jobs, grandchildren, you name it. She should have
been a hairdresser!
To be fair,
the procedure was not quite as bad as it sounds or as I expected, though I
wouldn’t recommend it as a party game.
After the
procedure, I was given padded paper knickers to wear to catch any remaining
‘ooze’!
When the
judges scores were in, my cancer was scored as a Gleason 7 (4+3) and a
tumour stage of early stage T3A.
The Gleeson
score grades prostate cells from 1 to 5. 1 and 2 are normal cells whereas 5
is horribly abnormal. The judges give 2 scores, the first one for the worst and the second for the rest. In my case the score of 7 overall is
4+3 which is slightly worse that 3+4. Just my luck!
There are
other complications to the scoring system all of which you can look up on
the Cancer Research UK website if it is a slow day!
The experts
involved have a Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) meeting to discuss the way
forward as a result of which I saw the oncologist on 14 November 2024 to
discuss treatment.
To put all
this into perspective and credit to the NHS, my prostate issue has
progressed through blood test - results – MRI – ultrasound – biopsy
(with more ultrasound) – results – MDT - oncologist all within 51/2
weeks which I think is pretty damn good.
Northern
Trains did their best to throw a spanner into the schedule but that’s
another story!
The eventual
treatment will be Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy or IMRT – the NHS runs
on acronyms/abbreviations!
A radiation
‘death ray’ (for the tumour!) is accurately shaped/focused to the
size/site of the tumour and minimising damage to surrounding tissues. It is
now regarded as the current NHS standard, offered by most NHS trusts.
There are
risks of side effects but if we worried unduly about potential side effects
(does anyone actually read the annoying little leaflets in tablet packs?),
one would not even take an aspirin. Why does the leaflet always obstruct
access to the tablets whichever way you open it?
My research
suggests percentage outcomes/side effects are favourable, both short and
long term, which the oncologist confirms.
As a prelude
tomorrow I start taking Bicalutamide for six months to put my tumour on a
starvation diet, by denying it testosterone. This should shrink it, making
the ‘death ray’ more effective. This will be about mid March 2025. More
details about that later on. The reduction of testosterone may have some
weird effects on me but we shall see.
I will keep
updated but the message I want to get across to all men over (say) 50/60 to
get a PSA test, especially if you are having a blood test for something
else. I had no symptoms of anything at all and almost on a whim, I had the
PSA test. I nearly didn’t bother. As a result, a potential death sentence
has hopefully been nipped in the bud. I have seen someone die of prostate
cancer and it is not a way I want to go! In fact, I am making a stand. I'm
not going!
I get the feeling from media that routine PSA screening maybe
round the corner but who knows when this will happen or for what age groups.
GET TESTED!
You never know.
All information on this
site is given in good faith and no liability is accepted in respect of any
damage, loss or injury which might result from acting on it.
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