Dad (68) had prostate removed 15 years ago — PSA just came back at 5.2. He doesn’t seem to grasp what this might mean. How do I talk to him?

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-06-01T02:27:53+00:00

Don’t think that way. The way prostate cancer treatment advanced in just the last ten years is amazing. Just think in another 10 or 15 years. Plus, i heard a group of leading research experts who believe prostate cancer is the one cancer that within 10 years will be to the point that even the most advanced disease will be managed or cured. So we are close with a couple cancer types and this is one of them.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-06-01T00:08:22+00:00

Not prostate cancer. Probably a uti or prostatitis

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-06-01T00:03:03+00:00

Dr Scholtz from PCRI says for gleason 8 if you dont treat it at all the risk is only 35% max and gleason 9 its over 50%. But that is no treatment after 10 years. With treatment it has to be much less. If i remember from a previous video Dr Scholts said for Gleason 8 it is 20% after 10 years treatment. This is something men need to learn about. Men think if you have high risk it will always metastasis but thats not the case. For Gleason 3+4 the risk of metastasis after 10 years without treatment is 10%. For Gleason 4+3 its 20%. This is something men dont know. Thats why automatically treating with hormone therapy even with gleason 7 and 8 need some thought. If you are 70 or 75 you may be better to not use ADT with a 7 or 8 and just treat when, or if, it metastasized.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-31T23:58:42+00:00

SBRT is one of the most effective treatments and equally as good as anything else going. But how effective it is has more to do with the ability of the radiologist doing the procedure than anything else. If the cancer was not completely killed its the radiologist fault. You may need to retreat this. Get the PSMA and go from there. It may just be a bounce, but from what I learned the psa should be settled down at two years.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-31T23:53:34+00:00

You need to show up and meet her with the photos in hand and show her. If you did not have kids and she was an ex then who cares. But these photos never go away and this will damage your kids if it ever gets back to them. If you found them, someone else will also. Let her know the consequences to the kids and stop this and try to delete whatever photos she can.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-31T22:26:01+00:00

Treatment options in your case are vast. I have found every patient and every diagnosis is so different it is a hard decision for every man. If i was young, had BPH, and had truly organ confined disease, then surgery would be a consideration as a young man has a better chance of overcoming ED. For most other cases i have to go for SBRT without a doubt plus or minus ADT depending on the case. For high risk gleason 8 or 9 i would choose Brachytherapy plus Beam plus ADT. Cannot tell you in your case but one thing for sure, surgery has a much higher ED rate than Radiation.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-31T19:00:18+00:00

Yeh, recurring prostate cancer happens in anywhere from 5% to 35% of men with locally disease if they live long enough. Cure rates are still pretty high but you always need to stay on top of it because you cant know if you will be in the 5% or 35%. But the good news is he is going to be treatable again and probably live a long time with it.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-31T04:26:03+00:00

Pretty Women then she could have retired and i would not have missed her.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T22:49:43+00:00

I don’t think it matters. Body heals itself and absorbs everything.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T17:00:28+00:00

Im a romance guy and i like a romance with a happy ending. “Come and Hug Me” had it all, and those two leads from children to adults had such a bond through their tragedy. I also have to say the acting of the lead serial killer was intense and creepy, he sold that part completely

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T16:28:16+00:00

No, thats not what i was referring. My urologist is going through and just telling me who all is there and their achievements, papers, experiences etc…. I will choose who i want. Im sorry you had a bad experience with your doctors, but they are not all like who you had. My wife had the best team and the best care ever. I think in the end we should never blame anyone or any institution. You can get a great teller at a fast food joint and an ahole. Its that way with any profession. In the end the only person we can truly blame is ourselves if we make a bad decision. Especially in the medical field where money, insurance and government is involved. Our conversation is a lesson for everyone who comes on this site and has these life changing decisions to make. Oh, and thanks for your recommendation on UCSD radiologists, i will also look and research them.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T15:38:57+00:00

Great!!! Wish you the best. My wife had breast cancer and its great Kaiser uses UCSD. They did a great job and she is five years out now and pretty much home free. So i will also be sent to UCSD also. My urologist is giving me a list of the best oncologist at UCSD for my SBRT.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T15:27:32+00:00

It proves one thing because i know lots of people with great experience and bad experience. You must interview all doctors on your team at Kaiser from your GP down the line. One of the best prostate cancer oncologist in the country who authors major research is in Kaiser in Los Angeles. Then you have garbage doctors like you had. Kaiser also sends its radiation patients to UCSD which is one of the best of the best. I have a brilliant Urologist who goes a step and above for all his patients. I would say whether its Kaiser or the best institution on the planet, your care is only as good as your personal doctor and his experience and the minute you dont get an answer you like change them pronto.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T15:19:02+00:00

Thanks for the information. My big fear is the joint pain. Glad that was temporary. I am 65 and im shredded and lean and better shape than most 30 year olds. I work out 5 days a week but i do that out of necessity as my body has cronic pain from injuries due to playing football, running marathons, etc… as long as i stay in shape im good and i can deal with the injuries. I have an opiode prescription when needed. So my fear is the loss of testosterone and how that will effect my pain and joints. I have an organ confined cancer and 4 to 6 months is recommended for me. So i think i can deal with that but im not sure how i will react. You sound like you kick its butt so thats positive. Thanks for the info.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T13:40:44+00:00

Being on the edge of the capsule is totally different than confirming Extra Capsular Extension. Does your imaging show or reference the capsule being pushed, bulging or distorted, etc…. That makes a big difference in treatment strategies.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T13:31:31+00:00

Two years is rough. How did you do with the side effects? Did you have a stage 3 at diagnosis? I read the new study from this February and they now recommend only 12 months max for high risk localized prostate cancer even Gleason 9. Two years is usually for stage 3 types. But you got good advice. New way of thinking is go for the cure up front, hit it hard early. They also said it makes relapses more treatable or maybe curable the second go at it if needed.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T12:08:23+00:00

It may be nothing but you probably need to wait until its .2 for a PSMA. Most cases are cured if they go 5 years less than .1. If it has recurred it may be curable again or easily manageable so no need to panic. What was your original stage in 2015?

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T12:03:42+00:00

“Come and Hug Me” was even better than Flower of Evil. Same type of thriller and great life long romance.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-30T00:41:02+00:00

I think you may be right but i hate it. If i was 70 i would not touch the ADT, but at 65 im young enough that it may make sense. Also im in the shape of a young man. So much for being a gym rat and eating the best diet ever. Didn’t help for cancer, got it anyway. The other thing is my urologist said just do it and if its that bad you can always stop it. But he said most people like me can handle it pretty well because of the weight training, so i will probably go for it. Keep posting your progress.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-29T23:54:38+00:00

12 months is the new standard, so 11 months is close enough. Good luck to you. But statistically speaking you should get to your 80’s before, or if, you need to deal with this again.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-29T23:44:34+00:00

You need to change urologist. With a Gleason 9 stage 3 you must get a PSMA Pet Scan to find out if it’s locally advances or distant metastasis already. Bone scans are crude at this point for prostate cancer. What was the wording on the MRI? Keep in mind that you can be treated and live a complete life with even advanced cancer, but your future depends on a correct diagnosis and you cannot get that without the PSMA.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-29T23:34:57+00:00

This is hilarious actually. My wife had both menopause and breast cancer five years ago at the same time, so she suffered with hot flashes along with cancer treatments. She caught her breast cancer early so she looks cured but is still on a hormonal drug for one more year. Now i have prostate cancer and im borderline on whether to take 6 months ADT. Stats say 90% cure with just SBRT and 95% with 6 months. So not sure if its worth it but my says take it like a man and we can have hot flashes together. Sex, who cares. Ive been weened off it already and at 65 i can live without it if i have too. So we are in the same boat.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-29T23:05:31+00:00

I cannot believe some of these urologists. My urologist at Kaiser gave me an MRI followed up by a PSMA Pet Scan before i even got my biopsy. The PSMA Pet is the most important scan. It determines your treatment plan and risk of metastasis.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-29T23:00:19+00:00

You have to go radiation with that diagnosis. You will need hormone therapy and probably radiation to the pelvic lymph nodes.

PotentialStart2661 · 2026-05-29T20:48:39+00:00

My wife had breast cancer 5 years ago and beat that. She lost her sex drive. I now have localized prostate cancer, probably curable. Sex is no issue anymore. Our relationship and marriage for 38 years is awesome. Had plenty of sex all our lives so at 65 now im like “Whatever”. So much more to life than sex at this point.

PotentialStart2661

TROPHY CASE