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Steve Z 60, Male
ME
United States
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Newly Diagnosed with PC at 51 - Be Aggessive or Passive?

Replied Jun 25

saturation biopsy

Replied Mar 18

saturation biopsy

Replied Mar 17

 

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Steve Z replied to Paul Kowalczyk's discussion 'Newly Diagnosed with PC at 51 - Be Aggessive or Passive?'June 25
Paul, That was a lot of needles - that wasn't very much cancer. Take you time and don't do anything that you are not comfortable doing. Consider all you options. If you don't think you would be comfortable on a surveillance routine, consider foc...
Steve Z replied to Kathy Meade's discussion 'Decision making. What treatment?' in the group Primary IssuesJune 24
Kathy, Thanks for posting this. It is good to see that at least some docs (how many?) are discussing treatment and non-treatment options as well as treatment side effects. I would only offer that there was another option that was not discussed (a...
Steve Z replied to Richard L.'s discussion 'Final Outcomes of Patients with Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Suitable for Active Surveillance but Treated Surgically' in the group Active SurveillanceJune 24
My mapping biopsy cost $4800 USD, and my insurance would not pre-approve the procedure. They did pay out on most of the resubmitted claim, so I ended up out of pocket about $1000 USD. In a public health context, you'd have to wonder about how cos...
Steve Z replied to Richard L.'s discussion 'Final Outcomes of Patients with Low-Risk Prostate Cancer Suitable for Active Surveillance but Treated Surgically' in the group Active SurveillanceJune 24
I'm with Dr. Chodak - nothing new here. I continue to be puzzled and somewhat amazed that this and similar studies seem to imply that the shortcomings of conventional (12 needle trans-rectal) biopsy are something new. I still don't understand why...

Profile Information

Have you been diagnosed with prostate cancer?
Yes
What brings you to the New Prostate Cancer InfoLink social network?
Dr. Kongrad 's request
Would you help us grow the network? Would you tell others about it?
yes and have told others
About Me:
Diagnosed with low volume Gleason 6 cancer in May of '07. I did not want to accept the risks associated with the RP urologists recommended.

Uncomfortable on Active Surveillance, I underwent a 3-D mapping prostate biopsy on Sept 5, '08 at the University of Colorado Cancer Center in Denver. Of 51 cores, 2 of them came back positive with 10% low risk Gleason 6(3/3) cancer; there was also an area of PIN.

Based on the results, I felt I could stay on a surveillance routine, but I chose to treat the cancer while the biopsy data was current; I went with a low risk treatment for the low risk disease. On Oct 10, '08 about 50% of my prostate was treated with cryotherapy. There were no incisions. I was on a catheter for five days, and came off the catheter continent. I was put on low-dose Cialis and was able to resume sexual activity less than two weeks after the procedure. I stopped taking the Cialis soon afterward; by three months after the procedure, the only side effect was less ejaculate. My three month check-up went well. PSA was 1.7, down from my usual 2.5, DRE was smooth and normal, flow test and urine retention both fine (no surprise).

At the six month point: normal DRE, PSA 2.6 - not what I wanted to see PSA-wise, but not unexpected; it seems it takes about a year for the prostate to sort things out after the trauma of treatment. Things still fine as far as potency and continence. The big test will be the rebiopsy at the one year point.

Johns Hopkins is now running a clinical trial on focal cryo for patients with low risk PCa. FMI see http://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00774436 .

I started the Low Risk PCa Treatment Options Group on TNPCI to provide men with low risk PCa a place to discuss and compare their options for dealing with it.

My story is on the YANA board at the URL below.
Website:
http://www.yananow.net/Mentors/SteveZ.htm

Cryo Links

There is information on focal cryo at:

http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/novelthr/Weissman_FocalTherapy.html

http://www.riverside-urology.com/index.php?page=Prostate-Cancer-Cryosurgery-Video (cites 3 studies about 2/3rds of the way through)

http://alprostate.com/ (my treatment choice - good info on 3-D mapping prostate biopsy)

http://www.hopeforprostatecancer.com/gon-lumpectomy.asp (Onik seems to be the first to adopt the procedure).

Comment Wall (18 comments)

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At 9:20pm on February 6, 2009, George A. Brown said…
Hi Steve,
I went to the 19th Vail Symposium on PC last week and had lunch with Dr. Al Barquari.He really remembers you. Said you were the best and smartest patient he ever had. Wished you the best. George
At 12:48pm on February 2, 2009, Jean said…
A lurcher? Well you certainly gave me a much needed smile on that one Steve. Though I normally prefer to listen rather than talk, the only reason I did not participate in the discussion was because I didn't have anything to contribute. There is so much to learn on this topic isn't there? Plus like most things, the more I learn the more I feel I don't know anything at all about this. I am getting the impression though that we are on a cusp of new treatments that eventually will take us away from just opening a body and ripping out a diseased section. Won't that be wonderful?
Wendell had his biopsy and took it very well. He was uncomfortable on the day of the biopsy and took it easy the following day. We will not hear the results until Feb. 5 but are continuing to believe that it will be a localized cancer in one lobe. The doctor did find 3 calcium deposits and commented that one might be the "hardness" that he felt. I don't want to get my hopes up.
At 6:47pm on January 24, 2009, Jean said…
Thank you for inviting me to be a "friend". I am still trying to learn how to use this site so I was unaware that my name would not be attached to my comments. So yes it was me that was asking about HIFU. My husband and I want to look at all possible treatments. I understand that HIFU is suggested for only certain circumstances but the more education the better hmm? Though we live in Idaho, I happen to be a Canadian so it would not scare me or my husband to have treatment in Canada if we really believed that it was the route to go. If you can shed any light on this or the Cryosurgery I would certainly appreciate it. Jean
At 10:30am on January 24, 2009, TV said…
thanks for inviting me.
At 12:55pm on January 4, 2009, Robert Erickson said…
I wanted to add my CD before my Cryo showed PCa invasion into the left seminal vesicle and left superior neurovascular bundle confirmed by biopsy; so the CD seems like a good imaging tool, at least, from Dr Bahn's prodecures.

Bob
At 11:58am on January 4, 2009, Robert Erickson said…
Hi Steve,

George said you would like to talk to other cryo patients. My case was different than yours on account of my GS 9 and pT3bN0M0 stage. I chose cryo over radiation on account of the numerous comments about radiation possibly making the PCa worse in subsequent years.
My procedure was uneventful except I had incontinence issues(urgency and lack of control) for approx 5 months. I have been off pads for 2 weeks now and no problems to date. My follow up appointment with Dr Bahn is Feb 3 for CD ultrasound and possible biopsies. My current PSA is <0.01 but my final Lupron shot was Oct 9, 08 and I quit taking Casodex on Dec 25, 08 so I am still under the influence of ADT. I am remaining on Avodart since my Medical Oncologist has some possible info that it will help.
My concerns are that supposedly high GS does not produce a lot of PSA so I am looking for methods to determine the status of my PCa. Well enough for now; what is it that you would like to discuss with me and other cryo partakers.

Robert Erickson
At 12:05am on January 1, 2009, George A. Brown said…
Steve,
New member Robert Erickson who just joined had Cryo and I sent him your name. Also I believed he joined Cryo Group. I will be sending you some email addresses for guys that had Cryo at the Univ. of CO Hosp, however, I need to contact them first. Have a really New Year George
At 8:54am on December 24, 2008, Steve Z said…
Recovery has gone well. I was off Cialis after two weeks. After six weeks, I realized I wasn't having to get up at night to go.

I'll have my first follow-up PSA next month and get rebiopsied next October back in Denver.
At 9:55pm on December 23, 2008, George A. Brown said…
Hi Steve,
Thanks for the friend invite. I read you story on YANA. What you say about the University of Colorado Hospital and Dr. Barqawi are how I found the Hospital and Dr. to be. Al is a stand up guy and very proficient in Cryo. The hospital is the best I have ever experienced. Al spoke to our Us Too group and a lot of his patients were there including Mike Landis. How are things and PSA's going. Well, I hope

George Brown
At 11:33am on December 21, 2008, Steve Z said…
Mike's story is at http://www.thedenverchannel.com/prostatecancer/index.html

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