Prostate Problems

[HelenaM]

My 80 year old grand father has been to see a consultant today after some recent ill health. He has a lump on his prostate and requires a bone scan. I'm a bit confused because the consultant has not said whether it is a malignant growth or not, but they have said (despite the fact that grandad is incredibly fit) that they are not proposing to treat it and "wait and see". Surely if it is malignant it needs treating asap, since treating it later, it could be bigger, or have spread. Also he will be older and surely his chances slimmer. My mum and nan are in bits, I'm not much better. They have said for him to go back in 3 months for a further check.

Where can I get some more information about this? I've got the cash and am willing to pay for him to go private if that is what is needed. I am a bit concerned that the NHS is writing him off because of his age. Am I worrying too much?

[Mirror]

Don't let him "wait and see" Please tell him to have a Urologist look at it and get a second, even third opinion. I have an uncle with the same problem and five years it was discovered that his lump deteriorated into cancer. But it's too late to be treated because the cancer has spread through out his body. As you know there's no cure at the moment for such illness, but, the scientist and doctors are treating him with experimental drugs. He's their guinea pig.

It the lump was treated immediately when it was discovered my Uncle would be fine today. Again, please have your grandad get it taken care of immediately.

Let me know if you want

[Mirror]

Don't let him "wait and see" Please tell him to have a Urologist look at it and get a second, even a third opinion. I have an uncle with the same problem and five years it was discovered that his lump deteriorated into cancer. It's now too late to be treated because the cancer has spread through out his body. As you know, there's no cure at the moment for such illness, but, the scientist and doctors are treating him with experimental drugs. He's their guinea pig.

If the lump was treated immediately when it was discovered, my Uncle would be fine today. Again, please have your grandad get it taken care of immediately.

[Mirror]

I have no idea what happened, why two post. Sorry.

[Huderon]

You are worrying too much.

OK, if your grandfather does have prostate cancer, which will be confirmed by a biopsy, a bone scan is routine. It is done because the cancer cells can get out of the prostate via the lymph nodes and have a wander round the body. The trouble is they like to settle down and choose bones to settle on where they will continue to grow. The bone scan will show if this has already happened.

The biopsy will confirm the presence of cancer in the prostate and will also tell how aggressive the cancer is. If it isn't very aggressive, the wait and see option is what the consultant will go for (it used to be called "watchful waiting"). The reason is that a cancer which is not very aggressive will grow slowly, and given your grandfather's age, he's a lot more likely to be killed by something other than prostate cancer.

So to give you a bit of perspective ... in my case the prostate cancer was moderately aggressive, and had I opted for no treatment at all it would, according to the consultant, have taken around 15 years to kill me.

There are two main treatments for prostate cancer, surgery and radiotherapy. Radiotherapy is available in two forms, external or brachytherapy which involves inserting rice grain size bits of radioactive iodine into the prostate. I opted for the latter but, because of my age, had to have a short course of external radiotherapy as well.

I believe there is now a third form of treatment which involves a form of immunisation (well think of it that way anyway :-) ), BUT it is relatively new - as in it was still experimental 5 or 6 years ago - and is likely to be available only to a limited number of people meeting certain criteria. An no, I have no idea what those criteria are !

[Ice.Maiden]

However, Helena - on the "plus" side - a friend of mine found not one, but two such lumps. This was 6 years ago. His doctor told him they were nothing to worry about, and that if they enlarged or became uncomfortable, then that was the time to go back. The lumps've got no worse, and in fact, one appears to've shrunk, so don't automatically assume that a prostate lump's going to be cancer. They can be harmless cysts.

[naflharrison]

my grandfather who is nearly 80 but as fit as a healthy 60 yr old has been treated for prostate cancer for the last 2 yrs. it is frightening when they start on about lumps and bone scans but a lump on the prostate does not always mean it is cancer. prostate cancer is as said before a very slow growing cancer and men as young as mid 30's can have enlarged prosates and not know about it until they are much older. its not nice but if it does become cancer and they are at a ripe old age they do not neccessarily operate as soon as. my grandfather was only operated on twice as he could not pee and they found that he had 3ltrs of urine in his bladder. he still is unwell with it but leading his active life as normal. consultants will be more inclined to let it go for a while due to their age until it is really affecting their day to day living.