prostate cancer?

[dave h]

my dad has just been disgnosed with advanced prostate cancer. does anyone have experience of this in their family and how this progresses?i have been advised to have a psa test a s a p to determine wether i have it too as it ispossibly a genetic thing.my dad is 73 i am 50.should i worry or is there cause for hope?

[essdee]

My dad had it, and he was told that many men die WITH the disease rather than OF it.Hope this helps

[lestermount]

If the cancer is still confined to the prostate then his chances for treatment and cure are good. If the cancer has spread it is more difficult. At your age you should be having a psa with your annual check ups. They do not know if this is genetic, but every male has the potential for prostate problems. Between the ages of 50 to 59 you have a 50% chance of some problems, not necessarily cancer. When you are older than 60 your odds go up. You must have testing done on a regular schedule. With early detection prostate cancer is easily treatable.

[Paul S]

my father died about 10 years ago of prostate cancer . the progress is individual he chose not to fight it ( but by then he had secondaries in the bone ) so it was mainly pain relief he had the hormone shots and there was a radioactive drip he had.My dad was 65 when he went , my advice if I may ? take each day as it comes, enjoy every moment and if he is like mine was and not overly demonstrative hug him often because I promise you , it is the memories that are left that help.I have a psa every yr it is only a blood test it is a good indicator whether you may have a problem but touch wood that is not a problem I have at the moment paul

[joelyboy]

I'm sorry to hear your news. My experience of prostate cancer has been by my work as a practising UK doctor with several jobs in oncology care. It would be foolish to fill you with false promises and at a time like this most people need transparency and honesty not euphemisms. The psa tests are only used really as a guide line. However, treatment for prostate cancer is very good and prognosis depends upon many other factors for example whether the cancer has spread to other parts of the body and whether your father has any other medical conditions. there are a number of treatment options open to you including chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormone therapy. Many factors influence what treatments are open, and a method called the gleason score is often used. More information about this can be found on the cancer research uk website. Basically, it looks at how the cells have changed and therefore how they would respond to cancer treatments. I am no expert in oncology and so I cannot stress enough the vitality that you have a frank and detailed discussion with a cancer specialist such as your father's oncologist or even Macmillan Nurse. Most units have specilist health advisors available upon request.Realistically, most people diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer can live up to 5 years post diagnosis. However, this strongly depends on the treatment options that are available to you and indeed whether your father's response to treatment is good.There is always cause for hope and I suggest that you look at the cancer research website for more advice regarding prostate cancer. More and more people are surviving cancer and living their lives. You will have some rocky times ahead but you should celebrate life to the full.Hope this helps.