With Biden's diagnosis of prostate cancer, I guess that opens it up to talk about.

My PSA (Prostate Specific Antigen) which should be around 4 got up to 16, and my urologist put me on Bicalutamide. Basically, I have the same thing Biden does, and I'm being treated the same way he will be, with "hormone therapy."  I'm told that this is something you die "with", but not "from." I just ignore it as my PSA is back down under 2. This type of cancer feeds on testosterone.

Bicalutamide does not prevent the production of testosterone, but blocks its absorption. This keeps the cancer from growing. It also alters the estrogen/testosterone balance in the body and you can guess the side effects.

I'm not looking for well-wishes here; send 'em to Biden if you want. This has little effect on my life, and won't shorten it in any way from what I understand.

My question is, is anyone else here on Bicalutamide for prostate cancer? I can't be the only one.  I understand if you wish not to mention it. A private message is ok.

Life goes on.  I'll be seeing my urologist this afternoon. I guess we'll have something extra to talk about. 🙂 

Hook

Edited May 19, 20251 yr by LHookins

This video pretty much covers it. I didn't learn anything new from it, as I already heard it all from my doctor.

"Oh look, I'm gonna go through menopause as a man. I wonder if my wife will be sympathetic."

Hook

This is a community with common interests and anything is open to discussion as long it doesn’t inflame passions such as politics or religion and even those can be mentioned kindly and respectfully and not getting adversarial. We all are participants in the human experience and can benefit greatly from sharing.

Keep on track,guys or the 🔒 will come!

This isn't about the former president. This isn't about politics.

This is about the fact that I'm being treated for the same thing, and that 80% of men over a certain age will eventually have the same condition. The fact that a prominent figure is in the news for this gave me an opening to discuss it.

Prostate cancer that responds to "hormone therapy" is basically a nothing-burger. It's easily detected, easily treated, and except for slow urine flow, is pretty much asymptomatic. The side effects from the medication cause more problems.

Hang in there.

Hook

 

Slow urine flow is treated with a procedure called TURP.  Google it. I've been calling it Trans Urethral Rotorooter Procedure, which is more descriptive. It's not pleasant, but it works.

It is not necessary to remove the prostate, and that will likely cause more problems than hormone therapy. A biopsy isn't even necessary, as cancer is assumed when the PSA shoots up, as mine did.

Prostate cancer isn't something to be overly worried about as long as it's caught early, and this is often done with PSA levels during routine bloodwork. 

Like I said in my original post, I doubt I'm the only one here going through this. I'm interested in comparing notes.

Hook

Edited May 19, 20251 yr by LHookins

14 minutes ago, LRBS said:

please create a "chat" that is non-related to aviation

That's kinda what Hangar Chat is. If we were all real pilots gathering in a real hangar, this is the kind of thing we'd discuss when we weren't talking about airplanes.

Sorry if the subject triggered you.  It's not my first cancer.

I hope you didn't have the same reaction when I was talking about kittens. 🙂 (I'll eventually get back to that thread.)

Hook

 

Edited May 19, 20251 yr by LHookins

Cancer is a topic which shold not be avoided or discourgaged. Best of health to everyone. 

Thanks guys (and Sue 😄 ). There's not much scarier than the dread Big C, and if the numbers are correct, 80% of all men will eventually walk into their doctor's office and be told they have this form of it.

But prostate cancer is not that nasty, and there's no reason to be fearful, either before or during. Unless your doctor says so, of course. 🙂 

This is why I'm posting about it.

Hook

As a nearly seventy year old man, I appreciate this thread and thank you Hook.  Been lucky, my PSA has been 2.2 for years. 

I don't have prostrate cancer but do have a tiny cyst in one of the ducts of my pancreas. It's being monitored by MRI
once a year and I have done several many cancer antigen tests, not specific PSA, and all the results
have been in the single digits.  A good test score should be under 37.

Sorry, I get my P's mixed up every once in a while!

FYI if you’re a Vietnam Nam veteran we have twice the prostrate and bladder cancer of the rest of population. Just being in country categorizes you under presumptive exposer to agent orange even if you were on a vessel within twelve miles of Vietnam Nam. I have had two bladder cancers removed in the past twenty years and get a cystoscope yearly for check up. Same holds for type 2 diabetes high blood pressure and a list of other maladies.

Another prostate story, with a good ending. Last October had my PSA tested: 6.8 I think, so considered elevated. Doc suggested doing another in 8 weeks: up to 8.8 (by the way it was known mine was 'enlarged' also). Saw a urologist who confirmed it was 'certainly enlarged' but did not feel any lesions, etc. OK, next step was an MRI in early February which showed a definite 'lesion' with a 60% chance of it being cancer. This led to a biopsy on 4/10 which eventually (10 days later) led to the wonderful words "...not cancer" 🙂 from the doctor. WHEW! 

Funny side note, before getting the blood work for the PSA it's recommended to avoid long car rides, sitting on lawn mowers, tractors, etc a couple days before. Then I thought about the thousands of hours I've driven snow cats, flown airplanes, mowed lawns (sit down), used heavy equipment sitting on my rear, not to mention the zillions of hours sitting whilst simming, maybe that's why my prostate enlarged! Now at 73 I walk and stand a lot more and sit a lot less...or at least try too. 😁

Hope Jumpin' Joe comes through OK and anyone else that has to deal.           

1 hour ago, Chocorua said:

Funny side note, before getting the blood work for the PSA it's recommended to avoid long car rides, sitting on lawn mowers, tractors, etc a couple days before. 

 

 

You should avoid "something else" before the test too. Conversely, after the test, twice a week is beneficial to health.

Beautiful cat images are available.

As important as the PSA number, is the velocity, whether it's rising or not and how fast.

Edited May 19, 20251 yr by martin-w

12 hours ago, ahsmatt7 said:

It’s not a freedom of speech thing. It’s about you not liking a topic

I understand where @LRBS is coming from and sympathize. I knew the topic might make some people uncomfortable and hoped that the topic title would warn them off if that were the case. I mean, I'm not much interested in UFOs and generally skip topics about them. 🙂 

12 hours ago, Patco Lch said:

FYI if you’re a Vietnam Nam veteran

Ouch. Best of luck with that. I had a good friend who was a Marine in Nam who said he basically bathed in agent orange. I don't recall him having any problems personally, but one of his kids had some genetic problems.

12 hours ago, Chocorua said:

had my PSA tested: 6.8 I think, so considered elevated. Doc suggested doing another in 8 weeks: up to 8.8 (by the way it was known mine was 'enlarged' also).

Similar to mine.  Had the enlargement, hence the TURP. One med I was on caused the PSA to be elevated, and it was slowly going up, but when it jumped from just under 10 to 16 between two tests, cancer was assumed without needing a biopsy (thank goodness).

My previous urologist, now retired, said not to worry about my own PSA until it got up to 10 or 11. My current urologist gave me a prescription for Bicalutamide when my PSA was nearing 10, but I didn't take it right away and my next test was 16. Yeah, I started taking the meds at that point regardless of any possible side effects, or the fact that it could be considered "chemical castration." No, it's not quite that bad.

Doc yesterday said my last test was 1.8, so it's under control.

12 hours ago, Chocorua said:

Funny side note, before getting the blood work for the PSA it's recommended to avoid long car rides, sitting on lawn mowers, tractors, etc a couple days before.

Heh! No one ever told me that, but once I skipped the blood work before seeing the doctor and getting the digital exam. When he found out I hadn't had the blood work yet, he said not to get it, as the exam would elevate the PSA level making it unreliable.

10 hours ago, martin-w said:

You should avoid "something else" before the test too. Conversely, after the test, twice a week is beneficial to health.

As important as the PSA number, is the velocity, whether it's rising or not and how fast.

Yup, found out all that, too. And you're right about the velocity, and I've requested a PSA test during any blood work even if they didn't originally schedule one.

2 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

The first line in this Forum says "This forum is for the discussion of things you might discuss when going into an airport hangar." 

I went to Flight School a while back and I always equate it to would this be topic people talk about in a Hangar somewhere in the world? Yes, the point of Hangar Talk is for likeminded people to join in on a conversation, if that conversation is not for you walk away from it, otherwise it ruins the vibe in the Hangar.

This should probably be part of the forum rules. The part about likeminded people joining in on a conversation is important, and Hangar Chat would be called Off Topic on other forums.

2 hours ago, Matthew Kane said:

Disregard it posted twice 

That's OK, I posted it again for you anyway. 😄 

Hook

Edited May 20, 20251 yr by LHookins