I'm interested in conversations about and I want to talk about
Know exactly what you want?
Show search

Notification

Error

<12

Post RP radiotherapy

User
Posted 07 Feb 2024 at 09:40
Positive margins ie some cancer left where the surgeon cut.

High G score that hadn't previously been detected.

Seminal vesicle invasion.

Personally I think the Urologist is just referring you to Oncology because he cannot do anymore, that is a positive.

You still have detectable PSA after a prostatectomy, that is a negative. So you can't say you are cured, but until it goes above 0.1 and keeps rising you can't say you have a recurrence either. But as with lots of cases on here you may think you are cured and then 15 years later it comes back from nowhere, that is the nature of the beast.

I have been on this forum long enough to remember when adjuvant radio therapy was in favour for cases like yours (and mine). That approach led to over treatment and poor QOL. All the latest research says it ok to wait until 0.2 IF you are low risk Gleason etc.

User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 01:21

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Lyn

What exactly is meant by a negative post-op pathology? I had negative margins with a first Post-op PSA of less than 0.06 (undetectable to the lab). Does that qualify? 

Peter

 

Sorry, I didn't word it very well. Negative margins is a good thing, it means they don't believe they left anything behind during the op. Positive margins is not a good thing- they can't be sure whether they got it all out.

A positive (good news) post-op pathology would be to be told that you had negative margins; a negative (bad news) post-op pathology would be to be told that you had a positive margin and your Gleason 4+3 had turned out to be a G4+5  :-( 

Edited by member 08 Feb 2024 at 01:21  | Reason: Not specified

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 09:45

Gotcha, thanks

Peter

User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 10:16

I have copies of all my medical records. Margins have only been mentioned once.

Following my first MRI and biopsy in a letter to my GP from the consultant he wrote I had reasonable safety margins.  I presume this meant that the foci of the two tumours (one visible on the MRI and the other detected by the biopsy but not seen by the MRI) were safely contained within the prostate away from the outer edges?

Margins are never mentioned again.

In the examination report of my removed prostate it showed that I had EPE, T3a but fortunately the seminal vesicles, nodes and fatty tissue that were also removed, were all clear. So does this mean,  post op I had negative margins?

Edited by member 08 Feb 2024 at 10:18  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 10:48
It should state if you had a positive or negative margin. If in doubt ask your medical team.
User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 13:46

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
It should state if you had a positive or negative margin. If in doubt ask your medical team.

Hello mate,

Whoops. Seek and ye shall find. 😳

I've just reviewed the report on my removed prostate.

Under Macroscopy

[COMMENTS: Red=Red. Left=Green. CS=Orange (not true margin)]

Complete Double Dutch to me.

Under Microscopy

[Apical margin: Negative. Basal margin: Negative. Circumferential margin; Negative.]

Again complete Double Dutch to me.

I've got my one year follow up consultation in a couple of weeks. I'll raise the margins issues with him.

 

 

Edited by member 08 Feb 2024 at 15:04  | Reason: Additional text.

User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 19:23
No idea about the red green stuff but the second line looks all negative which is actually positive 😂😂
User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 19:44

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
No idea about the red green stuff but the second line looks all negative which is actually positive 😂😂

You are a tease. Is it good 👍 or is it bad 👎

I'm having a terrible day. On another thread I've frightened blokes to death giving the wrong needle length of the Invicorp jab. I gave them the length of the needle for sucking up the Invicorp from the phial, a whooping 38mm compared to the 12mm injection needle. Its only an inch difference. 😬 

 

User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 20:27

On my post op histology report (note I had in op Neurosafe frozen section) each section is marked with a different coloured ink and the inking protocol is defined. Right=red, left= blue etc. I'm just guessing, but perhaps red= red is a typo and should be right = red. Perhaps CS is centre section????

Peter

User
Posted 08 Feb 2024 at 21:52

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
 I'm just guessing, but perhaps red= red is a typo and should be right = red. Perhaps CS is centre section????

Cheers Peter. You are correct it was right = red. My typo not theirs. I'm having 'one of those days' 🙂

User
Posted 09 Feb 2024 at 00:45
Sounds like it's all good, negative is good for margins, means negative for cancer.
User
Posted 09 Feb 2024 at 03:07

My post-op PSA was 0.014, 0.015, 0.019 and 0.023.  At 0.023, I had a PSMA scan and it showed 2 nodes that needed treatment.  I had salvage radiotherapy 15 months after my surgery.  I was on 18 months of bicalutimide.  Since the SRT, my PSA has been undetectable.

Post op, I was pT3b, gleason 9, positive margins, extra capsular extension, peri neural spread.

User
Posted 09 Feb 2024 at 08:47

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
My post-op PSA was 0.014, 0.015, 0.019 and 0.023.  At 0.023, I had a PSMA scan and it showed 2 nodes that needed treatment.

Presumably, the scan was triggered by the 4 consecutive rises, miniscule though they were.

At one of my local hospitals they only measure to 0.05. So had you had the tests there, they would have all come back <0.05 and all been classed as undetectable.

Edited by member 09 Feb 2024 at 08:48  | Reason: Typo

User
Posted 12 Feb 2024 at 15:33

Hi Lyn

My post op histology was confirmed at 3+4 (same as biopsy).

Some great info from everyone on here including yourself.

Many thanks, Ian.

User
Posted 12 Feb 2024 at 15:38

Very useful info.

Many thanks.

User
Posted 15 Feb 2024 at 00:19

Had my prostate removed by robotic surgery in February 2020 PSA never dropped below 17 when tested 3 months later it was still.rising scans showed lymph node spread  .I was referred to oncology immediately and put on Hormone treatment .PSA dropped to undetectable within 4 weeks and I had a course of 33 salvage  radio therapy treatments in January 2021 .As of today all my scans are completely clear and my PSA is still  undetectable .I am considered in remission by my consultant .Dont be overly concerned as  salvage RT is very effective at destroying stray cancer cells. Your consultant is doing the right thing as your PSA level is rising and they want to make sure any stray cancer cells are  destroyed .Read my profile for full story, hopefully your PSA will soon be undetectable and remain that way .

 
Forum Jump  
<12
©2025 Prostate Cancer UK