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#197395 10-13-2018 10:12 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
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David2 Offline OP
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According to statistics about 240,000 American men are diagnosed with prostate cancer each year. As of three days ago I'm one of them. Just shy of 65, I'm right in the sweet spot agewise.

I do realize that the odds, oddly, are in my favor. Many men with this diagnosis - perhaps even some of our family - opt to forgo treatment and just watch and wait, and there are stories upon stories of men who've lived until a ripe old age (I've always planned on 104 like my great grandfather) without it ever causing a problem. Or alternatively go through one of the various treatments with the same result. Still, we all know what it's like to have a doctor tell you that you have cancer, and nearly 30,000 die of this nasty business every year. This includes one of my closest friends, who had a radical prostatectomy and still passed on a year or two later.

I'm awaiting an appointment with a specialist soon to learn about my options, and I've already joined a couple of online forums. This will always be my online home of course... but I might be shifting my emphasis for awhile until I get this thing sorted out.

Uhboy... here we go again!


David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 14 years all clear in 6/23 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
David2 #197398 10-14-2018 08:28 AM
Joined: Jun 2013
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Aw, man, I am so sorry! I hope the odds stay in your favor, but I'm awfully sorry you have to deal with the big C word again in any form! We'll be rooting for you!


Surgery 5/31/13
Tongue lesion, right side
SCC, HPV+, poorly differentiated
T1N0 based on biopsy and scan
Selective neck dissection 8/27/13, clear nodes
12/2/13 follow-up with concerns
12/3/13 biopsy, surgery, cancer returned
1/8/14 Port installed
PEG installed
Chemo and rads
2/14/14 halfway through carboplatin/taxotere and rads
March '14, Tx done, port out w/ complications, PEG out in June
2017: probable trigeminal neuralgia
Fall 2017: HBOT
Jan 18: oral surgery
David2 #197402 10-14-2018 06:29 PM
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Im very sorry to hear your news, David!!! How I hate hearing of any of our OC family being diagnosed with any other serious illness... especially another kind of cancer! Wishing you all the very best with beating your new cancer.


Christine
SCC 6/15/07 L chk & by L molar both Stag I, age44
2x cispltn-35 IMRT end 9/27/07
-65 lbs in 2 mo, no caregvr
Clear PET 1/08
4/4/08 recur L chk Stag I
surg 4/16/08 clr marg
215 HBO dives
3/09 teeth out, trismus
7/2/09 recur, Stg IV
8/24/09 trach, ND, mandiblctmy
3wks medicly inducd coma
2 mo xtended hospital stay, ICU & burn unit
PICC line IV antibx 8 mo
10/4/10, 2/14/11 reconst surg
OC 3x in 3 years
very happy to be alive smile
David2 #197403 10-15-2018 10:19 AM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,406
David2 Offline OP
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Thank you, Kristen and Christine. Those sentiments mean a lot, especially coming from two people who have fought so hard. I have my first meeting with the oncology team this Wednesday. We shall see!


David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 14 years all clear in 6/23 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
David2 #197436 10-19-2018 03:15 PM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,406
David2 Offline OP
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So. After meeting a couple of specialists I've found that because my cancer is relatively small and slow-growing, treatment right now isn't warranted. I'll be having an MRI and another biopsy in a few months, but both doctors were of the opinion that my case warrants only what they call "active surveillance". They didn't expect to see any changes for at least 5 years.

I do still have cancer of course, but: Whew!

Thanks for everyone's support.


David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 14 years all clear in 6/23 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18
David2 #197437 10-19-2018 04:00 PM
Joined: Jun 2013
Posts: 346
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Glad to hear it!

It's my understanding that my grandfather had this, and it was warranted 'not worth treating because of his age'. Which in our family is a laugh because he was like 85 at the time and is now over 100 and still going. May you outlast him (but not get as cranky). ((hugs))


Surgery 5/31/13
Tongue lesion, right side
SCC, HPV+, poorly differentiated
T1N0 based on biopsy and scan
Selective neck dissection 8/27/13, clear nodes
12/2/13 follow-up with concerns
12/3/13 biopsy, surgery, cancer returned
1/8/14 Port installed
PEG installed
Chemo and rads
2/14/14 halfway through carboplatin/taxotere and rads
March '14, Tx done, port out w/ complications, PEG out in June
2017: probable trigeminal neuralgia
Fall 2017: HBOT
Jan 18: oral surgery
David2 #197442 10-19-2018 05:32 PM
Joined: Oct 2012
Posts: 1,275
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David, thanks for updating us. It sure is good to hear no treatment is needed for now.


Gloria
She stood in the storm, and when the wind did not blow her way, she adjusted her sails... Elizabeth Edwards

Wife to John,dx 10/2012, BOT, HPV+, T3N2MO, RAD 70 gy,Cisplatinx2 , PEG in Dec 6, 2012, dx dvt in both legs after second chemo session, Apr 03/13 NED, July 2013 met to lungs, Phase 1 immunotherapy trial Jan 18/14 to July/14. Taxol/carboplatin July/14. Esophagus re-opened Oct 14. PEG out April 8, 2015. Phase 2 trial of Selinexor April to July 2015. At peace Jan 15, 2016.
David2 #197479 10-23-2018 11:10 AM
Joined: Jul 2009
Posts: 1,406
David2 Offline OP
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Thanks Kristen and Gloria. As far as outlasting your grandfather -- well that's a tall order! I'm glad to read he's topped a century as I hear the second hundred years are easier. (You'd have to ask my wife if I'm cranky or not....)


David 2
SCC of occult origin 1/09 (age 55)| Stage III TXN1M0 | HPV 16+, non-smoker, moderate drinker | Modified radical neck dissection 3/09 | 31 days IMRT finished 6/09 | Hit 14 years all clear in 6/23 | Radiation Fibrosis Syndrome kicked in a few years after treatment and has been progressing since | Prostate cancer diagnosis 10/18

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