Quote:
Originally Posted by Excargodog
This is worth reading if you haven’t already:
https://www.cancer.org/treatment/und...pathology.html
Grade group 2 is generally favorable. Not MOST favorable, but generally favorable.
The conventional wisdom is you are a Stage 1 until proven otherwise. Have any imaging studies (CT, MRI, or bone scan) been suggested by your oncologist? Are other blood studies normal? If so you would sort of fall into the group where active surveillance is a reasonable option but if you aren’t the sort who does well emotionally (and a lot of pilots aren’t) more definitive treatment (ie, radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy) is not an unreasonable option.
And while I don’t mind being a sounding board, what you REALLY need is to find a good clinic that does urological oncology and get a second opinion from THEM.
Second opinions on serious medical issues are never a bad idea, and generally going to a place - like a teaching hospital - with a good reputation for specializing in that area is a better bet than asking anonymous pilots on APC., present company included.
Good luck and get copies of everything for the FAA medical guys.
Good points. Thanks.
I have had a nuclear bone scan and a contrasted CT, both clear of any metastatic disease. I do have an appointment (7/31/18, 8 weeks post biopsy) to have a 3T MRI. I also had my biopsy slides sent to Johns Hopkins for a second reading in which they pretty much concurred with the local pathologist (1/18 cores with 3+4, 20% involved and 5% pattern 4 activity.) I have been staged T1A or T1C. I need to have my urologist send my biopsies for genomic testing.
When/if I pull the trigger, I am not adverse to traveling for treatment. Right now, leery of radical prostatectomy, and leaning toward MRI guided, focal ablation therapy if the lesion is visible on MRI, or toward Proton treatment if indicated by genomic testing to be aggressive flavor of cancer.
Active Surveillance is enticing, but given my age, 49, I don't know. There are no numbers/data for such age and I am curious as to the number of contrasted/nuclear scans a guy can have before getting heavy metal diseases. Right now it is a tool for time until such time I discover a treatment that I can stomach.
Do you guys know if the FAA would balk at non-FDA approved procedures performed in Europe? Tho, FLA/HIFU are now approved, and I believe TULSA PRO trials have been completed and rumored to be available "soon."
And, only a month into this, I can concur the need for second opinions and being your own advocate. Had I followed the advice of my Urologist, I'd be a couple weeks post op already. He has since admitted that I have plenty of time to do due diligence.
Appreciate the insight fellas!!