Result was fine except that my P.S.A. reading was 8.68. Was therefore referred to a consultant eurologist :-

17-09-98 – Biopsy – Negative
Oct 98 – moved to Cape.
14-12-99 – P.S.A. 16.2 Biopsy – Negative.
07-06-00 – P.S.A. 13.3
30-11-00 – P.S.A. 15.5 Biopsy Positive – Staging T1C -
Gleason 7. Opted for retropubic radical prostetectomy.
19-01-01 – Bone scan – clear.
23-01-01 – Operation – Stage found to be actually T3B with Gleason 7. Side effects +/- 20% incontinence. Impotence ( not the train smash that one might imagine!)
14-01-02 P.S.A. starting to rise from low base.
12-05-03 P.S.A. accelerating. Conclusion reached that there must be localised residual cancer in the margins of operation site. Surgeon confident that it was not a remote cancer. Therefore opted for External Beam Radio Therapy confined to surounds of operation site.
26-05-03 Radio therapy started – 68 Gray units.
11-07-03 Radio therapy completed. Only side effect some tiredness.
Results – steady reduction in P.S.A. to 0.1 on 11-08-04 where it has remained ever since.

Keep very fit, eat all the right things and rest after lunch – all is well to date. Surgeon’s recent comment ” I think we have it licked .”

John is a cancer buddy and also involved with the Cape Town Southern Suburbs Prostate Group

Cell number for Prostate support group Southern Suburbs 073 560 3067.