PSA value of 11, but I have a UTI.

[scubascuba3]

21 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Update: I'm now back in the UK, staying in romantic (!) Blackpool.  It's freezing cold.  I have already registered with a local doctor and will be referred to the Blackpool Victoria Hospital for the biopsy, and then to The Christie NHS in Manchester for prostatectomy surgery.

 

I'll keep the forum updated with my progress ????

Why Blackpool?

[simon43]

5 minutes ago, scubascuba3 said:

Why Blackpool?

Because the price of hotels in other locations was very high.  Since Blackpool is just 1 hour by train from The Christie, and since it is 'dead' in the winter, guest house rooms are low price - I'm paying about 18 pounds a night all in. Plus I can exercise/jog on the seafront promenade.  I will not have to make many visits to The Christie, just consultation, surgery and post-surgery follow-up.

[simple1]

20 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Because the price of hotels in other locations was very high.  Since Blackpool is just 1 hour by train from The Christie, and since it is 'dead' in the winter, guest house rooms are low price - I'm paying about 18 pounds a night all in. Plus I can exercise/jog on the seafront promenade.  I will not have to make many visits to The Christie, just consultation, surgery and post-surgery follow-up.

I've been following this topic as I  was diagnosed with advanced aggressive prostate cancer seven years ago. I underwent prostatectomy surgery in Australia. As the cancer had spread. I have been receiving quarterly Lucrin injections. Approx six months ago PSA count was rising rapidly and now also receiving Casodex tablets daily and projected to require chemo in the coming months. End of life is guesstimated in about 3/5 five years. Getting to the point I'm considering returning to UK after 40+ years overseas. Has your experience of returning to England for NHS medical support been straight forward? BTW whilst I have no assets in the UK, my daughter resides in England with three children.

 

Thanks for your input.

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, simon43 said:

Update: I'm now back in the UK, staying in romantic (!) Blackpool.  It's freezing cold.  I have already registered with a local doctor and will be referred to the Blackpool Victoria Hospital for the biopsy, and then to The Christie NHS in Manchester for prostatectomy surgery.

 

I'll keep the forum updated with my progress ????

Once again, good luck Simon and thanks for keeping us updated, and you do say that you will be referred to the Christie NHS in Manchester for a prostatectomy, but if I recall correctly you don't know that you have cancer of the prostate that requires this operation – – or am I mistaken or misreading some of your previous posts??

[simon43]

24 minutes ago, xylophone said:

Once again, good luck Simon and thanks for keeping us updated, and you do say that you will be referred to the Christie NHS in Manchester for a prostatectomy, but if I recall correctly you don't know that you have cancer of the prostate that requires this operation – – or am I mistaken or misreading some of your previous posts??

The cancer has yet to be positively diagnosed by biopsy.  But the MRI scan at Bumrungrad gave a Pirads level 5 score on the 2 lumps found = 98% likely to be cancerous.  Of course, there is always a slim chance that they are benign, in which case a prostatectomy would not be required, but something to resolve my BPH would be needed if they keep growing and obstructing urination more than now.

 

@Simple1, good luck with your treatment!  I have only just re-registered with the NHS, so can't comment on service.  But the stats for The Christie re waiting times for cancer treatment are published online and most people receive their first consultation within 2 weeks of GP referral and treatment starts within 4 weeks after that.

 

Meanwhile, I eat foods and medication that clinical tests show to reduce/slow prostate cancer cell growth. (Mebdenazole, cannabis oil, almonds, pomegranite juice, mint green tea, licorice root etc).

[BritManToo]

1 hour ago, simon43 said:

The cancer has yet to be positively diagnosed by biopsy.  But the MRI scan at Bumrungrad gave a Pirads level 5 score on the 2 lumps found = 98% likely to be cancerous.  Of course, there is always a slim chance that they are benign, in which case a prostatectomy would not be required, but something to resolve my BPH would be needed if they keep growing and obstructing urination more than now.

I would guesstimate there is a 50+% chance of the Thai doctors being completely wrong, and you not having cancer (or even lumps) of any kind. Good luck anyway!

 

It'll be interesting to see what the NHS doctors say.

Edited February 10, 2023 by BritManToo

[simon43]

1 hour ago, BritManToo said:

I would guesstimate there is a 50+% chance of the Thai doctors being completely wrong, and you not having cancer (or even lumps) of any kind. Good luck anyway!

 

It'll be interesting to see what the NHS doctors say.

As I mentioned a few posts back, my PSA number went from 11.5 to 14.5 late last year, but fell back to 10.5 last week after I started to take cannabis oil and various foods that trials have shown to reduce or kill or slow prostate cancer growth.  So it will indeed be interesting as to what the biopsy reveals.

[Gabe H Coud]

On 11/18/2022 at 12:40 AM, CM4Me said:

Hi Simon, I was treated for prostate cancer at Bumrungrad earlier this year - my PSA at commencement 11.66 and rising.

I chose to have radiation, 25 low doses and 2 high doses (low doses are done as an outpatient and high doses are done as an inpatient - one or two nights per treatment)

My 2nd post treatment checkup last month revealed my PSA now is 0.016. That' correct 0.016.

I found the Drs, staff, the Hospital, everything 1st class - highly recommended 

Best of luck

slowly reading this entire thread....

 

what cost this treatment please ?

thanks

 

[Gabe H Coud]

On 1/27/2023 at 5:04 PM, simon43 said:

No problem!  I did have a typical UTI, sorted that out with antibiotics, had another PSA test which had gone up again, so then went for the MRI scan and then recommended for biopsy, which is where I am now.

 

I am considering my options, (which might include bombing the offices of April International insurance...).  The most realistic option would be to return back to the UK for NHS treatment, because publicised wait times for cancer treatment are not long, typically within 1 month. But of course, I will need to demonstrate that I have permanently returned to the UK, eg re-register with my doctor, rent a house etc.

 

The first thing I will do on Monday is to have another PSA test, to see where my numbers currently are.

still wading through this excellent thread

as re reregister with GP i have been out of UK for 3.5 yrs

at what point does my GP surgery say im no longer registered with them?

 

i still own my house so no probs there

 

thanks

 

[Gabe H Coud]

On 1/28/2023 at 9:37 PM, simon43 said:

In fact, there are not long waiting lists for prostate cancer treatment.  I have already spoken with my old GP who says that the hospital are meeting the government targets of diagnosis procedures within 2 weeks of referral and surgery/treatment within 4 weeks.

 

Naturally I will need a UK address.  I will rent an apartment and sign a rental contract.

yes but how long does it take to see your GP who can then refer you to the specialist at the local Hospital? so total time from phoning GP surgery to getting surgery

 

apologies if this answered later im still reading the thread

[spidermike007]

If you want to avoid going the conventional route, try finding some stinging nettle root, saw palmetto and pygeum. Very powerful herbs, that have been used far longer than big Pharma stuff. They work miracles for me, and many others I know. 

 

Though some of their products are quite useful no doubt, personally I despise Big Pharma, and avoid supporting them, whenever possible. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by spidermike007

[Sheryl]

8 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

If you want to avoid going the conventional route, try finding some stinging nettle root, saw palmetto and pygeum. Very powerful herbs, that have been used far longer than big Pharma stuff. They work miracles for me, and many others I know. 

 

Though some of their products are quite useful no doubt, personally I despise Big Pharma, and avoid supporting them, whenever possible. 

 

The thread concerns someone with likely prostate cancer (extremely high probability) and one that may be aggressive at this. I suspect you did nto read all the way through it.

 

For BPH no harm in using these supplements, and they seem to help some, but completely wrong to suggest it as treatment for cancer or in place of biopsy etc.

[xylophone]

15 hours ago, spidermike007 said:

If you want to avoid going the conventional route, try finding some stinging nettle root, saw palmetto and pygeum. Very powerful herbs, that have been used far longer than big Pharma stuff. They work miracles for me, and many others I know. 

 

Though some of their products are quite useful no doubt, personally I despise Big Pharma, and avoid supporting them, whenever possible. 

I tried all of those individually and in various combinations, over a period of perhaps six or seven years, and all to no avail I am afraid, and as Sheryl has said, only "supposedly good" for BPH.

[spidermike007]

14 hours ago, Sheryl said:

 

The thread concerns someone with likely prostate cancer (extremely high probability) and one that may be aggressive at this. I suspect you did nto read all the way through it.

 

For BPH no harm in using these supplements, and they seem to help some, but completely wrong to suggest it as treatment for cancer or in place of biopsy etc.

I totally agree with that. Herbal therapy often works at very early stages, and for prevention. 

[jerrymahoney]

There are also natural remedies that may work to combat enlarged prostate symptoms, however, evidence is debatable on whether these treatments actually work. The American Urological Association currently doesn’t recommend any herbal therapy for managing BPH.

 

The use of stinging nettle was found to be effective in decreasing the severity of urinary frequency, nocturia (the frequent need to urinate at night), and urgency, when used in combination with conventional medical treatment

 

https://www.healthline.com/health/enlarged-prostate/natural-remedies#fa-qs

Edited February 14, 2023 by jerrymahoney

[simon43]

AFAIK, stinging nettle may be effective to reduce the size of an enlarged prostate (BPH), but has no proven effects on reducing, killing or slowing the growth of prostate cancer cells.

[simon43]

Update 15 Feb: I registered with a local doctor on Friday, was added to their system by Tuesday morning, saw a doctor today (Wednesday) and have been fast-track referred to the local urology centre for further diagnosis and treatment, (fast-track means 98% getting their first hospital appointment within 2 weeks).

[simon43]

... and to update my update, I just had a call from the hospital urology department, who have booked me in for initial consultation and investigation this Friday!  I can't fault the speed and efficiency of their service ????

[simon43]

Update:  I had my biopsy today and now have to wait about 2-3 weeks for the result. 25 samples taken all within the prostate, (so the doctor seems confident that the small tumours have not spread outside my prostate).

 

In fact, the biopsy was postponed for 2 weeks because I had a UTI which produced a very strong reading for general infection.  So I was prescribed antibiotics for 2 weeks to clear the UTI.  However, my pee sample today still gave a very strong indication of UTI infection, even though I have no outward symptoms.  This is the same when I first started diagnosis in Bangkok last October.  My pee samples all indicated a strong UTI without any outwards symptoms and the antibiotics didn't clear it.  Hmm, not sure what to make of that.  Anyway, I am back on antibiotics again to ensure that I don't get another infection from when they stuck 25 needles into my sensitive parts.....

[riclag]

25 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Update:  I had my biopsy today and now have to wait about 2-3 weeks for the result. 25 samples taken all within the prostate, (so the doctor seems confident that the small tumours have not spread outside my prostate).

 

In fact, the biopsy was postponed for 2 weeks because I had a UTI which produced a very strong reading for general infection.  So I was prescribed antibiotics for 2 weeks to clear the UTI.  However, my pee sample today still gave a very strong indication of UTI infection, even though I have no outward symptoms.  This is the same when I first started diagnosis in Bangkok last October.  My pee samples all indicated a strong UTI without any outwards symptoms and the antibiotics didn't clear it.  Hmm, not sure what to make of that.  Anyway, I am back on antibiotics again to ensure that I don't get another infection from when they stuck 25 needles into my sensitive parts.....

Good luck “ with all that $hit” , cancer and needles that could cause

infection!

Hound these people everyday till you get your results.

Edited March 25, 2023 by riclag

[xylophone]

20 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Update:  I had my biopsy today and now have to wait about 2-3 weeks for the result. 25 samples taken all within the prostate, (so the doctor seems confident that the small tumours have not spread outside my prostate).

 

In fact, the biopsy was postponed for 2 weeks because I had a UTI which produced a very strong reading for general infection.  So I was prescribed antibiotics for 2 weeks to clear the UTI.  However, my pee sample today still gave a very strong indication of UTI infection, even though I have no outward symptoms.  This is the same when I first started diagnosis in Bangkok last October.  My pee samples all indicated a strong UTI without any outwards symptoms and the antibiotics didn't clear it.  Hmm, not sure what to make of that.  Anyway, I am back on antibiotics again to ensure that I don't get another infection from when they stuck 25 needles into my sensitive parts.....

I had something similar with regards to a UTI which the prescribed antibiotics didn't clear, so I took the advice of the professors I contacted in London and Sydney and switched to a combination of Fosfomycin and Doxycycline and they did the trick.

 

And new info with regards to prostate cancer..............

 

Fox Chase Cancer Center tests less invasive treatment for prostate cancer

Mariah Taylor (Email) - Wednesday, March 22nd, 2023

Philadelphia-based Fox Chase Cancer Center is trying a less invasive treatment for prostate cancer that does not necessitate removal of the organ, CBS Philadelphia reported March 21.

The NanoKnife System uses needle-like probes charged with electrical energy to kill malignant cells. The technology is part of a trial to determine whether the patient remains cancer free for a year or more, according to the report, and can eliminate serious side effects like incontinence or impotence associated with traditional treatments.

"Here we're kind of balancing cancer treatment but also keeping the patient with good functional outcomes," Andres Correa, MD, urologic oncologist at Fox Chase, told CBS News.

The treatment can only be used for certain patients with localized cancer with a treatment space under two centimeters.

[lopburi3]

13 minutes ago, xylophone said:

The NanoKnife System uses needle-like probes charged with electrical energy to kill malignant cells.

This seems to be almost the same as RFA procedures I have had for liver cancer and indeed is a very effective alternative to surgery for small tumors.  But most doctors still believe surgery is the only way to go and do not even know how effective there non operations procedures are (seems they don't class radiologists in the same league).

[Will B Good]

Went through hell with mis-prescribed antibiotics......took one dose of Monurol......after months of pain I was cleared in 24 hours

[Will B Good]

On 2/10/2023 at 8:57 AM, simon43 said:

But the MRI scan at Bumrungrad gave a Pirads level 5 score

Don't want to give you false hopes.....I was level 4 and biopsy showed up as a benign lesion......fingers crossed.

[simon43]

6 minutes ago, Will B Good said:

Don't want to give you false hopes.....I was level 4 and biopsy showed up as a benign lesion......fingers crossed.

Yes indeed, my NHS doctor told me that about 25% of the biopsies that he performs turn out to be benign.  That would be a good result of course, but since my MRI scan in mid-December I have assumed the 'worse' and researched the treatment options.  I have stated a number of times that I would opt for a radical prostatectomy.  However, I can see now that the long-term survival stats for those who are treated with 'modern' radiotherapy is just as good as those who had surgery.  So I need to wait for my results and then consult the doctors as to what will either 'cure' me or give me the longest survival time (which the stats suggest would typically be at least 20 years anyway!). Whatever, I'm OK with how things are going, no concerns ????

 

@Xylophone, interesting news article, although I'm not sure that I'd enjoy having 500 volts zapped up my perineum!! ????

Edited March 25, 2023 by simon43

[Will B Good]

3 minutes ago, simon43 said:

Yes indeed, my NHS doctor told me that about 25% of the biopsies that he performs turn out to be benign.  That would be a good result of course, but since my MRI scan in mid-December I have assumed the 'worse' and researched the treatment options.  I have stated a number of times that I would opt for a radical prostatectomy.  However, I can see now that the long-term survival stats for those who are treated with 'modern' radiotherapy is just as good as those who had surgery.  So I need to wait for my results and then consult the doctors as to what will either 'cure' me or give me the longest survival time (which the stats suggest would typically be at least 20 years anyway!). Whatever, I'm OK with how things are going, no concerns ????

 

@Xylophone, interesting news article, although I'm not sure that I'd enjoy having 500 volts zapped up my perineum!! ????

Repeat again...............fingers crossed for you.

[xylophone]

2 hours ago, Will B Good said:

Went through hell with mis-prescribed antibiotics......took one dose of Monurol......after months of pain I was cleared in 24 hours

For those who don't know, Monural is Fosfomycin and although an "old" antibiotic it is being used more today because bacteria have not had a chance to build resistance to it.

[simon43]

In my case, I have absolutely no symptoms of a UTI.  No stinging or burning when peeing.  My only small issue is with BPH, but a daily Alfusolin tablet sorts that out.  I did ask the doctor if something else could be causing a false positive on their UTI check but he said no. (Perhaps my bladder bacteria are 'good' bacteria like gut bacteria...).  Anyway, I'm resting at home and drinking lots of water.  The visible blood in my urine has all but vanished only 5 hours after the biopsy, and no problems with my rectum/#2s.

[Will B Good]

11 hours ago, xylophone said:

For those who don't know, Monural is Fosfomycin and although an "old" antibiotic it is being used more today because bacteria have not had a chance to build resistance to it.

An absolute wonder drug for me.....literally one dose and months of agony gone in 24 hours.

[Sheryl]

13 hours ago, simon43 said:

In my case, I have absolutely no symptoms of a UTI.  No stinging or burning when peeing.  My only small issue is with BPH, but a daily Alfusolin tablet sorts that out.  I did ask the doctor if something else could be causing a false positive on their UTI check but he said no. (Perhaps my bladder bacteria are 'good' bacteria like gut bacteria...).  Anyway, I'm resting at home and drinking lots of water.  The visible blood in my urine has all but vanished only 5 hours after the biopsy, and no problems with my rectum/#2s.

There are no "good" bladder bacteria, bladder is a sterile organ.

 

Some UTIs are asymptomatic.

 

Drinking cranberry juice can be helpful, and presumably they have given you antibiotics.