CW

Biopsy results--carcinoma.
June 27, 2016

Tracy,
Five years ago, 50 samples were plucked from my prostate, probing from one direction. This time the doctor probed from two directions and settled for 24 samples, two of which proved to be cancerous. Here is the specific language, with key words highlighted in bold face:

DIAGNOSIS A,B,C) RIGHT ANTERIOR (APEX, MID, BASE), NEEDLE BIOPSIES: PROSTATIC
PARENCHYMA; NO CARCINOMA IDENTIFIED. 


D) LEFT ANTERIOR APEX: FOCAL PROSTATIC ADENOCARCINOMA, GLEASON SCORE 3+3=6
OF 10:Carcinoma length: 0.1 cm.Total biopsy length: 1.8 cm.Cores
involved: 1 of 2.Perineural invasion: Not identified.
E,F) LEFT ANTERIOR (MID, BASE): PROSTATIC PARENCHYMA; NO CARCINOMA
IDENTIFIED. 
H) RIGHT MID: FOCAL PROSTATIC ADENOCARCINOMA, GLEASON SCORE 3+3=6 OF
10:Carcinoma length: 0.13 cm.
Total biopsy length: 3.4 cm.Cores involved: 1 of 2.Perineural invasion:
Not identified.
High-grade PIN.


G, I) RIGHT (BASE, APEX): PROSTATIC PARENCHYMA; NO CARCINOMA IDENTIFIED. 

J,K,L) LEFT (BASE, MID, APEX): PROSTATIC PARENCHYMA; NO CARCINOMA
IDENTIFIED. 
High-grade PIN (L, left apex)

I will spare you any further technospeak, such as the meaning of the Gleason Score, because I don't understand them very well to begin with. But the upshot is that out of 24 samples taken (representing less than 1 percent of the volume of the prostate), two incidents of a low-grade cancer were identified.

Considering the facts that 1) I'm going on to 71 years old, with  half the men my age facing a similar outcome and 2) that no aggressive cancers have been found, I'm attentive, but not worried.

Althought the results of the MRI suggested nothing alarming was discovered in my prostate, the fact that carcinomas were found has prompted my urologist to call for a bone scan, to see whether there is any indication of the spread of this disease. So I'll be lying on my back once more, while a machine looks me over. I'll keep you posted.

Love,
Dad

Cancer--The Crab