Is Cancer Just in the Prostate

[dicheramie]

i just had a biopsy done and all 12 samples came out positive for cancer. It seems to me that if all 12 samples have cancer it is very big. it was T1c and Gleason score of 6. i think i have all this correct. My doctor told me he is pretty sure that the cancer was just in the prostate. Do you know how he can tell this. He even said he thought i had a 97% cure rate and he didn't think i would have to take radiation after the surgery. i was just wondering how he knows so much just by a biopsy.

[Ash Tewari, MD, M.Ch.]

Thank you for your question. With prostate biopsies it is important to note not only the presence of cancer on each core, but also the percentage found on each core. A T1c tumor indicates that tumor was found on needle biopsy due to an elevated PSA. T2 cancer, would indicate that the tumor can be palpated on digital rectal exam (DRE) but has not spread beyond the prostate.

Prostate cancer diagnosis should be done using a battery of tests to illustrate a complete picture. This includes imaging, biopsy, DRE, PSA, etc.

Sincerely,

Ash Tewari, MD

[BaldiR]

i'm not a doctor but given a Gleason score of 6 is promising.
He doesn't have to know. After the surgery, they check the
prostate and will learn whether the cancer was confined to
that area.