The Active Surveillor Survey respondents with brass cojones speak out

‘I’m holding on to my prostate for a while even if cancer progresses’

If our prostate cancer advances to unfavorable intermediate-risk and above, there seems to be a natural tendency to head for the active surveillance (AS) exits--pronto.

On January 15, The Active Surveillor reported on a UCSF study of men on AS who started with Gleason 3+3 (the lowest Gleason score) whose cancer progressed and had opted safely to delay surgery even by years. (Seems to me those guys have brass cojones.)

Of the 513 men studied, 82% (176) were Gleason Grade 2 (Gleason 3+4), 14% (29) were Gleason Group 3 (Gleason 4+3), and 4% were Gleason Group 4-5 (Gleason 4+4 to Gleason 5+5).

(Chart from the Prostate Cancer Foundation.)

So The Active Surveillor Quick Survey and asked readers what they would do if diagnosed with a cancer that progressed into seemingly dangerous territory.

The data is in from 30 respondents. And it looks like readers also have those brass cojones.

A whopping 70% of you would stick with AS even as their cancers rose to Gleason 4+3 and above.  Only 30% would disembark from USS AS.

The UCSF study didn’t get into molecular testing to determine how aggressive the cancer is. But researchers suggest this testing can help guide future treatment decisions.

Respondents saw the wisdom of such testing. Eighty-three percent said a genomic test of their cancer tissue would help them decide what course to take.

As it stands, 60% of respondents in the straw poll have undergone genomic testing.

Who are these guys?

About two-thirds have a Gleason 3+3 diagnosis, Twenty-one percent have favorable Gleason 3+4. The remaining 17% have unfavorable Gleason 3+4 and up.

Fifty-three percent have PSAs between 4 and 10. Twenty-seven percent have PSAs 3.9 and below. Twenty percent have PSAs between 10 and 20.

50% are in their 70s. 31.25% are in their 60s. 12.5% are below 60. 6.25% are 80 or above.

This is an unscientific survey. We’ll keep the polls open for a while to see if the data changes with more respondents.

Go to Active Surveillor Quick Survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JVK8QJP