Ultrasound on second, remaining testicle

[Mike]

Good to hear that you heard from Dr. Einhorn. The pT2 is the pathological stage of the tumor only. It is pT2 because of the lymphovascular invasion. IGCN is intratubular germ cell neoplasia, that was mentioned in the path report and is basically a precursor of germ cell cancers.

Mike

[GD1345]

Ah, thanks for explaining. Dr. McGuire cleared it up at the appointment this past Monday. He explained that the "lymphovascular invasion" did not mean the cancer metastasized beyond what was removed in the left orchiectomy. When I read "lymphovascular invasion," it made me think of the lymph node removal surgery (RPLND) I had done in February and I thought the cancer had returned to that area. It sounds like this tumor did not spread as quickly because there were no lymph nodes in my abdomen to attract it.

Does that sound right?

I have a new round of surveillance scans scheduled with my oncologist in the first week in August. Dr. McGuire suggested this after conferring with his oncology doctor. I also heard from Dr. Einhorn that this is an appropriate plan of action for surveillance.

[GD1345]

I've been on TRT gel for seven days now. How quickly does it begin to impact the body? I am curious what other guys' experiences have been. My hot flashes and night sweats are not as common as before starting the TRT. I have noticed a soreness in middle-lower back that is helped by stretching. Does low, or no, testosterone, impact muscles in the body? It has me freaking out a bit about metastasis or recurrence of the cancer.

[GD1345]

Hey everyone! It's been awhile, but just wanted to update this thread. I had my last full round of surveillance in August and was all clear. Then, I had a blood tumor markers check in October and the results were normal range/clear of cancer. I was pretty happy about it to the say the least.

I have my next full round of surveillance in three weeks.

I also am working with my urologist to get my testosterone levels set right. I saw them a couple weeks ago and my level was at 221 (Nov, 2020). They just increased my dosage from one packet per day to two packets per day. I am going to go in for another test a couple weeks (coincidentally the week before my cancer scans). I am feeling pretty good with minimal hot flashes. I just don't want the testosterone levels to continue dropping without frequent monitoring.

Hope all has been well since I've last participated.

[Davepet]

Your t levels seem pretty low, but how are you feeling? That is the most important thing.

[GD1345]

Sorry for the delay in responding. I had another T level check on Dec 7 again and it's back up to 328 ng/dL. It's headed in the right direction. I feel about the same overall. I still get periodic hot flashes in the evening, but they are not significant or frequent. I have noticed increased morning erections.

[GD1345]

Oh, and I had my four-month scans/blood work done this month and they came back all clear!

[Doryman]

Fantastic news!!!!

[GD1345]

Thanks so much for the kind words. I appreciate it and all the support this forum has provided over this past year.

[Davepet]

Great to hear the all clear!

If you are still getting hot flashes, something isn't right. You might want to try a different brand of gel or even switch to injections. Some guys find one works better for them than the other.