Cancer patient’s prognosis looks good

Dear Dr. Roach: Iam68 and have prostate cancer. I had PSAs, an MRI and a biopsy. My Gleason score was a high 7. No genetic testing as I can recall. My urologist said I had “upper moderate” cancer and that I could remove my prostate or do radiation therapy. I underwent three months of radiation treatment from September to November 2020. I’ve done three PSA tests since the radiation. All have been very low. I don’t specifically recall my doctor making any reference to my having a rather slow cancer or more aggressive cancer. How can I determine this for my situation?

T.P.

Answer: You have a Gleason score of 7 and apparently no positive lymph nodes or distant disease. This would put you into an intermediate risk group. Without having the details from the pathology report, I can only give a rough estimate, but the best guess is that between 65% and 83% of men like you would continue to be free from prostate cancer five years after diagnosis. However, there are some additional good findings since your treatment. Only after years can we know for sure about the aggressiveness of your cancer, but from what you are telling me, your prognosis is pretty good.

Dear Dr. Roach: Are vibrating machines safe? Only after buying a used one did I go online to find out more about them. I read they can cause brain damage and neurological damage, possibly permanent. My machine now sits in the garage while I learn what its fate should be. If it is dangerous, it should be destroyed, not passed on to another unwitting buyer.

T.H.

Answer: The theory of whole-body vibration machines makes some sense — your body attempts to stabilize you against the vibration, making muscles stronger with less perceived effort. Understanding the science on them, however, takes some judgment.

In the studies I read, I did not find reports of significant adverse effects. I found expert opinion that there may be neurological damage from whole-body vibration, but no hard evidence to back this up.

I would still recommend regular exercise over the device. However, I did not find much evidence of harm from these devices.