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confused over next treatment after radiacal prostatectomy

Posted , 7 users are following.

richard68829
richard68829

wating one more week to check my psa following my radical prostaectomy. Doctor stated that he is sure my psa will not be zero due to cancer found outside the prostate in biopsy following surgery. He is recomending radiation therapy but am conflicted due to the potential side effects. Hormone therapy also has side effects but have heard it could be more effective due to the spread of my cancer outside of the prostate. I am  51 years old so my cancer is advanced for a man my age. Was wondering what side effect others have had with these treatments

 

1 like, 26 replies

26 Replies

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  • howard53545
    howard53545 richard68829

    Posted

    Was this reading from the final pathology report? A lot of guys have positive margins, meaning that the tumor has broken through the prostate wall. This is very different than metastatic spread.  
    • richard68829
      richard68829 howard53545

      Posted

      It was outside the prostate and in the seminal vesicles and the surrounding tissue. He didnt feel he got it all which is why he felt i would need radiation. The micrometasises left behind will hopefully be taken care of by the radiation The imaging showed nothing but they do not show micrometastic spreading. I guess my PSA level will be the key to seeing how much cancer remains. I am hoping for a low number!
    • supercargo
      supercargo richard68829

      Posted

      I had T3b staging. Mdp suggested Hormone treatment and RT. +2 years sinc RT, PSA remains <0.1>
    • richard68829
      richard68829 supercargo

      Posted

      Good to know. Still a bit concerned about RT side effects but worth it I guess. I just hope to delay hormone therapy as lng as possible
  • howard53545
    howard53545 richard68829

    Posted

    Good luck. I will have two more PSA tests to determine if there is a trend. If so I will have radiation. If I can get a cure, fine. Years of remission  will work too. 
  • louise1106
    louise1106 richard68829

    Posted

    My dad had same procedure 6th jan this yr. He is 57 and he got his results and his is in lymph node. He gotta wait 3 months after surgery before treatment. I'm just worried leaving it that long to do anything, it's cancer surely things need to be moving on. He doesn't know yet wot road They want him to go down next. As it in his lymph nodes is this treatable or will it just carry on spreading? X
    • howard53545
      howard53545 louise1106

      Posted

      I am not an expert but from what I read it is treatable. After surgery it takes time to heal before radiation. PC also grows relatively slow. Good luck
  • richard68829
    richard68829

    Posted

    I am was in your same situation,  I too am 51 years old and greatly concerned about the side effects of radiation. My Doctor told my my PSA would not be zero after surgery due to a PSA of 29, positive margins and seminal vesicle invasion. It turned out he was wrong, it came back at zero but radiation was still recomended to minimize the cance of cancer coming back. I have completed 30 of my 40 radiation treatments and am happy to say I have had virtually no side effects other than a little fatigue in the evenings. Hormone therapy has definate side effects but radiation will affect everyone differently. I wanted to avoid the side effects of hormone therapy as long as I could since if and when my PSA begins to rise again that will be the only course of action. Good luck with your decision and treatments.
    • supercargo
      supercargo richard68829

      Posted

      Just had 2nd anual Oncologist review after RT and Hormone Therapy, PSA remains <0.1, next review in 1 year. had radiation proctopathy about a year after rt. have recently had total hip replacement and suspect all the medication has resolved the anal bleeding (radiation proctopothy). next="" review="" in="" 1="" year.="" had="" radiation="" proctopathy="" about="" a="" year="" after="" rt.="" have="" recently="" had="" total="" hip="" replacement="" and="" suspect="" all="" the="" medication="" has="" resolved="" the="" anal="" bleeding="" (radiation="">
  • Streeky
    Streeky richard68829

    Posted

    Hi Richard 

    I'm 55 and i had had hifu back in October but they have since found cancer in my lymph nodes and want to put me on hormone treatment by injection for three years , start RT straightaway followed by chemo possibly , I too am worried about the side effects , loss of sex drive , not sure viagra has any effect once your on hormone treatment ? Obviously I note the other side effects 

    • alfred5
      alfred5 Streeky

      Posted

      Streeky from what I have read many times on another uk prostate cancer site. If the hormones are working correctly you will not have any desire for sex. The hormones should block testosterone. This means sex drive will go. Viagra only works with the body's own testosterone for men that want sex. I have read that a few men still maintain sex drive, but it's very unlikely. But you will know they are doing their job as prostate cancer thrives on testosterone. Good luck with it al.
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