My husband is newly diagnosed with stage 2 prostate cancer

It would be good to know the severity of the cancer and how old he is. I chose proton radiation because what I felt was the least evasive method to treat the cancer. I have had excellent results with no negative side effects during the treatment or after now for 3 years. . 

I should have added. READ and STUDY on any method you are considering. Take your time and make an informed decision. Your doctor may recommend one or more treatments but make sure you are comfortable with the decision and not let anyone lead you into the decision. 

Hi Meredith, Agree with Gale a bit more info required. What is his Gleason score and the stage of T2 is it a b or c. Also his age. 

My hubby was 62 when disgnosed after a routine blood test no symptoms apart from back pain. Initially Gleason 3+4 and T2a upgraded to T2b after second biopsy. Because of where one part of the cancer was he was unsuitable for any treatment other than removal robotically. He recovered well from the surgery continent at night after a week but took three months for daytime mainly because he kept forgetting to do his exercises. Erection wise has been the problem. One set of nerves spared. Two different tablets didn’t work and now waiting to try injections although there is some life there. Been nearly a year next month. As the partner you are the one in the support role and there can be depression at lack of erections therefore don’t feel they are a man anymore. Lack of the intimacy of intercourse and it is wearing on you. This is why  these forums are helpful. Feel free to message me privately. 

 

Should have said after removal T2C and it was in the whole prostate not one half. 

52 yr old here, robotic removal of prostrate about 9 months ago, incontenince still, though not as bad as it was, down to one pad a day, nothing at night, no erections YET! but I am taking it slow, its hard to try to do that with the incontinence issue, but I chose to remove it cause I didn't want  to worry about it all the time, if giving the choice of living or dying ,,, choose to live... good luck

52 years old, diagnosed and had RALP AT AGE 51.

I was Gleson 7 (4+3) per biopsy but post op downgraded to 3+4;  pT2c in both sides of prostate.

Had surgery on 11/2/16. Regain continence 99% by the end of 3rd month. Still have some stress incontinece but that is something I can lie every with. Follow up PSA at 6 weeks, 5, 8 & 11 months is <0.1. No luck in recovery of erections. I am taking Cialis 10 mg, using VEDand started TRIMIX @ 5 months. I lost 2+ inches of length and some girth. TRIMIX gives me erections in about 7/10 but my penis looks pathetically small like I was 10 or 11. Sex almost impossible, constantly slips out of vagina. 

So far nothing spontaneous, not the slightest sign of life down there. Before surgery never had a problem with achieving and maintaining erections as long as my wife and I wanted. I am very healthy, non smoker, non drinker, not on any medications,  dry active, not overweight.

in general, 2 out 3 recovery is only 66%. I would say for my surgeon: FALLING GRADE.

Would I do RALP again. No. Would look for something with better sexual function recovery.

At age of 52; I miss sex a lot. Who knows what future brings?

MK

Meredith, I am 70 years old. I know the first reaction is to have the prostate removed. Do the research and compare all the alternatives. Do you see the similarities in surgery. It may not be the best alternative!

Difficult choice. Depending on his age, if he is relatively young then maybe radiation. If older, like Ii was (63 at the time), I decided to have prostate removed, then you are pretty sure that the cancer is out of your body. With radiation, although modern methods are now much more effective, there is always a chance that it may not work 100% or that the cancer could return. Downside of surgery is erection and incontinence issues. Good luck!

Meridith,

how old is you husband?

I am 49 years old. Diagnosed in February 2017 with a gleason 9 and doctors told me I had to do something quickly.  I have perineural invasion so it was advised not to do surgery.  I first took Casodex tablets and Eligard hormone therapy shot. It lasts 4 months per shot.  It causes hot flashes, fatigue, and an emotional rollercoaster but not unbearable but not pleasant.  I have also done 25 treatments of external photon radiation and it wasn't bad for me other than added fatigue on top of the shot.  I urinate 6-8 times per night  and "dribble" a little but nothing terrible. Then I did the brachtherapy (seeds) on October 3.  Urination first few days was painful with burning but that stopped after 3 days.  I still get up constantly at night to urinate.  I asked my urologist about blood flow because it seemed my "manhood" was disappearring completely in size.  He gave me Cialis 5 mg to take every day for the blood flow and tissue survival.  Erections are not happening.  I am not upset about it because just want to be able to live.  All I can say is the seeds and radiation have not been difficult for me.  The hormone therapy I do not like.  Its a flip of the coin on what to do.

Prostate cancer is the leading cancer among men and an estimated of 220,000 men are diagnosed with the condition in 2015. In men, prostate cancer is the second-leading cause of cancer death after lung cancer. However, with an aggressive treatment regimen and healthy lifestyle habits, the disease can be treated

I was diagnosed with Gleason Score 3+4=7 PCa then Open RP in November 2015 aged 72. Surgery was recommended over radiation therapy which I was told could fuse prostate onto bladder and complicate any subsequent RP. The only side effect for my circumstances was the possibility of a couple of months incontinence.

Early recovery was horrific. I woke with 4 hospital staff and ward registrar very concerned that the litres of saline drip input had only produced a catheter tube inch of output. There was excess, they thought, in the wound bag and they concluded there was kidney failure and internal leaking. They panicked and pumped another 4 or 6 litres of fluid into my veins that wasn’t being processed by my kidneys and somehow parked all over the place. I reckon there must have been half a litre in my black & blue scrotum. With the lower trunk already filled with air I was extremely bloated and uncomfortable. The surgeon arrived and quickly dispelled any danger and kidneys soon began to work but the excess fluid remained. I had to walk and shower with everything dangling unsupported, tube in and outage tubes and their bags everywhere and the shower with water back flowing where I was to redress. The weeks that followed required assistance to put on underclothes, socks uridoms etc. But I had to manage what I could then on my own.

I was glad to get out of hospital after a few days of this for a very uncomfortable car ride home and weeks of not being able to do much for myself. Following catheter removal I experienced months of fungal infections that could not be treated with constantly wet undercarriage. Uridoms could not be kept in place as pieces of wound kept fouling the tip and forcing them off. Hospital emergency was about to re-catheterise before being overruled by Urology. We invented our own solution with a piece of PVC, an electrical fitting and a catheter bag and relief eventually came with proper treatment being possible. Without the pads I got some dry time and a few accidents thrown in.

Then I experienced a bladder neck blockage. John Hunter Emergency – Newcastle NSW mistreated a clearance due to Triage misrecording my condition as Post-TURP. Treating officers would not believe my insistence of post-RP even after viewing the scar. Multiple full size catheter forcings to eventually breach a bladder entry caused damage to internal sphincter, the surgeon had said he had saved. I got an apology, no responsibility, 2 months of self-catheterising and so far 2 years of incontinence. Thanx John Hunter. Not knowing when an unexpected overflow will foul some ones car or lounge, constantly wet and uncomfortable. It goes on and on.

An article in the Financial Review quotes only 4% of men opting for RP as doubting their choice. The magazine then explains this as self defence against admitting a mammoth quality of life destroying decision was wrong. There is also a feeling of masculinity loss and shorter piece with urethra reattachment from below prostate to bladder neck. Younger men suffer more from these effects with relationship issues that can cause anxiety and depression.

I know the 30 days of radiation for that alternative would also no doubt have had its problems and people probably do not fully recall the full after effects. From what I have found from questioning fellow lawn bowler TURP treatment for BPH and Radiation for PCa seems to have produced better outcomes. BPH medication though is cheaper for the government and Surgery better for the Urologist/Surgeons. They then tell us that even though pre and post tests for spreading of the cancer were negative we have to assume we have PCa cells elsewhere in our bodies waiting to declare themselves. This may then require radiation or hormone therapy anyway. They also don’t know the full function of the prostate gland or the parts we loose with it.

Anyone diagnosed with PCa should resist my urge to “get it out” without proper research. Take your time there are a magnitude of options, locations and costs. I suppose there is a chance of spreading while you wait but no more risk than all the cancerous blood from our positive needle biopsy hits we already have had. You are starting in the right place here but don’t miss out on personal contacts where you can learn more.

Barrie Heslop