HIFU Focal Therapy

Hi Robin,

I'm delighted to hear your news.  That's a super result and I'm very pleased for you, well done!  I hope you can come off the HT soon & that this will make life a bit easier for you.

The stress coming off your shoulders must be immense.  I recall that I had tears in my eyes when I received my PSA result.  

Good luck Mr Baffledman!  

I'm fine thank you Robin & feeling stronger.  I'm off the pads now & everything else is working just fine.  Given that my op was only in December, this is a huge result and I feel humbled and very lucky - of course, I'll be monitoring for the rest of my life, so there's that to consider, but so far so good.  I'm pleased that you seem to be heading in the same direction.

With best wishes,

Kenny

All the best to you.

Thanks Benny Ed!

Glad to hear that you are doing so well now. I’ve read your journey, and you have definitely been through it... from the outset with complications. Then you appeared to be unlucky with the infection, then the random accident as well. Like you, I was adamant I wanted hifu, but like so many here, and after so much research I changed my mind.

Both you and Robin have been my inspiration regarding getting back into running. I think I will skip the log carrying and putting a haversack of shopping on my though... !

all the best, one and all...

Baffledman (that name came to me when trying to come to get my head around prostate cancer and the treatments... i have to say this site has been so helpful in unraveling so much... thanks everyone).

Hi Mr Baffledman,

Thank you for your message.  I am humbled to learn if I have in any way had a positive impact on your running (although I would not call my glacial pace jogging actually 'running)!

I also found the Macmillan site not only very useful in my research, but in a way (I suppose obviously) comforting in that I wasn't alone.  Far from alone.  I also feel that I've made friends such as Robin and maybe one day we can meet & share stories.

I wish you the very best of luck.  Please keep in touch & keep me posted on your progress.

Kind regards

Kenny 

Hi,

I am in the same position as you almost exactly. I'm having real difficulty in deciding between Focal cryotherapy in my case and prostatectomy. Low side effects but potential recurrence on the one hand and higher risk of side effects with potentially lower risk of recurrence. But 5 year outcomes are very similar. 

Check out Prost8 charity which promotes focal treatments.

I agree, it's all a balance between risk of side effects and recurrence, although no treatment can offer a 100% guarantee of being cancer free.

No one wants the side effects and that is why, if you read through this thread, everyone started by looking at HIFU but all opted for different treatments, influenced by the type and location of their cancers, and ultimately risk of recurrence.

I don't know where you are located but if in the South-east, I would thoroughly recommend a consultation with Prof. Langley at Guildford as he has undertaken HIFU in the past and can give you a good balanced overview.

I followed his advice and all is going very well with all side effects looking to be temporary.

With prostate cancer, you need to consider 10, 15, 20 year outcomes, not just 5 years.

And although HIFU has been in use for some 25 years now, you'll struggle to find any decent research covering more than 10 years; only one study that I've found had some of the participants up to about 15 years.

If you have a cancer that is considered 'curable' (and that certainly includes virtually everyone with stage I or stage II, and many at stage III), then it makes sense to go with a treatment that has a proven ability to cure.

With HIFU, there is an accepted high risk of recurrence. Will your cancer still be a "curable" cancer at that point? Quite likely not. Cancer advances at a cellular level as well as 'spreads'.

The primary treatment is key. And only surgery and radiotherapy can offer a cure (though there's no guarantee even then, just pretty good odds with a curable tumor.

If you are old, and the reduced side effects of HIFU are a deal breaker, then that choice is understandable.

Some argue that if you are young, HIFU allows you to enjoy your family and career and postpone facing the disease. Maybe so. But maybe you would be gambling a long life for an easier but shorter one. Each to his own!

Thank you. I am 69 pretty fit and active and want a long life with my family.  Your reply is measured and helpful. Its a bit like shall I eat the cake now or save till later. I am in a real quandary.

I'm really pleased to hear all is well. I'm in a real tizz and now feel unable to make a decision but I know I have to and quickly. I've been prevaricating for 2 weeks.

Good luck, whatever you decide. The decision is never easy, you just have to think about the best option for you and yours. Sadly, there's no one right answer (and probably never will be!).