Treatment

Hi Arcon - Welcome to our club!! 

The removal or not is a very personal choice. PC is a slow growing cancer and you have time to decide. my advice would be to read as much as you can and ask people for their opinion as you have. I can only give my view as I didn't have the choice and 16 months down the HT/RT route I am fine. You can read my full journey by clicking on the icon of the beach next to my user name.

PC affects everyone in a different way and you need to study the effects/side effects of each treatment before making which in essence is a very personal choice.

Best Wishes - Brian.

Thank you  

Hi Arcon ,

I was also 71 when diagnosed (Gleason 4+5=9, T3A N0 M0 and PSA of 15) and offered surgery or HT/RT. I chose the latter as I am also very active with walking, swimming and coastal rowing. I chose the HT/RT as I was told that surgery could leave a long term problem with "stress leakage" and I didn't want to come off the water smelling like a urinal! I am now 76 and, after three years of HT my PSA has stabilised at 0.2 with which the Oncology team are quite happy. I'm still walking about 30-50 miles a month, swimming a mile twice a week and rowing as often as the wind and tides allow.

Hello Arcon. I also had t3a. Details in my bio. There is a lot of information available online about the pros and cons of the options. I made a comparison list, of the possible side effects, which helped me decide. 

I chose the Hormone Therapy / Radiotherapy option in November 2021 because I felt that it would be less invasive. I did not experience bowel problems. I have no regrets but it is a long road. 16 months on and I hope to finish the hormone injections at the end of 2023. The only lasting side effect of the RT was, for me, the profound fatigue which lasted for two or three months. The HT affects people in different ways. The only things which have bothered me are shrinkage, a degree of fatigue (I nap most days), weight gain (about 8lb but more fat and less muscle) and, finally, emotional changes. 

This is what the oncologist said to me when I was deciding: “You will feel fed up at the end of the radiotherapy and very tired”

The lack of any sexual function has not really bothered me but I am single and I live in my own.

As I understand it, one advantage of surgery is that you could have radiotherapy in the future should it be necessary. Surgery once you have had radiotherapy would be more difficult. 

The various Prostate Cancer UK booklets, which were available at the hospital, are very helpful indeed. 

Another doctor said to me “Well, some people just want this thing removed from their body as soon as possible”.

I think it can be unnerving to have to make a choice although both options are sound and valid.

Very best wishes.

Thanks a lot for information 

I think I’m going for the removal 

it seems to long and drawn out for me other choices 

but it looks like a long wait to be even offered any thing at the moment

so I just hope I don’t go from t3a to t3b whilst I’m waiting

Hello Arcon

This is a very difficult decision for you men to make and I really don't know what I would do given the side effects of both treatment pathways. My husband is T3a N0M0 but went down the radiotherapy and HT route. I would have supported him either way. I wish you all the very best with the surgery and look forward to hearing about your speedy recovery

Hi Arcon.

My husband was diagnosed on 9th January this year and chose the surgical removal route, based mostly on the fact that RT was still an option afterwards if needed, whereas if he chose RT first, follow up surgery was unlikely to be offered.  With the decision made, he has finally got his operation booked for this Saturday (15/4) and this was only after A LOT of chasing by us! Like you, we were also concerned that the delay could cause the cancer to grow and become harder to treat. 

There are a lot of very helpful and supportive people on this forum who can give you a better insight than me right now, but once you have made your decision my advice would be to chase regularly for a date! 

I wish you all the best in your journey 

I am 74 and decided on surgery. Which on hindsight was probably a good decision. The biopsy on the prostate indicated that a very small lump was detected under the microscope. This was not detected in the MRI scan. They increased my grade from 3 to 4 because of this. Do not delay on your decision.

 I’m clear now latest blood test indicates not detectable. However my biggest problem is incontinence which is something to consider 

Thank you