Opinions and advice on choice pls

Hi Mustardo - That's a very good question - possibly your urology department is linked to a surgical department or the urologist is a surgeon too.

Pros and cons with everything and a difficult choice - get it out of your body and bang  it's gone = but what about side effects.

HT/RT - 3 years of possible side effects ED - Hot Flushes, Itchy Skin Mood Swings to mention a few.

You need to do plenty of reading both on here and elsewhere, work out what you want and make your choice - it's your body.

I can give you a personal opinion of HT/RT but I had no choice - I would have gone this way anyway BUT do the research  ask people who have had, both and the medical professionals and make an informed choice. You can see my HT/RT journey by clicking on the icon of the beach - it's an 18 month one but has a happy ending!!

Good luck with your choice. Ask anything you want - you will get honest answers.

Kind Regards

Brian.

Hi Mustardo

PSA not particularly high.

They do often push for surgery but RT no problem if that's what  u  prefer.

Only drawback to RT is that if cancer returns surgery near impossible but ok the other way round, RT after surgery.

Having said that I went for RT.

Do much research, looks like time on your side

Steve 

Many thanks just read your story  certainly gives me good hope ... 

I had surgery, my Gleason was 7(4+3) I was given the option of both, to be honest when I was diagnosed I didn’t know what a prostate was regardless of the other stuff like PSA, I was completely lost how could I make this decision? I ended up talking with my nurse specialist, and considering my situation I made the decision to go with the surgery, this was 2 years ago, unfortunately I still have cancer cells in the prostate bed, I am having hormone injections and I’m having radiotherapy, got 10 sessions left, the thing that made my decision was if I had radiotherapy first and after time the cancer came back I wouldn’t be able to have surgery, I also didn’t want the cancer in my body, every one is different and we are at different stages etc, my advice would be to talk with your nurse, she will of seen thousands of men and she should know what is best for you, hope this helps, Regards, Pete 

I had surgery , no regrets , but your psa is rather high , which does move you into a higher grade group ( risk of recurrence) . What is your Gleason ? If it’s above 7 , the chance of it coming back is quite high after surgery . I’ve had incontinence ( now minor ,18 months after prostatectomy). My recovery was very straightforward, and up till now I’ve had no other treatment . But if you don’t fancy surgery , why even consider it ? Overall outcomes indistinguishable . Best wishes . Bill

Hello Mustardo. There is some very sound advice in the above replies and I think that Millibob has summed it up. There is plenty of helpful information on the internet and I ended up writing a list of the pros and cons of each option before deciding. My details are on my profile.

I took the RT and HT route which, on balance, I do not regret. Everyone is different. For me the only significant side effect of the RT was profound fatigue for two or three months. Now, a year later, I am looking forward to the HT finishing at the end of the year. Emotional changes, loss of confidence, etc., fatigue (less severe than after the RT) have been challenging but you do seem to adapt somehow.

Hi Mustardo, I am 77 now was diagnosed at 75 when PSA caught at 12.6. Had option of HT RT or HDR Brachytherapy. Went for HT RT treatment. Had 20 sessions of radiotherapy, and was very careful re instructions to have empty bowel and full bladder at each session. Had no bad side effects. Went on to have Prostap injections every 3 months for a year, then I switched to Bicalutamide tablets for about a year. When I finished treatment my PSA was 0.01. Side effects from hormone therapy, hot flushes occasionally and erectile dysfunction. Bicalutamide can cause pain in the breasts. Since ending my treatment a few months ago my PSA is 0.09. I am quite happy with the result, I have my next interview in August to discuss how I am.

 Best wishes and regards, Dougie