Surgery or Radiotherapy? Decision made!

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Decision made.  I’m pT3a, N0 M0 (see my profile for details ).  My extensive research points to a combo treatment of HT / RT / Brachy (NHS and NICE approved).  MDT met again a couple of days ago and their recommendation (without my input) was the same.  I had a consultation at Addenbrookes yesterday with a top prostatectomy surgeon and he agreed with me that my decision was the best one, as surgery would carry at least a 30% chance of recurrence.  So I collected my prescription on way out!   I took my first bicalutamide tablet taken this morning…..so the treatment is underway. Just over 62 days (NHS target) since GP referral so well done to them after a thorough diagnosis.  I feel like a weight has been lifted from my shoulders with regards to timelines (chasing the NHS, politely!), but I’m under no illusion that the next few months of treatment will present challenges.  My wife and I are a strong team and we intend to take everything in our stride and, hopefully, this curative pathway will prevail.  Here we go…..wish us luck! 

  • Hi  ,  I think it is very important that we report good news alongside the other stories.  This journey (even for non curables) has ups and downs and the big advantage of this site is that we see all the stories.  We all need hope, but a positive outlook helps both mental and physical recovery.  Please keep posting.

    Best wishes, David

    Please remember that I am not medically trained and the above are my personal views.

  • Cracking Post  

    I love posts where the Community Member shares good news.

    Yes we have doom and gloom on here, we have lost some Community Members this year to Prostate Cancer but good news inspires people to realise that their treatment (whatever it is) is given to either cure or extend life and that life is precious. (I should know I almost lost mine!!).

    Keep posting, keep positive, enjoy life and climb one of those mountains for me - I would struggle climbing onto the char lift!!

    You are truly inspirational.

    Kind Regards - Brian.

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  • Well, another 23 days have gone by since I posted on my thread.  In the interests of providing a full account of my experience, I’m posting today with news of a significant milestone.  My last (3-monthly) zoladex hormone injection was mid December last year.  It was 15 months after my first injection, so it took me to 18 months full hormone therapy (March this year), with the inevitable add-on of no testosterone until it returned several months after that.  I was hoping for a return by, maybe, October.

    However, during my latest hiking trip to the Alps, I sensed a change in my interest, and upon returning to Mrs AW……my libido was back!  I had heard that it can return suddenly and this appears to be the case for me. So, for those of you still plodding through HT, there is hope…

    I have my latest PSA and testosterone (plus full blood test) towards the end of next month.  I will be very interested to see the results. I will, of course, keep you all updated.   Right then, time to go on Amazon to order a chandelier so I can swing from it LOL…

    AW

  •   My libido is back, sort of... I've actually got some testosterone... But... Nobody bothered letting my "you know what!" know!! 

    If you know what I mean!!!

    Steve (SteveCam)

  • Hi  - did you take tadalafil and give your “you know what” regular exercise during the “no interest treatment phase” ?    AW

  • Hi Alpine Wanderer

    That's great news,I'm on the HT for another 15 months ,hope all is good for your PSA testosterone and full blood test .

    Kind regards 

    Peter

  • Hi Peter. Both AW and I were T3a. We also both had BrachyBoost. I decided to come off HT after 12 months as I’d had quite enough and given that I’d had BrachyBoost on top of EBRT and 12 months HT modern consensus for cases like mine suggest 6-12 months of HT. I’m a month out and no changes to report as of yet. Good luck 

  • Thats really good news very pleased for you, had my last HT jab in June so living in hope!?

  • Hi 

    That's good to hear ,thanks ,good luck to you to .

    I'm hoping to have my planning scan in December then start radiotherapy in the new year ,it's been delayed as I was retaining urine at my first attempt at the planning scan so I'm having a catheter fitted through the abdomen so they can drain any urine that hasn't passed.

    I've got a really bad overactive bladder so the oncologist agreed to do the radiotherapy with a empty bladder.

    Haven't been offered the BrachyBoost 

    Kind regards 

    Peter