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 Alpine Wanderer 

    Great advice as usual Thumbsup 

    Peter

  • Thanks  

    Brilliant piece of writing and a truly inspirational story. Thanks for reminding us of your journey and I wish you many more low PSA tests.

    Kind Regards - Brian.

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  • Great words serves to give so many of us much hope!

  • Hi AW 

    I have just been reading your journey. I have just been diagnosed and my scores are like yours 4 + 3 and having to decide between radiotherapy or surgery and it has been reassuring to read how you dealt with this and how you are doing so well. I am finding it extremely hard to make this decision and  that once you made that decision you felt better as at the moment that is all that is consuming my life and my wife’s but like you we are a strong team and will deal with this. It’s just making the decision of which treatment road to take. 
    Hope you continue to do well 

  • Hi   Glad that you found my bio useful.  Research well before making a decision and good luck.  AW

  • Hello Supersaint,

    It may seem odd, but making that treatment decision that's right for you can be the most time consuming part of the journey.  One minute you think you have made a choice, but then a few minutes later that niggling thought at the back of your mind starts nagging at you ''but what if I had the other treatment''.  So off you go again to read up about it all over again.

    My best tip is not to rush, do plenty of research from trusted sites, list all the pros & cons of each treatment that are relevant to you & your partner, and perhaps most importantly, ask away on here any questions you may have lurking.

    It's true that once that decision has finally been made you feel more in control & can relax a little.

    Best Wishes

    Brian

  •  Hi   my journey is also the same as AWs. We were both T3a. My warmest wishes for your decision 

  • Glad you have started the road to recovery ,I started taking my hormones this week aswell. I have to lose a lot of weight to get surgery so more realistic to have RT.But should be starting weight loss drugs(my doctor has approved it)  if i get it approved by my oncologist,its a relatively new combo,not much data. If I do lose the weight then surgery may be another option.

    Have a Happy Christmas..its nice knowing we have started something.

    Chris 

  • You’re very right I have gone from RT to surgery more times in the last few days. However I have now made the decision to have surgery. I will never know if this is the right choice but the thought of taking HT for 6 or more months with all the side effects put me off. But thus has been the hardest part of my journey so far 

  • The percentage of guys that have a prostatectomy that have to have salvage radiotherapy is high not to mention the side effects of having surgery which I’m certain you are more than aware of. Regardless, best of luck with your journey