Brachytherapy treatment completed today

Thank You Bluecloud1 

That's a cracking post and I hope all goes well for you. Brachytherapy isn't available everywhere and to me it looks to be the best treatment going for Prostate Cancer that hasn't spread. No major surgery, no major side effects,

Just why isn't is made more readily available or even offered?

Good luck with PSA tests may they remain low.

Best wishes - Brian.

Thank you, I want to put this on my profile like you have done but not sure how to do it.. Although this has been a very easy journey, However I did struggle at 1st, and spent hours researching about it all, reading papers etc etc, and of course this site, and I still have lots of questions which can’t seem to get answered by anyone, ie how fast is a moderate spread of cancer, 10% every month etc etc and does it always start at 3+3 and there is no detail available so when someone says it’s moderately growing, if it does start at 3+3 why do some men in less than 2 years end up at  Gleason 4+5 or 5+4… it doesn’t help because even with all the data this answer even in general terms is not available and it was because of that I decided against active surveillance.  Maybe we could chat by private message as there is lots we could share to maybe help others because like I say it was hours and hours of me doing my homework to get to my decision.  

Good Morning Bluecloud1 

To add to your profile - go to your home page and click on the chair (top right) on the notifications bar - then "profile" and then "edit". Once you have written something don't forget to click on "save".

There aren't any rules for cancer - it grows and spreads when it wants - the Gleason Score starts at 6 (3+3) and increases to 10 (5+5).... as you may be aware I started off as a 7 and ended up at my TURP operation being a 9. Everyone is different and this is why we don't have a "pinned post" at the top of the thread showing all the various treatment paths available - we like to look at every Community member as an individual and treat them as such.

Feel free to message me - my message box is open you don't need a "friend request" to message me, although I will need one to reply so I have sent this. I do reply to all messages and am online everyday, although my times do vary.

You may have noticed I am against AS (active surveillance) as I have seen a number of people go from AS to T3 and at least twice T4.

I do what I do because just over 3 years ago I thought Prostate Cancer was something other men got - how wrong was I!! When I joined the Community I had such a great welcome and found many good friends I decided to stick around and put back in what I have had out.

Best wishes - Brian.

All done, thank you.  I have put a bit more detail in, to help others who may wish to read it 

As Brian Millibob said:

Millibob said:

Brachytherapy isn't available everywhere and to me it looks to be the best treatment going for Prostate Cancer that hasn't spread

It wasn't available in Newcastle for me.  I don't know if I would have opted for it, but it looks like it is working for you, which is excellent news.

I don't know anyone else who has had Brachytherapy.

If it can keep the dreaded fatigue away, that's great.

Fingers crossed  for your PSA test.

Good Afternoon Steve

Stevecam said:

I don't know anyone else who has had Brachytherapy.

Our very own Alpine Wanderer has been down this route and his journey can be fund here:

 Surgery or Radiotherapy? Decision made! 

it's a great story with a happy ending.

Best wishes - Brian.

Yep, I’m here in the wings waiting for any questions members may have.  If you have the energy, read my whole thread: otherwise, just read my profile  AW

Hi Bluecloud1 - it looks like you haven’t had hormone therapy.  So watch out for brachytherapy “bounce” in PSA as it can move up and down as the prostate reacts to the onslaught of brachytherapy that it has been subjected to.   AW

Thank you, was there a reason you couldn’t have had what I have had done and avoid all the other stuff. I was in Christie’s which is one of the leading clinics in brachytherapy..  I will of course ask about the brachytherapy bounce however my view is the radiation kills the cancer so why would I need anything else, which I assume was why it wasn’t even offered..  Maybe I am missing something but I just don’t understand the benefit of all the other things which seem to have more side effects than the actual radiation…

Hi Bluecloud1 ,

I think that the only people who can really answer your question are the team treating you.

My general understanding is that whether brachytherapy alone works well depends on the risk and how localised. From what you have said yours is intermediate risk and localised, which suggests that you are in the right place.

I base my information on this note from Prostate Cancer UK:

https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information-and-support/treatments/permanent-seed-brachytherapy#:~:text=Permanent%20seed%20brachytherapy%20is%20as,one%20man's%20experience%20of%20brachytherapy.

I have made the assumption that this is the type of radiotherapy. I may be wrong, and would ask your forgiveness if that is the case.

To answer your question more fully I will use myself as an example.

My cancer is Gleason 9, so more aggressive than yours. It has escaped (just) from the prostate but that meant brachytherapy was not an option. The small escape was into 1 lymph nodes, meaning that my radiotherapy would be designed to give the whole area a really thorough going over.

My treatment plan is 6 months of hormone therapy (completed), 37 days radiotherapy (almost completed), and then a further 2 years hormone therapy.

My oncologist explained that the initial 6 months was to shrink everything to make it a good target, carpet bomb bomb it with a death ray, and then starve anything to death that might even think of getting away.

She didn't use quite the same words.

According to the stats I have researched about my own position this all gives me a really good chance of making it to 5, 10 and 15 years.

So, all in all, your treatment plan is for you, and your own medical advisers can explain.

My own case illustrates where a combination of therapies might apply.

Good luck and best wishes.

Steve