I am scared

My husband had a Gleason of 3+4. He had tablets…. No side effects.  Started injections of zoladex( still no side effects.  He’s just completed 20 / sessions of radiotherapy… no side effects except sometimes hot in bed. He’s to have injections for 2/3 years.    He’s 80 never had any illness.  He drinks  2 litres water a day and  Peppermint tea.  Plays table tennis 2/3 times a week and is out gardening every day.  Hope life treats you as well. 

There is a friend of mine having almost exactly the same experience as you, though without the PSMA-PET Scan.

He is only about 6 month's out from the surgery. The procedure advised for him is almost the same as yours. He has started the HT and will have 33 weeks of radiotherapy in June.

The PSMA scan detects prostate cancer. Prostate Cancer is the same, even if it escapes from the Prostate. This means that the same procedures work on it.

Yon have been prescribed HT to start, so the cancer will be stopped wherever it is. From what you said you have involvement is one lymph node.

The HT will stop it spreading.

The RT will kill it.

From the number of sessions planned they are likely going to be treating the surrounding lymph nodes as well as giving the prostate bed a thorough going over as well just in case.

I have had RT and am having HT for 2.5 more years.

The side effects are ok.

I think you will be good.

Hello Petyot . It is quite common to need salvage radiotherapy after having had a Prostatectomy. Yours has been found very early thanks to the PSMA PET scan and you are starting on treatment which will keep you on the curative pathway. The HT tablets are Bicalutamide which you take initially to stop the initial testosterone flare caused by the hormone injection which effectively puts the cancer into hibernation no matter where it is in the body. The radiotherapy is the bit which will kill the cancer and with intermediate risk patients like you with a Gleason 8 it has been shown to be most effective when used in conjunction with the hormone therapy. The long term statistics are very positive using this treatment.

The hormone therapy can come with side effects but if you are only going to be on them for a few months these should be reversible and you can help yourself by exercising and in particular with weight bearing exercises. Also keep up with the pelvic floor exercises and look after your penile health as the hormone therapy can cause shrinkage. My husband had 33 sessions of radiotherapy to the whole of the pelvic area over 4 years ago and the latest scans show that it did its job with no bowel or bladder problems. He did find that the fatigue built up the more sessions he had but in general found them easy and he got into the routine of the daily sessions and making sure that the bowels and bladder were in the right state for the treatment.

Please ask any questions and I hope we can lower your anxiety levels.

Hi Petyot that’s not what you wanted to hear but the HT and RT will sort you out.  I was in your position (albeit without having a RP) 8 years ago.  You are on a curative path so keep positive.  David

Hi Petyot 

Have look at my profile as I have walked a similar path and we are of similar age. There may be some differences in our pathology reports and in the type of cancer we have. 

Rest assured, your medical team have a huge amount of tools in their toolbox. The important things is that you are on a curative path and prostate cancer is slow growing.

Try not to stress about the things out of your control and live your live. Consider the fact that today you have less cancer than what you had prior to your Prostatectomy.

We are all human and this disease will play with your mind, find ways to cope so that it does not control your thoughts or actions. 

All of the best.

Munster

Thanks! 

The mental part is the worst