Sudden doubts

Hi OMI

It's a good question and I did think about it before I started my Radiotherapy in 2017.

I really didn't want to go through surgery, a major op, and then possible ED issues afterwards.

Yes I know about potential long term side effects but not everyone gets them , after 9 years I am quite happy with the Radiotherapy.

All the best but see what others say, that's obviously just my opinion.

Steve 

Just seen your profile T3, Def go for Radiotherapy in my mind, looks like already on HT

Hello Chris (Odd Man In ) 

I will hold my hands up here - I had no choice HT/RT for me - would I have had Surgery ?- no. I am a wimp and it's a major operation with no guarantees. I know folk say "you can have radiotherapy if your surgery leaves some cancer behind" - but then you might as well have gone for HT/RT in the first place.

There can be issues with both treatment routes, however Radiotherapy has come in in leaps and bounds since I had mine 3 years ago. Before you have the treatment go see the radiotherapy team - mine gave me a tour round the Radiotherapy area and told me just what it all did and answered my questions. Some areas now have machines that are so accurate you don't even need target tattoos!.

I appreciate it's one of life's choices - and I didn't have to make that choice - but it's worked for me. OK I am still on treatment but how many T3a's do you know with an initial PSA of 182? 3 years post RT and no side effects (yet!).

I hope my ramblings help.

Best wishes - Brian.

It’s definitely a good place to chat about it. Better to state your feelings out loud so to speak. Rather than them reeling inside.

I guess many people will have the same worry as the course they have chosen draws near. 

I expect more information will come along from those with vastly more knowledge and experience. With staging of T3 I think you have made the best choice. 

Here is my thoughts I have ruled out surgery now even at this my monitoring stage. “Because I am young” at least in this department in the words of the urologist he was clear my best option was surgery. 

To me that didn’t take strong enough the risks of surgery especially as the 15 year outlook were very similar. 

Good luck going forward. 

"Some areas now have machines that are so accurate you don't even need target tattoos!."  I had SGRT 15 months ago.........not only no tattoos, but no enemas either !  The only preparation for each dose of RT was to keep myself well hydrated all the time and to drink 500ml of water 30 mins before treatment - emptying the bladder first. No noticeable side effects then or now.

I was offered surgery as well, not a difficult decision to make to go for RT - 101% certain now that I did the right thing !!

Hi Chris (Odd Man In ).

I am now a year on from my own radiotherapy, and have, as yet, no detectable side effects.

When I was preparing for the radiotherapy I looked at all sorts of statistics, but the variance in the statistics and the severity of the side effects varied so much, I decided to look at the matter in a different way.

If I had radiotherapy, and it worked in full, curing me, a major side effect would be the capacity to continue to breathe.

If I make it out to 10 years then my chances of delayed side-effects increase. I am 73 years old now, so another 10 years gets me very close to the current life expectancy of a UK male. Assuming I am living that long, medical science's capacity to deal with the side effects would be likely to have increased significantly.

I have reason to expect those side effects because my cancer was just escaping the gland, so the whole pelvic area was given a through seeing to. I had a 37 fractions, so 74 Greys of radiation. Unless they got the aim exactly right, I have a higher risk of long term problems than those with a less powerful dose.

It strikes me that this is likely to be a long term thing, and that I will be alive to decide what to do.

I will meet this when, or if, it comes.