Results from prostate mri and bone scan

Hi Bar

If it's just outside then I would go for RT  which can hopefully mop up any hidden rogue cells more easily.

I wasn't  aware that they combined surgery and HT.

See what others say about your situation.

Best wishes

Steve

Hi Bar.

There are always s many decisions to make, and there are no simple answers. People generally report equivalent success rates for these two approaches provided that the cancer is contained. Something to bear in mind is that not all cancer cells are visible, even to the best technology, which is why, when the capsule wall has been broken people often seem to opt for radiotherapy. My own personal belief, given your Dad's age and medical history, would be that he might find radiotherapy less demanding, although, he would in all probability need to attend hospital briefly on 5 out of 7 days a week over a period approaching 2 months, so geography and support also come into play. The operation is over a lot quicker, but, the recovery period can be tough, and the wound can take a very long time to heal (there is also obviously a risk of infections). I myself am on a hormone therapy, chemo, and radiotherapy route, and quite glad not to have been recommended the op.

Very best wishes,

Jonathan x 

Thankyou  I'm his wife and they did say op was not always 100% hope all going well with your treatment  it is just that hubby had not even considered op and I just wanted to find out how everyone coped and after effects 

Hello Bar, I was in the same boat as your husband (aT3a with a PSA 11) and was only offered radiotherapy with hormone therapy, that I was told would make the RT more effective. I found RT was mostly just a drag every day for 20 days excluding weekends but apart from that it was fairly uneventful treatment. I've had a few more problems with the HT side effects but every one is different and gets them to a different degree. I also had a triple by-pass in 2009 following a silent heart attack. If he can come to terms with any HT side effects then I would say trauma is minimal.

Good luck with whatever you decide.

reg  

Do you have the opportunity to talk to a surgeon about this? I had the same decision to make and was able to do this. Due to my history (lung removed a couple of years previous) the surgeon explained that he was happy to operate but had never done this on someone with one lung. Whilst he saw this as no barrier to operating he did consider that, given the similar success rate, radiotherapy would present a lower risk so was probably the best route to take. I don't know if a previous heart attack would be considered a risk factor for surgery but it's probably worth asking if you can discuss with a surgeon first.

Radiotherapy was completely uneventful for me apart from the daily visits to hospital over several weeks.

I wish you all the best in deciding and for successful treatment.

I was just a year older when diagnosed and although my staging was T2 the chance of it being T3 could not be ruled out as the tumour was near the margins and therefore some cancer cells could have escaped so almost immediately I was advised by both surgeon and radiologist and oncologist that HT and radiotherapy were the best option as the radiotherapy would catch any rogue cells before any damage.  I had 3 x 3 months of hormone injections and 20 days of radiotherapy.  I lived at the time nearly 3 hours away from the hospital but was lucky enough to find a cancer self help group within half an hour of the hospital where my wife and I could stay - including meals - even a packed lunch all for the price of a donation as large or small as you could afford - I paid as much as I would for a travel lodge plus a little extra.  The hospital also had accommodation for people to stay in if they lived a long way from the hospital though obviously there is not enough room for everyone.  For me this has been brilliant my PSA nearly 3 years post treatment is still undetectable and if it wasn't for the usual problems with growing old I am waiting for a new knee and also have Atrial Fibrillation which has curtailed my activities a little I am as fit as a fiddle still going tot he gym 4 times a week - as I did all the way through my treatment.  As far as the side effects from HT are concerned I got hot flushes - though they were mild - nowhere near as bad as my wife still gets and as soon as the HT was over these gradually disappeared.  I was fatigued but just kept going I found that exercise. going to the gym, walking and swimming helped a lot with the fatigue.  Some people get mood swings too - it s the same as menopausal symptoms.  However, no one noticed this with me as I am a grumpy old Yorkshire man anyway.  Really I didn't really get the mood swings so maybe the exrecise helped with that too as we are told it should or maybe I just didn;t get that side effect.  With the hot flushes I did notice them but noticed them more when they had gone - if you see what I mean.

Take care and all the best.

Des

Thankyou for reply. Once he makes decision he can discuss with surgeon and they will advise best treatment as he was told surgery is not guaranteed 100%  he sees ht and radiotherapy as a easy option but I keep telling him he needs to read about it and surgery I believe he is in denial and just won't discuss it that oscwhy I'm trying to find out as much as possible 

Thankyou for reply the treatment seams exactly what my husband was offered if no surgery   Can I ask if he goes with this treatment can the cancer come back or is that it finally cured as can't remember if we even asked this as he was running hour late felt he was hurrying us at end saying to go home think about options our appointment to discuss decision is 3 weeks away  how many ht treatments did you have before radiotherapy ..we stay 40 miles from hospital so will manage home hubby thinks he will be fit to drive daily !!  That is a fabulous service letting you stay together through treatment gives you great support  nothing wrong with a grumpy Yorkshire man 

Bar

Looks like u are asking, 'can the cancer come back after HT and RT?

Whatever treatment he has there is always the possibility that the cancer can return. Success rates for surgery and RT are similar at approx 70%.

The good thing about having the surgery is that u can still have RT if the cancer returns. Can be very difficult the other way round ie surgery after RT.

I must admit it all takes a lot of thought and consideration to try and reach the right conclusion.

Take your time and u can always come on here for help

Steve

Hi Bar.

I am the same age as your husband and had very similar statistics T3A N0 M0 with a Gleason score of 4+5=9 and a PSA of 14. I was also offered either surgery or hormone treatment and radiotherapy.

The oncology nurse consultant said that there was a possibility of "stress incontinence" when taking exercise following surgery. I am very active and do a lot of walking and coastal rowing so my decision was to go down the HT/RT route. I suggest you download the Prostate Cancer Toolkit from the Prostate Cancer UK website as there's a lot of useful information and guidance there. Get a large sheet of paper and write down all the big cons and little cons (there are no pros) for both treatment paths and then make your decision. Luckily Prostate Cancer is quite slow growing so you have time on your side.

Good luck with your journey and, in the meantime, have a great holiday.