BRACHYTHERAPY

Hi freefaller

I can't help with your question but I noticed that your post had gone unanswered. It may be that no one has the experience you're looking for or just that your post hasn't been seen by the right person. By replying it will bump your post back to the top of the page where it'll hopefully be seen by someone with the experience you're after.

I'm also going to tag this group's new Community Champion into my reply as hopefully he'll be able to help or point you in the right direction.

x

Hi Freefaller, I'm afraid I have no experience of brachytherapy myself.  I do know that sometimes it's done on its own, which I believe is usually High Dose (HDR) and sometimes it's done in conjunction with external beam radiation. (EBR).

I have also heard it is as effective as EBR or surgery, but possibly with less side effects.

Other than that you may find this web page very helpful

www.macmillan.org.uk/.../brachytherapy.html

Thank you once again.  I had tried to download this from the Macmillan website previously but failed - I think my computer needs a kick up the wotsit as not working as it used to.  However your link worked so have downloaded it.

Thanks

Des

Just a slight correction Uroborus

LDR  (radioactive seeds) is normally done on it's own.

HDR is often done in conjunction with EB radiotherapy.

Regards

Steve

Thanks Steve

I guess it's the WHOLE dose that's HDR i.e. internal plus external, if internal only it's LDR

Great, I'm glad it worked.

I had low dose brachytherapy following my diagnosis in 2013. You can see how it turned out if you have a look at my profile. My twin brother is disease free following brachytherapy in 2011.

Titchiboots,  sorry thst your brachytherapy apparently didn't work.  It must have been awful when you probably had hopes of it permanenlty controllng the cancer, only to find it recurring.

It is claimed that brachytherapy is as effective as External Beam Radiation and surgery.  Neither of them are 100% guaranteed either and it's still a good opiton if it's appropriate. 

It's not always appropriate and in this case it's not offered, or shouldn't be.  I presume your TNM staging was appropriate at the time. 

Thank you for your reply.  Sorry to hear that your PSA is now rising again.  I hope that your consultants will find treatments to keep your PSA as low as possible for as long as possible.

All the best

Des

Hello again, 

i did make some further comments in my last post which were deleted by an administrator and I'm sorry if you read them before they were deleted. It was my error.

I am not in a position to diagnose or give medical advice, however I am knowledgeable about pathophysiology, cancer and particularly prostate cancer with which I was diagnosed 8 years ago.

I was wondering if, after your PSA started rising you had more scans for "re staging" which then informed the treatment decision.

Notwithstanding, your current treatment may be entirely appropriate for your particular circumstances and can in many cases mean the length and quality of life expected could be comparable to if you'd never had cancer the first place.

There are some things that can be done on the quality side if you're struggling and for this, as a facilitator, I can recommend the Macmillan "Hope" programme, 6 week 2.5 hours a week for people living with or beyond cancer.

You can find out more about this by phoning the Macmillan helpline 0808 80 00 00