Postponed Prostatectomy

Hello Unimportant, I'm sorry to read about your situation and the delays you've had in getting definitive treatment for prostate cancer. Life seems so cruel sometimes doesn't it?

I haven't had to deal with two different cancers at the same time but feel sure someone else will have.

Having read your profile and your post in stomach cancer it seems that the Bicalutamide is controlling your prostate cancer just now making the stomach cancer the priority. I hope you can get the treatment needed to deal with that soon. 

I don't quite understand why your consultant decided surgery would be better than radiotherapy, which you had already decided upon. Given you may have stomach surgery to deal with the stomach cancer that may make a prostatectomy more challenging due to scarring from the previous operation if it happens.

I have a friend who is scehduled for RLP but has had previous abdominal surgery so a transperineal approach is being looked at. I hope others answer your post too. we are all here to help each other.

All the best,

Thank you for the supportive response.

The bicalutimide is doing a great job, despite the usual side effects. The concern at the back of my mind had been using PSA scores as the sole determinant of potential spread post diagnosis. The CT scan for stomach cancer covered the pelvis, so that gave me some reassurance.

As to the treatment, my first choice was robotic surgery, but I was discouraged from that by the urologist. I was then discouraged by the oncologist because of longer term effect (> 10 years), given my age, of radiotherapy. So my only 'choice' was open surgery. That fell through because of the transfer of the surgeon to another trust, which then meant going back to my original choice of robotic surgery. Fortunately the robotic surgeon (from another trust) was more than happy to accept me and put me on the waiting list. Unfortunately, Coronavirus came along and delayed everything.Now the diagnosis of stomach cancer means that treatment is more urgent.

I am okay with that decision, because I don't feel as many real effects/pain with the prostate as I do with the stomach. The final decision on the prostate may well be affected by the stomach issues. Just have to wait and see.