Looking for advice,support and information.Hubby just been diagnosed Gleason 7 3 + 4. Tumour is contained but on the edge of the prostate.Treatment either operation or radiotherapy. He has chosen radiotherapy.
Hi Andrea and welcome to the forum. I was Gleason 4+5=9 when diagnosed in September 2018 and opted for Hormone Treatment and 20 sessions of Radiotherapy. My PSA was 15 at diagnosis and had dropped to 0.4 by the time I started RT in February 2019. When RT finished PSA was down to 0.1 and has been undetectable since.
Gleason 7 is very treatable and your husband should be fine.
There are lots of men on here who have gone down the same path so please ask any questions you may have and someone will have been there.
Good luck with the treatment.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift.
I found RT fairly easy. I had some bowel problems in week 3 but otherwise OK. The HT had some side effects, mostly hot flushes and tiredness. The RT added to the tiredness and I became quite lethargic after the 4 weeks.
I had been very fit prior to the start of treatment and found the lethargy quite depressing. The only way was up and I forced myself (with the help of my wife!) to start exercising regularly again. It took several months to get back to the level of fitness that I had before it all started. I am now nearly 75 and swim a mile twice a week, go coastal rowing as often as the winds and tides allow and do a lot of walking (I did 56 miles in January in support of Prostate Cancer UK).
I had my last Prostap injection of a 3 year course in June last year and my PSA is till undetectable so am in remission from the PCa. I will be tested every 6 months for the next 3 years and then move on to annual testing.
I hope your husband's treatment goes well.
Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift.
Thank you for your kind wishes.You have helped a lot with explaining what to expect with regards to the radiotherapy.l wish you continued good health too. Thank you
Hello Andrea, Radoitherapy and H. T. (monthly Prostap) was my only option after bone scan found cancer had spread to my hip bone. Had palliative R. T. to hip bone for pain and then 6 weeks of R. T. to the Prostate. Was ok at first but as the weeks wore on it was very tiring especially as appt. times changed daily and 40 mile trip din't help. I am now 8 weeks post R. T. and now have Proctitus which started around 4 weeks after R. T. treatment finished. Also finding getting up more in the night to use toilet which in turn affects decent sleep. Oncologist says it may settle after 12 weeks post R. T. but can't guarantee it.Been referred for continence asessment Tried accupuncture for debilitating hot flushes/sweats which didn't work. Now prescribed Cyproterone and hot flushes /sweats are lessening, thankfully. Am also on Alendronic acid for bone strength 1 a week. Fatigue and Lethargy can be tough to deal with and memory issues. Currently on a week 4 of a 6 week course of Dexomethasone steroids. Also was enrolled at my diagnosis on the Stampede trial and taking Metformin twice daily.
Your husband will get used to the daily ritual of the enema and drinking the water at the correct time before his appts. and the application of skin moisteriser. Not everyone gets the same after effects just giving my own experience, warts and all. The alternative is worse I reckon. Lol.
I do hope your husbands treatment goes well. With best wishes, Graham.
Hello Graham thank you so much for sharing that information with me. My husbands tumor is still contained in the prostate but on the edge.It helps to talk to other people who are in the same position and get more information.l will pass this on to my husband.l wish you luck and good health in your treatment too.
My tumour was also confined to my prostate but close to the capsule, 3+4, T2b. I opted for surgery. You don’t mention your husband’s age, but my decision to opt for surgery was guided by my age primarily. Have a look at my profile, which explains all.
Hi thank you for your support.l have read your profile. My husband is 71,still works and active. Doctor gave him a choice so he opted for radiotherapy.Hope this is the right decision. You are much younger so l can understand you choosing surgery. l wish you good health too and thank you
Others have covered off on the main side effects and there are 2 things I would add. Firstly, get hold of the diet sheet from the RT team and stick to it rigidly. The hospital where I had my RT didn't give it out routinely and I had to ask. The only bowel problem I had was when I didn't follow it at Christmas and assumed a glass of wine and a few sprouts will be fine!
Secondly, others have mentioned how lethargy a sets in - I couldn't agree more. My solution was to get onto a Macmillan sponsored Zoom training session. It's a trial run by Southampton uni to see if it would help cancer suffers. I get the benefit of a qualified personal trainer who designs a work out for me. Great fun and most definitely has helped me. If you think your husband would be interested ask one of the Macmillan team if there are still vacancies.
