Hello

Hi Clark

You are at the stage where we all have been at the outset of this journey.  There is no right or wrong answer.  My advice is to lay out the options and then list the pros and cons of each.  This exercise helped me and in my case I opted for surgery.  I am now cancer-free although having ED problems. Aged 72 I can look back on a good life and forward to a good, if slightly altered, life.

Welcome to our club.  Others will be along shortly with their own ideas.  Good luck and keep in touch.

Good Morning Clark 

A warm welcome to the Macmillan online Prostate Community, although I am so sorry to find you here. I am Brian one of the Community Champions here at Macmillan - I also have Prostate Cancer.

You question is one of the most asked questions on this group and my answer is always the same. The choice of treatments is down to how it suits YOU and how the side effects affect YOU. I would suggest you research each treatment as to how they affect you and write a list of "pros and cons" for each. Use trusted sources for your information, Prostate Cancer UK.. Cancer research UK and Macmillan (not Dr Google).

To start you off here are some links:

Active Surveillance

Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer

 JohnyBoy A Community Member's journey through surgery.

Have a read of some threads here - and if you click on the Community Members name or avatar some like me have their journey on their profile - we are all different.

Ask any questions, however trivial - you will get answers.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hello Clark Clark  and welcome. This is one of the most asked questions but with your statistics you would seem to have a range of treatments open to you if you don't fancy Active Surveillance. Some focal therapies might be suitable which would leave open the option of further radiotherapy in the future. From the Mx I presume you are still waiting for the results of scans? Also do you have your initial PSA as this can help determine what risk group you are in along with histology from the biopsy and this could help you to decide on risks of surgery. Prostate cancer is normally slow growing so you have time to research your options and to talk to the experts. Also not all areas offer the full range of treatments but this doesn't mean they are not available to you if you are willing to travel.

I have attached a link to a free book which you can download to give you more of an idea of what is available.

https://issuu.com/magazineproduction/docs/js_prostate_cancer_guide_for_patients_ezine

Please come back with any questions and we will try and help.

Hi Clark, I was diagnosed in summer of 2022 with a Gleason score of 9. Was told cancer was aggressive and given option of surgery or hormone therapy and radiotherapy. Decision was to be mine! Difficult decision to make! Consultant wouldn’t offer any guidance however radiotherapy consultant/doctor advised me to have surgery for the following reasons - age 62 and relatively fit and healthy! The other reasoning was that in the event of any future cancer issues etc. hormone therapy and radiotherapy would be an option whereas if undergoing this option first, surgery would not be available at a later stage! As far as I was concerned decision was made based on that basis. Currently undergoing regular 6 monthly psa tests and cancer undetectable at last test! 

Obviously the surgery has its own ongoing complications! Hope this advice helps you with your difficult decision and wishing you luck! 

Thanks A lot Pedro. Will take on board.

All the best

Hi .

Thanks for your reply , much appreciated.

My initial psa in October was 6.2. Mri in November. Biopsy 19th Dec. Diagnosed 7th January stage 1 T2 Mo Mx. No more scans have been mentioned to date. Leaning towards the surgery treatment as worried  incase it returns later and then I'm an option down.

Thanks for the links.

Thanks A lot Brian.

Will have read through.

Thanks A lot for your advice , will take on board.

Hi, have you considered brachytherapy, I have just had it, it’s 2 visits, and no HRT etc, ie just thebrachytherapy 

I Did , thanks for replying. I'm just worried if it spreads after that,  surgery could be not an option ?