Prostate cancer. A useful resource.

[The general]

It's your choice what you have done . Not theirs.

Even thou the surgeon can be persuasive

 

[clanjones]

Speve it would be useful for you to understand what your oncologist means by RT as there are quite a few options, all with pros and cons.

I opted for Brachytherapy which to be fair, has had it's up and downs but I can see light at the end of the tunnel! I'm not sure if all trust offer this or if you meet the criteria but worth reading about.

Prostate Scotland had some great literature as I'm sure other organisations do.

The biggest 'take away' I learnt was that, in general, there is no difference in life longevity between any of the options but the main thing are the side effects and different people can react in different ways especially, where RT is concerned.

 

[The general]

Speve it would be useful for you to understand what your oncologist means by RT as there are quite a few options, all with pros and cons.

I opted for Brachytherapy which to be fair, has had it's up and downs but I can see light at the end of the tunnel! I'm not sure if all trust offer this or if you meet the criteria but worth reading about.

Prostate Scotland had some great literature as I'm sure other organisations do.

The biggest 'take away' I learnt was that, in general, there is no difference in life longevity between any of the options but the main thing are the side effects and different people can react in different ways especially, where RT is concerned.

Everything mentioned here correct , well put . I think you can get too much info , i would only use the info given by your hospital and one ?? Uk site like prostrate uk , which i used or MacMillan site ,? Still its up to the individual

 

[varaizian]

I am 76, have lived in France for 19 years and have had routine, annual, comprehensive blood tests since having a heart valve repaired 16 years ago. These blood tests included the PSA (even though they regard them as fallible) and last summer I noted that, whilst the number was always within acceptable limits, it had been climbing imperceptibly for a while. Never much different to the previous result but the trend was always slightly upwards. I pointed this out to my doctor and he started the protocol with a month on antibiotics to eliminate any question of infection but a PSA test showed another little uptick so I had an MRI which revealed that there was a lesion. I was referred to a urologist, confirmatory DRE performed, biopsies taken, PET and CAT scans were clear, now I'm having a final DEXA scan this week and a consultation is booked for the following week where my treatment options will be discussed. Because it has been caught early I expect HT, RT or a combination of the two. Removal never mentioned nor Brachytherapy. Senior consultants here are usually deferred to and, since he has forgotten more than I will ever know about PC, it will simply be a risk analysis from my viewpoint.
It is a slight complication not speaking colloquial or medical French but they are very careful to ensure I understand. My experience is not particularly pertinent to any of you guys but it is interesting to see how closely my experience mirrors yours. I will let you know how it goes. I am grateful to those who have described their experiences on here because I have used it as a rich vein of information during a period when I could have been rather lonely.