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Choosing the correct treatment for prostate cancer

Crag1
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Hello,

I am a fit and healthy man in my early 40s and recently diagnosed with localised, low-risk prostate cancer, Gleason score 6, grade 1. I do not have any symptoms and no family history of cancer.

I am an expat living in an EU country and two specialists here have recommended radical prostatectomy with a robot. They say I am too young for active surveillance, but I feel I am too young to deal with the possible side effects of prostatectomy now. I am very active, and the thought of these side effects is very worrying for me, so I am not sure what to do?

I would like to talk to someone in the UK about it, but I am not sure if that is possible without going private? And perhaps the advice in the UK would be the same anyway?

The specialist has said it is okay to wait until next year to make a decision. So I'm using the time to find out as much as possible. Any advice would be welcome.

Thank you very much.

  • Offline

    Hi Crag1 and welcome, I am not a nurse, but do have prostate cancer, I would strongly suggest you talk to an oncologist in the UK, a private consultation is about £180 to £200 for a hour, do your research and you should be able to make an appointment with a top oncologist, as for surgery, the important thing to minimise, urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction, is sparing as many nerves as possible when the prostate i removed, so more research to find a proven surgeon, best wishes.

    Eddie

  • Hello and thanks for your post

    Treatment decisions are often challenging and many people struggle with them, but I'm sure you know, only you can decide what to do. 

    I think it is important that you understand all the information you have been given by your specialist team to help you decide what to do. There is often quite a lot to take in and it can be overwhelming, so I would encourage you to get back in touch with them to talk it through again. Talking to the team of doctors and nurses involved in your care can be the most helpful as they know all about your individual cancer as they are familiar with all your medical details.

    We have some information on our website on how treatment decisions are made. Prostate Cancer UK has also some further information.

    You may not be entitled to see a specialist within the NHS for a second opinion if you have been living outside the UK for a while. You could see a private urologist who specialises in prostate cancer. 

    Although we are unable to recommend specific specialists or treatment centres, we are aware of two large NHS cancer treatment centres who may also consider seeing private patients for a second opinion. These are the Royal Marsden Hospital (London) and the Christie Hospital (Manchester). The goprivate.com website has information about private hospitals in the UK

    Taking time to understand your options and seeking another specialist opinion can hopefully help you make an informed decision moving forward.

    It may be helpful to say that Prostate Cancer UK have an online forum and you may find it helpful talking to other men going through similar things and hear about their different experiences. 

    Please get back to us if you need any more information or support.

    Kind regards,

    Celene

  • Offline in reply to eddiel

    Thanks for the advice Eddie, I appreciate it. I will consider my options carefully.

    C

  • Offline in reply to CRUK Nurse Celene

    Hello Celene,

    Thanks a lot for all your helpful information. I will go through it carefully and it will hopefully guide me to a decision.

    Thank you,
    C

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