Hello Poppathesailorman, 

I can imagine there is a lot for you to process at the moment after receiving this phone call on Monday confirming your biopsy results. It is a lot to take in and going through the start of treatment is bound to make you feel a little nervous as to how it will all develop. I hope that the bicalutamide will be effective and that you suffer minimal side effects. Best of luck too for your first hormone therapy injection on Tuesday. It sounds like this is indeed the recommended route for your prostate cancer but you can if you are not fully sure this is the best option for you consider getting a second opinion - there is no harm in doing so or in asking any questions to your current medical team that have sprung to your mind since your diagnosis. 

Feel free also to talk things through with our cancer nurses - you can reach them on this free number 0808 800 4040 - their helpline is open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm. 

You will see in our information page on prostate cancer that we have a section on survival but what it says really is that you can ignore the unreliable Dr Google - there are general statistics but they can’t tell you what will happen in your individual case so don't pay attention to anything Dr Google says as it will only make you worry unnecessarily. 

I hope you won't mind but I've edited your title slightly to include information about your diagnosis - this will hopefully help your thread be spotted by other members of our community who have had a similar diagnosis and treatment plan before. It helps to talk to others in a similar situation and one lovely person that springs to my mind is eddiel who was diagnosed with locally advanced prostate cancer July 2022 and also took bicalutamide. This is just one example amongst many and I hope you will be welcomed soon by others who have been in a similar place before. 

Best of luck for the start of your treatment - keep us updated on how things progress if you get a chance!

Lucie, Cancer Chat Moderator

Hello Poppathesailorman and a warm welcome to the forum though sorry to hear you have prostate cancer PCa, I have had PCa for two years like you 28 days on bicalutamide tablets once a day quickly followed by hormone therapy injections, the first one  monthly then 3 monthly ones. The Bicalutamide and injections will cut off the cancers food source, testosterone, so will stop growing and shrink and the radiotherapy RT will finish it off, RT is usually done in about 6 months this is to allow the HT to shrink the cancer, so RT is much more effective, This is a good treatment for Gleason 3+4=7, grade 2 PCa and will be done to cure you. You have every right to a second opinion, that is for you to decide. there is one thing that doesn't add up a Gleason score of 3+4=7 usually means the cancer may have escaped the prostate but it has not yet gone anywhere else, as to your future, I know quite a few guys with similar scores to you and i am pretty sure the are all still with us. A word on HT, you probably know about side effects, which if any you get, and how hard they hit you, is any ones guess, but one fatigue nearly everyone gets and is the only one you can prepare for, try to improve your fitness before it starts and it will be a big help to you, if i can help, just ask, best wishes.

Eddie

Hi Eddie

Thank you for the reassurance. My Gleeson adds up to a 9 so slightly ahead of where you were but I’m going with the HT. Had my CT yesterday and bone scan due on 31st. Im hopeful all is contained. Thank you for the advice on fitness. Noted. I like to sail so I need strength to maintain the activity, so I’ll keep fit. Best wishes.