Phil - newly diagnosed with prostate cancer, need to decide on treatment

Hi I have been told in the week that I have prostate cancer I was told this over the phone by a nurse at that time I was offered what she was calling radical treatment that I needed more scans which I am having next week and the treatment on offer was to have the prostate removed or radio trerapy I,'m 70 years old a widow of 18 months and very confused would removal be better than radiotherapy I have to tell them in 4 weeks time please help if you can

  • Hi Phil,

    That’s appalling! Patients should never be given that sort of news over the phone by a nurse. In your position, I’d be making a formal complaint for the following reasons.

    Until you’ve had the scans, followed by an MDT, your oncologist won’t be in a position to advise on the treatment options available and you won’t be able to make an informed choice. The nurse should know this and be aware that by speaking out of turn she would trigger unnecessary worry and anxiety. People have committed suicide in the past under similar circumstances only for their relatives to be told that subsequent scans showed things weren’t so bad as first feared

    Please arrange to see your GP to discuss your dilemma and your potential options. You could also ask whether the nurse has acted professionally in their opinion.

    Best wishes
    Dave

  • Offline in reply to davek

    Hi Davek thanks for support I am going for scans on Monday so will have a better picture soon but thank you again for support 

  • Hi Phil, I had radiotherapy in 2011 for prostate cancer, 37 x 2Gys, thanks NHS. However, in 2022 I was diagnosed with muscle invasive bladder cancer, after a cystoscopy showed radiation in my bladder. I have read that this can happen after radiotherapy for prostate cancer. Please consider all options! Hope 'you' make the correct choice and you get rid of it!