Hi DHG1,

Just noticed you hopefully [@woodworm]‍ and [@telemando]‍ will pop on to talk to you each one had one of your options.

Good luck with your treatment and your future. 

Billy 

Thanks for your reply . Hope I can be as positive as you seem to have been when you are replying to topics of this nature

Cheers

I always have been positive it keeps me going mine was psa 1581 gleason 8 grade 4 prostate gone to lymph nodes, spine, ribs, pelvis and a lung. Classed as palliative care. T3B N1 M1B. I just live with my uninvited guest was diagnosed Feb 2016 hormone therapy and cemotherapy when neaded.

Again good luck. Keep positive. 

Billy 

Hi DHG1. 

Welcome to the club no-one ever volunteers to join.

I had my prostate removed by a Da Vinci robot in December 2010.  My figures and stage were very similar to yours, although I was only 56 at the time. 

I recovered full continence within 6-8 months.  I do sometimes lose just a tiny drop of urine, but when it happens it reminds me to start again with the pelvic floor exercises.  

When it comes to prostatectomies, it is generally thought that surgeons who do a lot of these operations (say 100+ a year) get the best and most consistent results.  This was the case with surgeon who "whipped out" mine.  Don't be afraid to ask, although in a teaching hospital you can never be sure whose hand is holding the scalpel.

One advantage of surgery (that the doctors probably haven't told you) is that the removed organ will be taken to the path lab and closely examined to determine whether the cancer has spread or not; that's very nice to know.  And within 6 weeks, your PSA will drop to an undetectable level and it should stay there.  

You don't get this reassurance with radiotherapy.  With radiotherapy, your PSA drops, but never to undetectable, and it bounces around from reading to reading. You never really know where you stand.  

Also, radiotherapy does have its risks, too. There is a risk of urinary and/or bowel problems either immediately, or developing later on.  Since I'm an irritable bowel sufferer, I was advised not to have radiotherapy. 

It's not an easy decision to make, and you're very wise seeking out the experiences of others.  Mine is probably the experience of 90% or so of those who are caught early.  I suggest you have a chat with your GP about which hospitals have the best results for surgery and radiotherapy.  If it wasn't for the lockdown, I'd also suggest finding a local prostate cancer support group - but that's probably not an option for now.

Hi Telemando

Greatly appreciate your reply .I joined this forum to get the views and experiences of people who are or have been in the situation I found myself  and their replies will  prove invaluable in  helping me make the best decision regarding my future treatment.

I have been told that that I do not have to make an immediate decision but I would like to make a decision sooner rather than later..

Very reassuring to see that you have made such a good recovery.

Thanks

David

Hi dhg1,

I was diagnosed with aggressive prostate cancer 6 years ago with a Gleason score of 5+4. I was also given the choice of surgery or radiotherapy but the latter was going to take 4 years before the result was confirmed.  I opted for surgery but was not offered keyhole.

I could tell you about someone who had radiotherapy and has ended up incontient for both wee and poo. I could also tell you about someone who had surgery and has ended up totally incontinent for wee.

One of the greatest problems for your medical team will be to predict accurately how either treatment method will affect you. You will probably hear the expression 'everybody reacts differently' many times and your specialists may therefore be reluctant to make any predictions.

Whichever route you decide to take your quality of life will be changed but one thing is certain and that is that you must choose and there is no switching between the treatments.

Hopefully you will get through at all unscathed and have many more years of life.

Best wishes,

StC

My husband was diagnosed last week biopsy result was  ?T3a

Gleason 7 ( 3+4) 60 / 40 split 

psa 12.5 

age 75 

initially only offered op or radiotherapy 4 weeks hormone 6 weeks   when we saw surgeon it was not great he ignored me even though my husband said my wife does all the research paperwork etc and I want her included .He straight away said non nerve saving op with its obvious after effects he painted a very bad pic re incontinence etc then said as the life expectancy of a man in uk is 82 we could monitor and give you a possible few years but then could only treat not cure !  If the question mark wasn’t there with the T 3a then I would accept that they need to take margins to ensure that the cancer is gone (all three cores had cancer in)but what if they see that isn’t the case when they operate would  they review and try and save a nerve   So many questions floating in head anyone ever been told it is non nerve saving and then after op told they saved some ?  I just want my husband alive and well but to him sex I is very  important and I understand from a man’s point of view this is awful   He doesn’t want radiotherapy  struggling atm but reading some stories on here think we should be grateful