Hi Adebo and a warm welcome to the forum though sorry you have prostate cancer, I too have prostate cancer diagnosed age 56 so similar age to you and had radiotherapy, can i ask are you on hormone therapy. When you meet your surgeon ask them how confident they are with removing the prostate with clear margins, "not leaving any cancer cells behind" and how many nerves will be spared as they are very important regarding incontinence and getting an erection and please be aware a surgeon will nearly always recommend surgery. Ask your oncologist about all other options, As for radiotherapy there are a few variations you could consider  and if your hospital does not offer them you can choose to be treated at a hospital that does, and ask, because as you say your cancer won't be contained forever how long for treatment to start, there are excellent websites like this one, prostatecanceruk and Macmillan who have lots of information on options which could be suitable, and possible side effects, Adebo many of us had no symptoms though treatment often changes that, best wishes with your chosen treatment and remember 98% of men with prostate cancer do not die of it, take care,

Eddie

Good Afternoon Eddie

Thank you so much for reply, and your warm welcome. I must say I cried when I got your response, so thank you once again

First and foremost sorry to hear you have cancer as well, I pray and hope that you are able to overcome this horrible disease.

In response to your question, No I have not started my hormone therapy. I am yet to have a discussion with multidisciplinary team about my treatment plan. I am not a fan of surgery. Thank you for your advice on what to ask the surgeons. I am not a fan of surgery, so if given thee option I might opt for radiotherapy based on the research I have done.

I was wondering what treatment options you were initially given prior to opting for radiotherapy (i.e. did the medical team suggest you should go for Prostatectomy, and if yes what swayed your decision to opt for radiotherapy instead).

How is your treatment going, Sir and I hope it has not had too much of an adverse effect on your health?

Thank you so much for your response again, Eddie. As we are of a similar age group, I hope you don't mind if I reach out to you from time to time to see how you are doing.

God Bless you and I wish you an effective and progressive recovery.

Have a pleasant day

Adebo

Hi Adebo you are very welcome, good to see you are researching your options though i hope you are not using Dr google, As i  have heart issues and my cancer had spread that ruled out surgery and chemotherapy, so aggressive EBRT to the whole pelvic area 73 gy the norm is 50 gy, and hormone therapy for life. I have a very aggressive cancer, intraductal with large cribriform variant, my staging is T4 N2 M1a and Gleason 10, my treatment is not to cure, though the results from EBRT have been better than hoped and i still have tools in the toolbox regarding future treatment, life is good and i have a few years yet and you can contact me anytime, best wishes.

Eddie

Hi again Eddie

Thanks again for you response

Lol@hope you are not using Dr Google. With Cancer I think one needs to get the facts from the professionals like prostate cancer UK and Macmillan. There are way too many distorted version of the truth when it comes to cancer on the internet. Thanks for letting me know why surgery and chemo were ruled out and glad to hear that results from your EBRT are yielding better results than were initially expected. I pray that you have many years ahead of you, Amen.

I will check on you from time to time. Thanks for being a friend.

Have a pleasant evening

Adebo

Thank you Adebo, feel free to contact me anytime, take care.

Eddie

Hello Eddie, How have you been in the last few days? I hope EBRT continues to yield a positive result for you. I have been asked to do a PSMA PET Scan to eliminate any doubt that the cancer is still localized. so far I have been told it has not spread. After my scan, the MDT will be able to see what treatment is applicable for me. I am scheduled to have the scan next week. With regards to your EBRT, how often do you have this session?

Hi Adebo, It's good to hear from you, My ERBT  external beam radiotherapy, ended April 2023, was 20 sessions from 3rd to 28th weekdays only  though i am on hormone therapy to September 2025 or until it stops working, though there are still more options to come, I am doing ok, still enjoying life. Good to see your testing is nearly done, your PET scan should give all the answers they need to start a treatment plan for you. How are you doing my friend, I know it's a difficult time waiting for results and treatment to start, best wishes to you and your family and good luck with the scan.

Eddie

Hello Eddie

Am a bit apprehensive, but I am ok. Thanks again for asking.

Good to hear you in such high spirits.

Just been chatting to a gentleman called Nigel, who provided me with a lot of information as well.

Is your hormone therapy on a monthly basis as well?

Hi Adebo my Hormone Therapy HT started the day i was diagnosed in June 2022, with a 28 day course of Bicalutamide, which is what most guys start with this is a pill form of HT taken daily to block your production of androgen hormones, specifically testosterone and to reduce the risk of tumour flare when you start your HT injections, during or at the end of your course of HT pills. Most guys start with a one month HT injection then move on to 3 monthly ones, and 18 - 24 months is the commonest time to be on them, though a few may have them for a year or over 2 years, and Radiotherapy RT usually starts about 6 months after starting the HT injections. Mine and Nigels RT is pretty standard, 20 sessions, it used to be 37 sessions but that is very rare there days. The newest trend and proving just as effective with fewer side effects is SABR 6 sessions with a higher dose of radiation per treatment, and it is always worth talking about brachytherapy with your oncologist.

Eddie

Hi Adebo my Hormone Therapy HT started the day i was diagnosed in June 2022, with a 28 day course of Bicalutamide, which is what most guys start with this is a pill form of HT taken daily to block your production of androgen hormones, specifically testosterone and to reduce the risk of tumour flare when you start your HT injections, during or at the end of your course of HT pills. Most guys start with a one month HT injection then move on to 3 monthly ones, and 18 - 24 months is the commonest time to be on them, though a few may have them for a year or over 2 years, and Radiotherapy RT usually starts about 6 months after starting the HT injections. Mine and Nigels RT is pretty standard, 20 sessions, it used to be 37 sessions but that is very rare there days. The newest trend and proving just as effective with fewer side effects is SABR 6 sessions with a higher dose of radiation per treatment, and it is always worth talking about brachytherapy with your oncologist.

Eddie

Thank you for the information Eddie

Hi Eddie 

How are you doing. I finally had my PET scan and the cancer has spread beyond the prostate. still in the pelvic region. Started oral hormone treatment, which will lead to injections and then chemo and radiotherapy. my journey has just begun.

Hope and pray your treatments continue to generate positive results

take care and chat soon

Hello again Adebo, just read your posts, who has told you that your not curable, your PCa may have broken the shell and be aggressive but it has not spread to anywhere else, and as they have suggested a prostatectomy this suggests it hasn't spread either I know many who have been successfully treated from this situation and many, myself included under 60yo who have had RT,  best wishes with the triplet therapy my friend, take care.

Eddie

Hi Eddie, your messages always brings a smile to my face and gives me courage, so thank you.

My consultant told me       

Prostatectomy is no longer an option since the PET scan. it is now down to HT chemo and RT. I seem to think that Prostatectomy is the only way of curing cancer, pls correct me if I am wrong, but I have read that cancer that has extended beyond the prostate is not curable. I have also read that cancer that is within the pelvic is still curable. A lot of conflicting information, but I am taking it a day at the time.

Pray your treatment continue to yield positive result.

take care

Adebo                              

Hi Adebo, the statistics show that surgery and HT+RT produce very similar results regarding being cured, if anything HT+RT are slightly better. so surgery is definitely not the only way to cure. If the cancer has escaped the shell to one or two nodes or just got to seminal vesicles, places close to the prostate, locally advanced prostate cancer, LAPCa, treatment with intent to cure is very possible, and if not it can be controlled for many many years, advanced prostate cancer APCa, treatment where mets are seen well away from the prostate can in one or two instances can be cured but mostly controlling the cancer is the priority, take care.

Eddie

Morning Eddie

How are you doing, Sir.

I have been having issues with my log in details.

Hope your treatment is continuing to generate more and more positive results.

I have started my taking oral hormone therapy tablets (i.e. Bicalutamide 50mg) some weeks back. I completed my course. I was giving Decapeptyl injection about a month ago, and it is yielding some positive results. I have to take a similar injection with a higher dosage on 25th July, which will last for 3 months, I have also been informed that my chemotherapy session will commence in the next week or so. As a matter of fact I have a pre-chemotherapy assessment today. I have been told it is safe but the volume and type of side effects that one is susceptible is a bit scary.

Hi Adebo, good to hear from you, and you have started your hormone therapy treatment with chemotherapy to begin soon. Adebo they have to tell you all possible side effects, nobody gets them all and many are treatable, always tell the nurses any concerns you have and they can usually help. best wishes with your treatment.

Eddie

Hello Eddie

How are you keepinig. Thanks again for all the advice you gave to me.

I have started Chemo and I am approaching my 4th cycle. The side effects have not been too bad, but I understand that they can get worse towards the end of the chemo sessions. Enough about me, how are you doing, Sir?

Hi Adebo, great to hear treatment is in full swing and your coping pretty well, I hope things don't get worse though often with chemotherapy they give you enough so if you're struggling near the end, missing 1 or 2  cycles should still mean you got a high enough dose to be effective 

I'm doing ok, waiting for a PSMA PET CT and my MDT meeting soon, plan A has run its course and time for plan B, after surgery which isn't for cancer, my best wishes to you and your family.

Eddie 

Hi Eddie, how have you been. its been a while since we communicated. last time we communicated you were waiting for a PSMA PET CT. You mentioned something about a plan B. Hope plan B was more productive. I have also finished Chemo and I had 39 sessions of Radiotherapy, but am hanging on. Have an appointment with the oncologist at end of June. Hope you are keeping well. I am not very good at this chat session and spent ages looking for you. Couldn't remember the name of the forum. Anyhow I have sent you a friend request. it will be great to catch up and see how you are doing, Sir. Take care and I will hopefully catch up with you in the next few days. God Bless