Hi van Alan, 

If [@woodworm]‍ can get in touch soon might help, have specialist checked your alleges against hormone therapy, they should do, I'm on permanent hormone therapy myself, mine went to lymph nodes, spine, ribs, pelvis and I lung that was over three years with it spreading waste of time taking prostate out I've been living normal life since apart from old age aches and pains, hope things go well.

Billy 

P.s my psa was 1581 gleason 8 stage 4 

Hello Billy,

Thank you for your post! I´m happy for you that the hormone therapy is giving good results, especially taking into account your particular situation. From your comments I can deduce it seems not to be giving you too many side-effects that can affect your quality of life.

Van Allen

Only side effects manly hot flushes and put on weight you can live with it hot flushes can be a bit embarrassing sometimes, i had cemotheropy at beginning June 2016 took psa down to 0.03 its rising slowly but oncologist doesn't want to give more cemo until gets to 20 so its waiting game,, i hoped woodworm would be in touch by now his psa was 70 he had hormone therapy and radiotherapy nearly ten years ago,. Good luck

Billy 

Hello Billy,

I read Woodworm´s post that came up when I clicked on the @. name in your first post. There is definitely a hereditary function attached to prostate cancer. My father had prostate cancer and my mother had breast cancer. Both were operated successfully and passed away many years later from old age. My brothers both have BHP and are under watchful waiting. Then, my grandfather and grandmother on my father´s side died from throat cancer before WW2, and on my mother´s side, my grandmother´s sister died of cancer before WW1, so genetically it´s all there, on both sides!

It is totally fortunate that science has advanced so much in this respect, and offers many years´ increased life span.

Even in migraines there´s a strong hereditary factor. My mother, grandfather, grandmother, and aunt on her side all suffered from them. In my case it´s worsened by a slow liver, and medicine against them, only prolongs and intensifies them. Any kind of exposure to chemicals causes excruciating, long migraines - even indoor paint and for houses, which is supposed to be non-toxic, and of course any type of glue, solvents, cleaning-liquids, nail-polish, incecticide spray, exhaust gasses from street traffic, cigarette smoke in a room, smoke from barbecues, and even some doedorants on people near me in a room.

As the effect of the first hormone injection will last 90 days, I dread to think what can happen. The nurse who did the TAC scan said that headaches are quite a common side-effect to ADT, even for people who don´t suffer from migraines.

An orchidectomy, on the other hand, despite its irreversible effects, seems be a much healthier lesser evil, as it doesn´t cause problems to so many other organs, added to the fact that testosterone supplements can be taken as soon as the treatment time is over to curb the deprivation effects.

Anyway, I´ll be looking forward to Woodworm´s comments. I haven´t commented anything on his thread yet - I don´t want to be pushy!

Cheers,

Van Allen

Hello Billy,

Thanks for your comments. I´m still not sure, because it of course depends on each patient. I suppose one can´t discard that the chemicals in hormone treatment won´t cause migraines. Anyway, I still have time to decide, as the appointment with the oncologist is in 2 weeks. I´m not depressed about my situation, as long-term prognosis is very good. It´s just the indecision that´s nagging!

Cheers,

Van Allen

Hi [@Billygoat]‍ and [@Van_Allen]‍ 

Thanks for the name check

I've not had an orchidectomy (removal of the testicles) so I can't speak from personal experience. I think it's rarely performed these days since most men get the same effect with hormone treatment.  I also have a vague recollection that it's not necessary to remove the whole testicle, just the parts which make testosterone - of course, I may have that completely wrong. 

It's definitely worth exploring this option with a surgeon. I think that there may be enough extenuating circumstances to persuade the surgeon to go ahead. 

Hello Telemando, and thank you very much for your reply!

I´ll have to check if the removal of only some parts of the testicles, as you mention, will be enough to guarantee pursued results. Not being left with an empty scrotum obviously has its advantages.

Chances are that I won´t be getting off the ADT before some offects become permanent anyway, so I was thinking that the surgical approach could minimize collateral damages, be healthier and considerably increase quality of life. ADT will definitely not be a short 4 or 6 months, and it won´t be intermittent either. I´ll have to raise the point with the oncologist and possibly the surgeon at the appointment in two weeks. This  waiting time is so stressful!

I´m a bit afraid of talking about this to my friends, some of whom are doctors, because possibly a more normal reaction in a situation like this is to keep the testicles at all costs. Exchanging them for fewer adverse side effects could sound very strange to some people.

It´s bizarre and unfair, I know... ...cutting off perfectly healthy testicles to feel better and have better health in the next several years. But, the alternative of keeping them without the benefit of having them, and feeling ill all the time, doesn´t sound good to me. Anyway, we shall see!

Cheers, Van Allen

Hi Van Allen

It doesn't sound bizarre to me, and some 20 years ago the surgeons wouldn't hesitate to remove them in cases of prostate cancer. I'm sure that if you can make the case, they'll agree. 

Hello Telemando,

Good... Thanks for your info and opinion, and the moral support it gives me.

During the first appointment with the oncologist, testicle removal  wasn´t even mentioned, possibly to keep the initial shock as low as possible, and I didn´t know anything about it as a treatment. But now I see it as a valid alternative for me, and my request should be taken into account if backed by sound arguments. Let´s see...

Cheers, Van Allen