Surgery for prostate cancer?

Question

Brachytherapy or surgery.

My brother, 65 yrs. has been diagnosed with prostate cancer.

His PSA is 8.01. He had his staging and his bone and CT scan were negative and there is no evidence of metastatic disease. He is aware that if he goes through with surgery, he has the risks of incontinence, and erectile dysfunction.

I'd like to know if anyone has been in a similar situation and if so what did you opt for, and any side effects, if any.

Thank you very much.

Answer 1

I'm 68. I have only three more of 37 radiation treatments to go. My psa was originally 22 and dropped to 1.5 before radiation commenced. For me, radiation has been every day exept week-ends. I have not had any ill effects at all. Radiation is, I believe, far more preferable than surgery.

I nderstand that the libido goes never to return. I regret that but the alternative ( 6" under) is not appealing, either.

Most men by the time they turn 70 will have experienced some prostate problem Your brother is just on par. Assure him he has nothing to worry about. The radiation centre at the hospital where he will be treated is the best place in the world. The staff are really understanding and very encouraging. It does get a bit of a drag to present oneself at the hospital every day, but just think of it as his job.

Treatment only is a total matter of some sconds, but it will take about ten minutes per time. It does not hurt. But he must lie still so as he does not move his body  and that's when you become very conscious of hving an itchy nose or wanting to scratch your leg. But you get over that. Now, I'll have to wait for another five or six weeks until I have another psa test done to see how effective the treatment has been. Touch wood, I shall be just fine. So will your brother. Just tell him not to make his own diagnoses. There are specialists who can do that for him and are much better at it. They will give him the best care in the world. He will be quite oka and he should just be thankful that thanks to modern medical science, he has been diagnsed early enough to get

the simplest possible treatment for cancer. Not only that, Prostate cancer is one of the cancers which responds very well to therapy. He has nothing to wrry about, but f he has not already done so, it s advisable for hm to make sre he sets his will in place.  

Best wishes.