Anybody do 44 treatments of IMRT ?

Posted by chamblee54 @chamblee54, Mar 6 9:55am

My Dr is recommending 44 fractions of IMRT instead of Brachytherapy that I had set up last November. A Stricture was found prior to the Brachy and cancelled the Brachy until the stricture was repaired in Feb.
His concern about Brachy is new strictures forming.
Is IMRT that much safer than Brachy ?
44 treatments - wouldn’t I be in a situation where radiation would not be an option for me anymore if I got metastasis down the road or secondary cancer ?
What kind of side effects could I encounter with IMRT x 44 to those who have specific knowledge or experience ?
Trying to weigh all the options.
Now starting to consider maybe Tulsa but I have to get whole gland treatment - not just focal.
Latest PSA -3.6.
3/12 positive on biopsy.
2 were 3+4. 1 was 4+3. Going on a year since diagnosis - April 23’
Trying to arrange another opinion/ consult.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

web265 | @web265 | Mar 7 6:49am

"wouldn’t I be in a situation where radiation would not be an option for me anymore if I got metastasis down the road or secondary cancer ?"

I was told during my consultations that if there is a recurrence of the PCa, and you have been treated with radiation, the surgical option becomes very difficult and even more specialized then the surgical option as a primary treatment. If you have the surgery, recurrence can be treated with radiation.

No doctor, but, I believe if you had a recurrence of the PCa, radiation wouldn't be a good option again. If you got a secondary, say metastasis and the cancer adheres to a bone somewhere else, that could likely be radiated.

Recurrence (biochemical recurrence or BCR) and and metastasis can be two fairly different things. You can have BCR without metastasis (ask me how I know...)

I had 39 treatments as salvage treatment for BCR, in my case there were very little side effects from the radiation itself. Mostly fatigue after maybe the first half of them, napping became a necessity in the afternoons. The ADT medication that often accompanies this has it's own set of side effects.

Good Luck to you!

Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Mar 14 6:29pm

@chamblee54, here are related discussion about protate cancer and IMRT. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/prostate-cancer/?search=IMRT#discussion-listview

Fellow members @erkbiz and @bodeygolfer may have experiences to add.

Chamblee, have you decided on your treatment path?

bodeygolfer | @bodeygolfer | Mar 14 7:06pm

In reply to @colleenyoung "@chamblee54, here are related discussion about protate cancer and IMRT. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/group/prostate-cancer/?search=IMRT#discussion-listview Fellow members @erkbiz and @bodeygolfer..." + (show)

I had 20 treatments 4 years ago. Don’t know the strength of the treatments but so far no reoccurrence of cancer. I would think it would be a good question as to what determines how many treatments a patient gets.
Best of luck with your treatments. Mayo is one of the best places for treating prostrate cancer.