1. < Prostate Cancer

Can I Manage Testosterone w/ ORGOVYX and Skip Radiation?

Posted by paul28 @paul28, Jun 29 5:12am

I've already had colon cancer and a sigmoid resection that metastasized to my lung ... had a lung wedge resection also.
Was doing good except for a year of diarrhea and then came down with Hyperthyroidism. Still dealing with that.

I had the usual weak stream and enlarged prostate gland for years without an alarming PSA.
Then the PSA started moving up and at 10 I had a Prostate MRI.
Told me I had cancer and followed up with a 16 core Prostate Biopsy.
Just completed a Prostate PET SCAN.
Mostly Gleason 7's but one 9 was involved so they say I'm RADS 5 / GLEASON 9.

I just received ORGOVYX today that they want me on for 1 month before beginning 6 weeks of radiation and 30 sessions.

So I'm researching as usual all day and all night, asking questions, trying to figure something out.

The 6 weeks of Radiation is very unsettling to me. I really want to refuse it. I really don't have much info to base an informed decision on. Has anyone tried managing the testosterone for some period of time and having PSA checked and avoided radiation for some period of time?

I made good decisions for my colon and lung but this Prostate has got me totally lost, confused and feeling like I understand nothing!
Thanks, PAUL in Indianapolis

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

paul28 | @paul28 | Jul 1 6:15pm
In reply to @northoftheborder "I was on Firmagon for the first 2 1/2 years, then switched to Orgovyx a couple..." + (show)
@northoftheborder

I was on Firmagon for the first 2 1/2 years, then switched to Orgovyx a couple of months ago (it was approved by Health Canada only last fall, and is still very new here).

I have the regular side-effects from low/no testosterone, but they've very tolerable, and I'm living close to a normal life. Recovering from paraplegia seemed like a much-bigger deal than the ADT side-effects, to be honest — going from bed to wheelchair to walker to can to walking again over the first couple of years made me feel like I was getting better every week.

Specific side-effects: hot flushes (the biggie), reduced body hair (not on my scalp), slightly-lower energy levels, lower iron (but not anemic), mild gynecomastia (just wear a loose shirt), and reduced sexual function, and more challenging to maintain weight. I also had mood swings for the first year, but they don't happen any more.

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Thank you!
More great information to know.
What was the cause of your paraplegic? Just curious, if you will.
PAUL

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northoftheborder | @northoftheborder | Jul 1 7:00pm
In reply to @paul28 "Thank you! More great information to know. What was the cause of your paraplegic? Just curious,..." + (show)
@paul28

Thank you!
More great information to know.
What was the cause of your paraplegic? Just curious, if you will.
PAUL

Jump to this post

The lesion (metastasised tumour) had compressed my spinal cord. I went into hospital with balance problems, thinking it was a pinched nerve, and ended up paralysed within 5 days, together with a cancer diagnosis and emergency debulking surgery to try to restore my mobility. I didn't leave for 3 1/2 months.

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1 reply
paul28 | @paul28 | Jul 1 8:22pm
In reply to @northoftheborder "The lesion (metastasised tumour) had compressed my spinal cord. I went into hospital with balance problems,..." + (show)
@northoftheborder

The lesion (metastasised tumour) had compressed my spinal cord. I went into hospital with balance problems, thinking it was a pinched nerve, and ended up paralysed within 5 days, together with a cancer diagnosis and emergency debulking surgery to try to restore my mobility. I didn't leave for 3 1/2 months.

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I couldn't imagine!!
Wonderful that you doing so well now!

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