← Return to Surgery or Radiation for Intermediate Prostate Cancer?

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@ljbboston

Hello Spino,
Thanks you for your thoughts. Can you explain what RALP treatment is? Also, why was the treatment denied, even though you were a clear candidate?

Thanks,
LJBBoston

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Replies to "Hello Spino, Thanks you for your thoughts. Can you explain what RALP treatment is? Also, why..."

RALP=robotic [assisted] laproscopic prostatectomy. While it is now the most common approach, statistically there is no different in the outcomes (by comparably experienced surgeons) between RALP and "open" (i.e. traditional) prostatectomies.
I encountered the referenced urologist by volunteering for a clinical trial. I did not qualify for the clinical trial when a repeat mpMRI on better equipment with better pathologists found an additional nodule and the transperineal MRI-guided biopsy then found 4+3 pathology in that nodule. The clinical trial was for a new form of ablation (killing cells in situ), but the guidelines limited participants to 3+3 or 3+4 pathology.
The post-surgery pathology found cancer at the margin ("positive margins") which indicated to me after the fact that if anything I was too late on the surgery, not too early :-). So far no indicators of further growth though....

This isn't Spino, but RALP is Robot Assisted Laparoscopic Prostatectomy. I had this surgery in August of 22. Gleason 4 + 3. Surgery was not painful. No incontinence issues. Erections not quite the same but feeling is the same. I had nerve sparing surgery. If you opt for RALP I suggest you find a surgeon who has performed a thousand of these. My Urologist who also was my surgeon performed several per week for the last 20 years. Thankfully, my PSA has been under 0.1 since. My Urologist didn't recommend follow on Radiation or ADT after surgery. I went back to work after 8 weeks. I'd also ask your Urologist for a prescription for Pelvic Physical therapy. The therapist will instruct you how to perform proper Kegels to prevent or eliminate incontinence.