Welcome to the brotherhood no one wants to join. We’re here for you.

I am on my second go-round with prostate cancer. I can’t and won’t give medical advice, but I’d like to share a few thoughts based on my own experience which has been challenging. Due to the decisions I made when I first was diagnosed my opportunity to spend the rest of my life cancer free is far from certain.

I recommend that you don’t rush decision on your treatment. You’ve waited this long and another 30 days will not make a difference with your outlook. I rushed to judgment the first time I was diagnosed with prostate cancer, didn’t really think things through and chose a treatment that limited my options for further care when cancer returned.

I recommend that you purchase the book “surviving prostate cancer” fifth edition by Dr. Patrick Walsh. It’s under $20 on Amazon and it may be the best and most up-to-date resource on treating prostate cancer. Do not save money and buy the fourth edition. The fifth edition has the most up-to-date information and since prostate cancer treatment is evolving quickly it would be unwise to short change yourself.

Has your case been reviewed by a tumor board at a center of excellence where doctors representing different specialties such as radiation and surgery got to weigh in on what they thought was the best modality of treatment? I didn’t have that the first time around. I had a surgeon competing for my “business” and a radiologist competing for my “business”. I was treated like a customer, not a patient. When cancer returned in 2023 my case was reviewed by a tumor board, composed of radiology oncologists, surgeons, and medical oncologists. They put their heads together and told me what they believed would give me the best shot at a cure.
I felt far more comfortable, knowing that there was a consensus rather than only the opinion of a single individual. I hope you have had the same experience.

I highly recommend that before agreeing to any treatment, you ask the radiologist what Plan B is if Plan A fails. With rare exceptions, surgery is off the table along with more radiation to the affected area. That may only leave chemotherapy and some types of prostate cancer do not respond well or at all to chemotherapy.

I am not recommending anyone treatment over any other treatment. Treatment for pressed eight cancer is not a one size fits all solution. I’ve had radiation twice, surgery once, and I’m currently undergoing 24 months of ADT. I never expected that I would need all these different treatment modalities, but unfortunately, my case required all of them.

With that higher decipher score comes a higher risk that your cancer might return so you need to choose wisely.

Good luck on your journey.