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3 month follow up: What was your PSA at 3 and 6 months?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Jan 15 8:17am | Replies (44)Comment receiving replies
I was .63 4 months post surgery, pet scan showing small amount of cancer still near my lymph node , not good , it’s too late now but as I read various comments I’m confused about the decision I made since I too am not ready to “play House” I had one of the top Doctors at Mass General in Boston who does not use robotics. When we discussed options, he mentioned if I started with hormone and radiation first , there was a chance surgery could not be done later , did I misunderstand his comment? So I had the surgery and didn’t get it all so another 8 weeks of feeling down and can’t help wondering if I made the wrong decision. Very difficult for me despite pumps and pills that haven’t worked yet and now with Hormone shots has anyone been able to have any success with an erection during this additional treatment. I use to look, feel, and act 10 yrs younger than I am , hope to feel that way again 🙏
Replies to "I was .63 4 months post surgery, pet scan showing small amount of cancer still near..."
Appreciate your comments, at least my memory is still like an Elephant, time tell if I made a good decision, good luck to you
It is hard to say you made a wrong decision, Radiation might not have gotten it all if you had just done that.
Sounds like you have a pretty aggressive case. What was your Gleason score? Did you get a decipher score? Did you have a PSMA pet test before surgery, if so did they miss the lymph node cancer?
It puzzles me how a top doctor doesn’t use Robotics for surgery. It sounds like that doctor’s near retirement and doesn’t like the idea of changing what he does.
Yes, you can probably get an erection even if you get all these treatments. You may need a combination of Cialis or Viagra along with a penis pump. Then you can get bimix or trimix injections, Which allow most people to get an erection.
I do mot think you made the wrong decision….there isn’t one! If you went the other route you might have had some other issue which would have you questioning THAT decision.
IMO, you probably should have had PSMA before your surgery, whether it’s standard protocol or not. Six yrs ago I insisted - and paid privately- for an Auxumin PET, which was the best back then. Nothing showed outside the gland so I opted for surgery.
If something was outside, it would have been ADT and radiation all the way. YOU did not screw up, but I think someone else may have been remiss in your diagnostic workup - especially given your age.
As I said in another post, there are still many “good” oncologists out there practicing like it was 1980 - not 2025.
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@graybeard46
Regarding your comment about your doctor mentioning if you did radiation first chance surgery could not be done later.
Heard same thing so you did not misunderstand. What I was told was the radiation does a real number on your prostate. Thus doing surgery on it after a lot of radiation damage is not something most surgeons want to tackle.
I have read though that there are excpetions and some specialized urologist surgeon will and can operate but that is not the norm.
I did not have surgery just radiation so cannot personnaly comment on surgery questions or side affects.
Good luck!