Prostate cancer T3b: Anyone else had radiation and what was outcome?

Hey Carbone, to have BRCA2 and get diagnosed at almost 80 is unreal. This mutation can strike people many decades younger so you may have BRCA2 but either some other gene which has been suppressing its expression - or a lucky horseshoe somewhere in your anatomy🧲😆
Phil

Luck. BTW, my daughter was tested and she's clear. Thank God.

With the Gleason score, the higher number (4+3) is your Gleason score. Your statistics about only 2% of people getting gel spacers seems a little off. I’ve heard a few people talking about it in meetings. I know that some doctors do not like using it.

Quite a few people just felt they needed it. It does give you a little extra edge when it comes to the radiation hitting a wider area and damaging other organs

Are are you getting SBR,T IMRT. EBRT, brachytherapy? If SBRT have you been able to get a narrow beam like the MRIdian SBRT.

I got prostate cancer at 62. I’m now 77. I found out I was BRCA2 4 years ago. That explains why it keeps coming back even after surgery and radiation and many drugs. My PSA rises very quickly if drugs are reduced.

I’m only a Gleason seven (4+3), which is considered somewhat aggressive, But after being on Darolutamide For 18 months, I’ve been undetectable for the last 15.

You might want to take a look at this video which discusses cancer treatments when you’re elderly. Is aggressive treatment worth it.
https://www.urotoday.com/video-lectures/localized-prostate-cancer/video/mediaitem/4525-overtreatment-of-prostate-cancer-persists-in-men-with-limited-life-expectancy-timothy-daskivich.html

Thanks for sharing the information. Can't say I followed it all. The urologist said because I was 78 and in reasonably good health he recommended radiation therapy. Buy, if I had a number of comorbidities, the recommendation would have been different.

Good morning all from Tasmania Australia.

I thought I would let you know what's happened so far.
About 4 weeks ago I completed 38 radiation treatments, with the injection they put in my shoulder every 3 mths my PSA has dropped from 38 to .37 and the expect it will be 0 soon. So dropped a lot. I do wonder how much the radiation made it drop and how much the injection.
I'm very week now and hot flushes, I believe this is from the drug in the injection. My wife is working and I'm staying at home looking after the bub Natasha. I don't feel like working ATM.
I also have a very sensitive stomach, can't eat pork, coriander, coconut milk etc. had a heap of extra tests organised by the gp but they can't find anything wrong. So I have to watch what I eat or live on the loo.
They want to give me the injection every 3mths for 18mths, but between the upset stomachs and the injection I'm very tired and week. I'm thinking to ask them to stop the injection to see ify strength comes back.
Any thoughts you have would be appreciated.
On a side note I have a friend who has a brain tumor, they removed 80%. His family are worse off than me and struggling. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to share https://www.mycause.com.au/page/375548/help-shannon

Anyway feel free to see the page for Shannon above. It's a fund page on FB.

I'm doing a bit better than Shannon but do wonder if I'll get back to my former self.
Chat soon from Leigh

You were getting ADT injections and they do caused fatigue for some people. They are probably giving you Lupron.

Believe it or not the solution to a lot of the fatigue is exercise. If you can get out and walk distances, go to the gym and exercise, because these drugs are weakening your muscles and deteriorating your bones so you need to exercise and do weight exercises as well.

I’ve been on it for eight years and walk twice a day on the track at least a mile each and go to the gym three days a week. I don’t really have fatigue, And a lot of other people beat it by exercising.

If you go look up, PCRI Videos on YouTube we will find that talk about exercise being so important.

If you want to have the best chance of being around, cutting back red meat to maybe once a month going on a mostly vegetarian diet, Chicken and fish seem to be OK. Those can help you keep your cancer under control. Something like the Mediterranean diet can really help. Check out those videos for diet recommendations to help you live longer.

I’ve had PC for 15 years. Had surgery and when it came back at radiation and it’s come back a couple more times and I’ve had to change drugs. I’ve been undetectable for 20 months and have been keeping this diet going for about three years. I am on Orgovyx and Darolutamide, But I was on Lupron, which you probably use for six years.

Your doctor should’ve told you to take 500 mg of calcium twice a day and vitamin D. If they didn’t tell you I would be concerned because it’s essential. It is better to use calcium citrate.

I don’t know if you can get it but a Decipher test would be helpful to find out if how good a chance there is if your cancer coming back. Australia is usually pretty up on things going on so maybe it is available down there.