@jseabass
Discuss with your doctors about taking a Decipher test. It is a genetic test that can really help diagnose the risk factor of your specific cancer. It will come back with low, intermediate, or high risk. That can help your urologist and R/Os determine your treatment options.

Regarding proton radiation. I had mine done at UFHPTI. They have been doing proton radiation treatments since 2006 and are one of the most outstanding medical facilities that have vast experience with proton radiation.

You can contact them and asked for their handout information. It is free. It contains the two books on prostate cancer everyone talks about along with a ton on research and their program. They do not pressure you to have your treatments there. They are State employees and are all salaried. But they have 5 proton gantries and every state has had patients come there along with I last read over 40 different countries.

I would have had my proton radiation at Mayo Jacksonville but they do not have proton just photon. Mayo Jacksonville is building a new cancer center that will have proton radiation and will open in 2026.

I had consultations with Mayo Jacksonville, and UFHPTI. At UHFPTI absolutely no pressure to go there. They immediaely told me that both photon and proton radiation treatments have he same success rates. The difference (which I had read in their handouts and from my MAYO PCP) is that photon radiation comes in full force and exits the body full force. Proton radiation is controlled radiation and comes into body at lower dose, releases it's full force of programmed radiation at determined positions and stops. It does not continue out the body.

So in theory and much research now being done on photon and proton radiation the proton has the ability to help prevent additional radiation damage to surrounding tissues and organs. Both will have side affects.

I had 30 rounds of proton radiation with very minor side affects. I would do it again and would have no hesitation to have UFHPTI do it again. They provided outstanding care in an ultra modern latest equipment facility.

I would highly suggest getting their free handout they will fexex to you at no charge. Again they do this with out any pressure to go there. UFHPTI got a 25 million dollar federal grant to do long term study on photon and proton radiation and prostate cancer. I was asked to participate in that study and I said yes.