← Return to Third SBRT Opinion Worth It?

Discussion

Third SBRT Opinion Worth It?

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 19 hours ago | Replies (36)

Comment receiving replies
@gsd

@psychometric, first, I'm a PCa patient, like you, sorting through treatment decisions, so my opinion doesn't mean as much as the people who have walked ahead of us on the PCa treatment trail. However, your diagnostic situation and mine seem very similar. In your shoes, I would go (and have gone) for multiple opinions about different treatments from various providers. Each time I did so I learned something helpful.

Based on your comment that both RO's now disfavor SBRT and the fact that your surgeon did a cystoscopy, I'm wondering if we are not in a similar position: trying to select between treatments with a pre-treatment risk of a grade 3 late stage GU toxicity reaction to radiation therapy because of pre-existing lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Have they talked to you about that? My understanding is there are several possible reasons: obstructive, neurological, and functional/medication, each with a different solution. Sounds like your surgeon ruled out the internal obstructive causes. The Rx for 'over-active bladder' is attempting to address one functional possibility. Heavyphil is right, in most cases the cause of LUTS can be addressed before the RT, making you a better candidate for RT, if that were your preference.

In my particular case, I think early on in my diagnosis and treatment discussions I was too overwhelmed with the larger picture to pick up on the nuances of the discussion. For me, one of the greatest values of talking to several providers about several different treatment approaches was that I was a better listener and I asked better questions at the later diagnosis and treatment discussions. One question I didn't ask is: Is there a difference in how much each type of RT affects the GU system?

Please follow up and let us know the outcomes of your discussions and decisions. It will certainly help me and others!

Best wishes!
Guy

Jump to this post


Replies to "@psychometric, first, I'm a PCa patient, like you, sorting through treatment decisions, so my opinion doesn't..."

I don't recall either RO using the exact "grade 3 late stage GU toxicity reaction" language. However, they both expressed concern that SBRT specifically could greatly exacerbate my existing urinary issues, up to and including catheterization. The first recommended 45 RT sessions and the second 20 RT sessions.

I'm pretty sure I'd forgotten to mention the post-cystoscopy Oxybutynin prescription to the second RO, so I did follow up with him to ask if my outlook for Cyberknife would change if I see positive effects from the medicine. He replied, "if you have a significant, sustained improvement in your urinary symptoms, we could consider CyberKnife SBRT. It may take a couple weeks to notice a difference. If you do not experience any benefit with the Oxybutynin, then I would still prefer the 20 treatment course."

@brianjarvis Given that the expected outcomes for RP and RT are essentially the same, my main concern is immediate and long-term quality of life, especially incontinence, although long-term salvage options are also fairly important.

RT seems favorable for incontinence whereas RP leaves more salvage options open. RP recovery would have a more immediate disruption to my active lifestyle (the surgeon said 6 weeks lifting no more than 10lbs - not sure how that's even possible). RT doesn't really have any physical restrictions but the concurrent hormone therapy will likely result in at least some limitations based on fatigue, etc. So I'm basically doing what everyone else has to do - weighing knows vs. kinda knows vs. unknowns.

Based on everyone's feedback, I'm going to keep the MD Anderson appointments. They are going to re-analyze my biopsy slides, which could result in a different recommendation. No harm, no foul if not. That also gives me several weeks to gauge Oxybutynin effects.