You will undoubtedly receive many comments on the various experiences men have had with radiation or prostatectomy. There are also some recent treatments that involve partial removal of the prostate for those with tumors or lesions clearly defined on the MRI and limited to a specific region of the prostate. You have come to the right place to get input on this decision!

The decision on which course of treatment to pursue depends on a number of factors including the Gleason score, whether there is any evidence from the MRI of growth beyond the prostate, and overall health. While you can share your specifics with this board and get input from others, your doctors should be able to give you a recommendation on their suggested course of treatment and why they feel that is best for you. I would put a lot of weight on what you are being told by the professionals that are treating you and which have the full picture on your particular case.

If you haven't already done so, you might spend some time with the various published models (available online) that predict outcomes for the various treatment options.

In my case, I had a prostatectomy due primarily to having a biopsy Gleason score of 9, plus prior BPH which required medications to control. (The post-surgery pathology report downgraded my Gleason score to 4+3=7 with 'tertiary' (very low percentage of the total) grade 5; one of the advantages of having the prostate removed completely is the full report on what was present and more accurate grading of Gleason score.) Another advantage of surgery (in addition to the complete pathology report) is that in the event of a recurrence radiation remains an option for further treatment (some surgeons say that surgery after radiation is not recommended.)

I hope you feel at peace about your final decision and wish you all the best in your treatment.