@ranger44
I am 78. I had my proton radiation treatments when 76.

Per my urologist and R/O a gleason score total of 7 needs treatment of some kind. Of course you can always chose active surveillance but your Gleason score is telling you something is wrong.

Did your urologist offer Decipher? It can more accurately define your biopsies as low risk, intermediate risk, or high risk. This really helps your urologist and R/O to determine the treatment for you.

You mentioned Mayo. Which Mayo is that. I go to Mayo Jacksonville.

The side affects when you are actually receiving radiation is zero. The side affects come from damage to your prostate, seminal vessels, and urinary vessel because are getting the radiation also. Along with this because margins are usually done you can have some side affects on the bladder and colon.

Most of the time the norm is minor side affects and easily tolerated but we are all different and some do have significant side affects.

Not know the Decipher score of your risk level for me would rule out AS but that is me. There are very new in clinical trials of new protein type treatments that attack the prostate cancer cells only and leave healthy cells alone.

Maybe a monitor or other poster can inform you or clinical trials being done of these new treatments or mayb ones that have just been approved.

I had minor side affects from 30 rounds of proton radiation. I was 3+4-7 with a Decipher score that came back low risk. I got radiation only. Getting hormone treatments is anohter whole subject and those who have had it would be better to comment on than me.