Because in great % of cases it is actually curative - either 100% or delays re-occurrence for MANY years. Unfortunately those lucky patients do not come to post in forums like this. OR, they come here after 20 years of no evidence of disease (like we saw recently).

Those who come after RP are those that had micro mets already out and about and that does not mean that treatment failed. Micro mets can be dormant for years even decades.

RP also removes mother-ship once and for all so new mets are not continually emitted out. Surgery offers better analysis of the tissue and better treatment planning for the future.

All in all - there is a reason why 50 year old will ALWAYS get advice to do RP , from both radiologist and a surgeon. This fact alone was one that made our decision much easier.

@brianjarvis
I am not sure only posting my experience with this topic. I read post that say or are told you cannot have surgery if you have radiation is not correct. What my urologist, PCP, and both my R/Os from two different medical facilities is that the prostate is in such bad condition it makes surgery extremely difficult. However there are surgeons that have the skills and experience to do them.

If you have radiation and your PSA or biopsies says cancer is still there and you would like the option to have RP rather than go through radiation it is still possible but takes a very experienced and special surgeon to do so.

Per my doctors and specialist, not me, you are dealing with in most cases cancer at a celluar level not tumors, etc. If is very easy to miss areas of prostate that have cancer cells if the original radiation treatments are not done to all prostate.

It is why my Mayo and UHFPTI R/Os said regardless of the biopsies they radiate the entire prostate and margins so they do not take a chance of leaving an area of the prostate that has cancer cells that was not identified in biopsies and or MRIs.