One problem is You have not said what your Gleason score is. That is a major factor in deciding how aggressive one should be. It’s also a major factor in whether you should be on ADT and how long. The question is do you want to have progression free survival (PFS), if yourGleason is higher than 7 Then the more extensive radiation really makes sense as well as ADT.
The more extensive radiation gives you that longer PFS, And that radiation is not likely to affect your erections. All the spots that it would affect are already gone after surgery.. It’s the Orgovyx (Relugolix) (ADT) that will cause the ED problems as you probably know, Due to loss of desire,. I had 7 1/2 weeks of radiation and it had no side effects at all, Some people have fatigue some people have temporary urinary tract problems. I did have a six month Lupron shot shortly before radiation, I didn’t realize it had side effects back then and didn’t notice any.
I’m not sure you’ve heard about bimix or Trimix, You inject it into the penis in order to get a good erection. I know that in my case I still had some desire, even though I was on ADT.
What type of medical centers did you go to, to get those two different sets of Advice? Was one of them a center of excellence? If you did not go to a center of excellence that may be the best option getting a third opinion from experts.
Another thing you could do is get a decipher test, It will tell you how likely it is you will have a reoccurrence. If you get a very low number, then you can probably avoid ADT.
Yes, ADT has a number of side effects. I’ve never had a problem gaining weight even though I’ve been on it for nine years. I weigh myself every morning and base what I eat on what I weigh. I go to the gym three times a week (usually) and walk on the track (Or around the neighborhood) At least a mile twice a day every day. It keeps one healthy, Which is very important for prostate cancer. I also get bone strengthening agents. I was on Fosamax for six years and I’m now I’m getting Zometa infusions every three months. A bone specialist that a recent conference said that everybody on ADC should be on bone strengthers.
Damage to the bladder, colon, and nerves is not normally a big problem for most people with the radiation you’re talking about. Those are problems that can occur more often if you have radiation to the prostate initially. I’m not saying it won’t cause problems, but they are not usually a big deal for the majority of people and the problems are usually for a short time.
Gleason 4+3, pT3a. No lymph node involvement, no distant spread, but locally advanced because of extension outside the prostate. Margins were negative after surgery.
I have an appointment in the next couple of weeks to talk about Trimix. Right now I’m on 5 mg of Cialis daily just to keep blood flow going down there, but I’m wondering if I should ask about a higher dose before sex to see if that helps with erections.
Rochester Regional is suggesting a conservative route with low-dose radiation and no ADT. Sloan Kettering (NYC) is more aggressive. I’m also waiting to see if I qualify for Proton Therapy from Sloan Kettering, though I’m not sure it makes much difference with prostate cancer.
My surgeon ordered a Decipher test, I just need to get that report from him.
Thanks for your advice, it really has helped ease a lot of my anxiety.