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Newly diagnosed and looking for treatment advice.
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Oct 11, 2025 | Replies (71)Comment receiving replies
@jc76, #packman7 I list the thread not sure if you said (packman7) where you're being treated?
The nearest proton radiation to Duke where I'm bringing treated is in Charlotte. There's one planned at Duke but a few years out. So it's a moot discussion for me but of interest and I appreciate the info jc76!
Replies to "@jc76, #packman7 I list the thread not sure if you said (packman7) where you're being treated?..."
@steveduke
Mayo Rochester
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@steveduke
I was a patient at Mayo Jacksonville since 2006. I had all my PSA tests done a Mayo Jack. My PCP is the one who did not like my rising PSA numbers even though I was still under normal range for PSA.
He referred me to urologist who did DME and DRE. Urologist ordered MRI/contrast. Came back suspicious. He ordered biopises using MRI/Fusion. Diagnosed with prostate cancer orgiinally intermediate risk.
Referred to R/O. R/O suggested Decipher test and bone scan. Decipher came back low risk not intermediate. Bone scan negative. Mayo Jack. could only provide photon radiation. Note: They are building a brand new cancer center that will have proton radiation.
PCP asked me to get second opinion and consider proton radiation. I went to UFHPTI to get second opinion after I sent my medical records to them. UFHPT R/O wanted a PSMA done. When it came back negative I was given their recommendations for treatments.
I chose UFHPTI for proton radiation based on information from PCP, R/Os, that proton radiation could help reduce secondary cancer risks, and daamge to other organs and tissues and can be programmed to stop at precise area and not continue through body.
I met with my Mayo PCP and we went over both consultations and we decided the UFHPTI proton radiation treatment was best for me. Any chance to reduce radiation damage and the secondary cancers that come from any type of radiation was something I thought important to me.
But we all have to make our own decisions. I was just luck I had such a outstanding PCP who did his own research of both types of radiation and could give me objective feedback of the pros and cons of both outside of the R/Os who were either proton or photon.
I will say that UFHPTI told me during my first consultation with them. We want to be clear that both forms of radiation have the same successful outcomes. The main difference is with proton we stopped the beam at precise area and does not continue out the body like photon does.