Time between simulation and starting radiation treatment for prostate?

Sim was on Monday SBRT on Friday at Mayo

I appreciate all the information on this thread, even if I am a little late to the party. I'm preparing for radiation for prostate cancer. I had RP surgery 11/11/24 and my PSA is low but rising so we're moving on to radiation. I'll have a simulation the day before Thanksgiving and start radiation the following week. I'm scheduled for 39 sessions (8 weeks). Not thrilled that the treatment will cross over the new year and I'll have to meet my deductible and out-of-pocket amount twice but I'm Gleason 9 with some adverse factors (cribriform, multifocal, bladder neck) so I'm not in the mood to wait.

@anosmic1 Best wishes for successful treatment with minimal side effects. I’m at 24 of 38 sessions now. A few hiccups along the way, but nothing insurmountable. Seven to eights weeks is definitely a grind. I try to take it one day at a time. It felt good to hit the half way point. No bell ringing, but I jangled my car keys that day.

M

@melvinw I just had a friend finish 6 weeks. I'm giving him space for now but I can't wait to hear his perspective. Strange how I thought at first that I had an "easier" cancer, that the surgery would be the end of it. Here I am a year later about to spend the holidays with my favorite radiation oncologist. There is no easy cancer. Lesson learned. Thanks, everyone.

@anosmic1 I'm sorry to hear that. You're right that there's no "easy" cancer.

Where we're fortunate is having so many treatment options. Spending the holidays with getting radiation is tough, but hearing that they've run out of options — as happens quickly with some other cancers — would be even worse.

tl;dr There's nothing easy about prostate cancer, but at least we have a good fighting chance these days, even if it gets to stage 4.

@anosmic1 "There is no easy cancer.” Those are profound words. I tend to downplay my situation as well. I see people in the clinic who are far worse off than me, and read and hear stories here and elsewhere. My father died from lung cancer. Several friends have succumbed to various cancers over the years and went through brutal struggles. My prostate cancer, even on this second go ‘round is “silent”—no symptoms. I have a good shot at being “cured”, once again. But with all that said, there is nothing easy about any of this. Cancer is cancer. It is life altering to various degrees and in various ways, some good, some not so good. Your words are a good reminder. I am going to reflect on them today, not to wallow but to see more clearly my own physical, emotional, and psychological state, and to move forward with caring for myself, as well as with empathy for others who are less fortunate. Thank you.

Well said. I keep thinking about my parents. Both died of pancreatic cancer. Dad had an islet cell cancer and lived about 32 months after diagnosis. Mom was more typical at about 4 months. But their diagnosis came with an automatic death sentence. Even though this has gone on longer than I expected - surgery was one year ago on 11/11 - but I'm still expecting to survive it.

Can't answer your question. I had simulation one week and started SBRT the following week. You'll have to do some research and ask your doctor. Seems like things could change the longer the treatment is pushed out.