Connect
← Return to Gleason 3+4 A.S. or treatment?
Discussion
Gleason 3+4 A.S. or treatment?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Jan 13 12:14pm | Replies (33)Comment receiving replies
At 69 in 2022 I had 3+4. Decipher was low risk PSA was 10.2 with slight urination issues. Cancer was confined to the Prostate.
After looking at removal, Proton and other radiation types, and the machines, I chose the Mridian radiation machine, SBRT, for 5 treatments with no ADT. Its close machine equivalent is the Elekta Unity. Both these machines have built in MRI vs fused images. What the doctor could see, he could treat and the built in MRI reduced the exposed healthy tissue margins to 2 mm vs 3-5 mm for proton and other forms of radiation. That meant less side effects and better quality of life per the Mirage study (https://www.urologytimes.com/view/mirage-trial-margin-reduction-with-mri-guided-sbrt-reduces-toxicity-vs-ct-guided-sbrt). The built in MRI was a big deal in my decision process.
So far so good. I did have urination restrictions after the 3rd treatment but for me, Flomax worked but maybe @jeffmarc suggestions could work. So far so good. Treatment was finished in February of 2023.
Replies to "At 69 in 2022 I had 3+4. Decipher was low risk PSA was 10.2 with slight..."
Connect
@bens1 I would have preferred MRI-Guided SBRT too, but it was not available (for me) in the cancer center where I was treated -- their Elekta Unity prioritizes those who need more accuracy and could not have the gold seeds fiducial markers implanted on their prostate. What I had was MRI-Guided Radiation Planning, then mini-CT scan before each SBRT treatment. (I was told their procedures compare the CT images with the MRI images, and make the necessary adjustments before each radiation session.) On the third of 5 treatments, I was asked if I experienced burning urination; I did not. I did have frequent urination at night until a month ago, then back to normal. I am now 8-1/2 months post-"SBRT with six months in Orgovyx." My next follow up consultation with the RO is on January 27 -- nine months & a week post-treatment. So far, it looks good, and I hope it continues that way.