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← Return to Salvage surgery or salvage radiation?
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Salvage surgery or salvage radiation?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Mar 16 7:55am | Replies (44)Comment receiving replies
@prettypass2000
This is a case where it would’ve been helpful to have you there when talking to the urologist. Men get freaked out when they had these discussions and it’s very difficult for them to think clearly and ask appropriate questions.
Lymph node removal is not a big deal if done arthroscopically it should be pretty straightforward and quick. Definitely need to speak to the doctor about this and get more information. It would be nothing like prostate cancer surgery.
While radiation was no big deal for me, I had no side effects, but there are many sessions. Some people do feel fatigue after the sessions. Some people get proctitis. I had 8 weeks of sessions and the lower radiation causes fewer issues. ADT is no fun for most people. If your husband can avoid it, it would be better to do it for as long as possible.
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@jeffmarc Thank you for your inputs. I've contacted my health insurance. They are not going to approve this surgery unless my husband also sees the radiation oncologist. The issues they mentioned are
1. evidence-base in US which the outcomes of FSR favors the radiation more than the lymph node dissection. Another patient passed along this information to me as well.
2. cost: they gave us very high quote(30k euros) that I have to get it pre-approved from the insurance. They want it up front.
3. Our health insurance paid for the second opinions via telehealth after my husband's surgery in 2021. Another professor doctor/chief urologist at another university hospital reviewed his file and gave his opinions: adjuvant or salvage radiation in the future recurrence. I think this & the high cost play the big role on the insurance company's decision. They didn't say they're not going to approve the surgery, but they want him to see the radiation oncologist first. It's crazy.