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@cecelia19 Questions to ask regarding prostate cancer external radiation treatments
You will want to weigh the risks, benefits, preferences, and outcomes of various treatment options; these can help guide your decision and help you start an open and candid conversation with your oncologist.
> What are the different external radiation treatment options (IMRT, SBRT, Proton) for my condition?
> Which kinds of external radiation therapy would treat my cancer best (IMRT, SBRT, or Proton)?
> Which are available at this facility?
> How many have you done?
> What are the procedures (When/Where/How) for each type of radiation treatment?
> What are the expected side and after-effects and risk factors with (the specific form of) radiation treatment?
> Will I require hormone therapy (Eligard, Lupron, Orgovyx) as part of my treatments?
> What side-effects should I expect from the hormone therapy?
> Is there a way to minimize the side-effects from the hormone therapy?
> What are the chances that I will suffer from complications during or after treatment (from either the radiation or the hormone therapy)?
> What are the chances that I will have GU, GI, ED, incontinence, bowel, rectal, problems during or shortly after, treatment?
> Should I be worried about side effects years after treatment has ended?
> What advanced technologies do you offer at this facility that can help reduce the risk of side effects?
> For (the specific form of) radiation, will I use a rectal spacer? If so, what type (SpaceOAR or Barrigel)?
> Is there a chance the cancer will come back after treatment?
> What will the preparation for each treatment look like?
> What will the duration of each treatment be?
> Can you describe the entire treatment plan?
> Will there be an impact on my daily routine?
> Will I be able to continue to work?
> What activities will I still be able to do?
> What activities are not recommended during each type of treatment?
> How soon must a decision on treatment be reached?
> Is there anything that I didn’t ask that I should know?
Hope that helps!
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@brianjarvis This MORE than helps. Brilliant questions and I can't thank you enough for sharing them. I'll write you after my consult and let you know what was presented. Things became complicated when a radiation oncologist we saw had a different opinion of the report from the imaging center. Also complicating things - husband has had a catheter for many months. Surgery would be the ideal option to remedy both the cancer and catheter issue but depending on the actual prostate MRI results (I will have the utmost confidence in how Mayo reads it), radiation may be the only option. Again, thank you for all the help you have given us.