← Return to Hormone Therapy (ADT) when ArteraAI Test says it's not necessary

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@tjnoffy The markers will improve the ability of therapists using photons to detect if your prostate has moved during the treatment. If Proton people use a scanning system during treatment to show them if the prostate has moved that is different than the usual for photon therapy, then they might say not to use them. I don't understand the ambiguity about maybe. I'd leave it up to them. How can they expect a patient to understand what they need for the most accurate aim of their beam?

I just had HDR, i.e. high dose rate brachytherapy. Everyone except the patient leaves the procedure room. The radiation source is sent by a machine into the prostate anywhere their plan says, lingering a very short time in each spot, i.e. seconds, then is moved to the next planned spot, etc., and then is withdrawn, and everyone comes back into the room.

They don't call it a "certain number of seeds" that are later withdrawn. Talk of seeds might be LDR, low dose brachytherapy, but the small radioactive "seeds" are permanently left in place.

HDR side effects tend to peak earlier than LDR. I didn't need a catheter. My LUTS are worse now than prior, but I look forward to slow improvement. I've heard the side effects might persist until patients believe they will never go away, i.e. months, then subside. I can easily live with what is happening right now. I need to get up every 2 hours at night to piss, when before it was twice a night. My stream is weaker than it was. Your mileage may vary. I was working out in the gym 3 days after the procedure.

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Replies to "@tjnoffy The markers will improve the ability of therapists using photons to detect if your prostate..."

@climateguy Yeah, there was no talk of the benefit of tracking whether the prostate moves, just that it didn't add much to the process. Seemed odd to me if the markers don't really help.

Maybe it was one ball (or whatever) moved from spot to spot. I got the impression from the description that it would be multiple balls put in and removed in short order. That's what my notes from the visit say. Regardless, it wasn't LDR that stays in place where you can't hold your grandkids in your lap.

They also mentioned the possibility of a strength training study a couple of days a week during proton therapy, so that may be a way of getting more exercise than what I already do.