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Is hormone therapy necessary with radiation?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 1 day ago | Replies (100)Comment receiving replies
@tj1967 ADT has the greatest effect the first 6 months after radiation. Additional benefit declines as months increase. Some studies have shown that except for stage 4 disease ADT is negative for all-cause mortality by 24 months (you have referenced a few). I doubt your doctor will agree to reduce ADT below the guidelines due to litigation risk. Better to say the patient stopped ADT against advice. You will need to decide if any reduced recurrence risk is worth the impacts additional ADT has on your life. It would be easier if you had positive margins since that would be the obvious cause of the PSA increase.
Replies to "@tj1967 ADT has the greatest effect the first 6 months after radiation. Additional benefit declines as..."
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@jim18
That is exactly what I am struggling with. My PSA was low when I started treatment, so I keep wondering how much benefit there really is after 12 months. At the same time, I know my pathology and Decipher score were high risk, so I understand why my doctors are recommending longer.
I am not trying to ignore the guidelines or pretend I know more than the doctors. I am just trying to figure out whether the possible added reduction in recurrence risk from going beyond 12 months is worth the impact ADT has on my quality of life.