Are there any other octogenarians out there?
At 82, I have finally come to grips with my prostate cancer. Early on (65ish), my GP watched as my PSA began to inch upward at about 1-2 points per year. When it hit 16, I learned about the 4K test, took it, and was told that I had only 10% chance of ever having problematic or metastatic cancer.
I liked those odds, shared them with my GP, and he suggested that we would "watch and wait."
Then, almost to the day I turned 80, I began to experience nocturia (get-ups, poor stream, double voids, etc.). I endured this new reality for several months until it became rather uncomfortable, but reminded myself that I was, after all, in my 80s now . Consulting the internet assiduously (I'm a retired academic), I figured I had to become reconciled to the BPH that 80-90% of ALL octogenarians experience. But I decided to consult a urologist anyway. He put me on Alfuzosin, which cut my nocturnal wakeups in half, thankfully. But he suggested that we do a few more procedures, given my nocturia and my extreme fatigue.
Well, after the MRI, the biopsy, the PET Scan, (and a newly measured PSA of 30--apparently LOW for this group), my urologist told me that I had an aggressive stage 4 prostate cancer. A medical oncologist put me on bicalutamide for a month, prior to the Orgovyx, which I have now been taking for a month.
The plan is to continue with Orgovyx for another month or so, and then consider radiation. The possibility of a HoLEP procedure looms...but, of course, pre-radiation.
My question is: will the HoLEP substantially mitigate my nocturia (which is a manageable 2-3 getups, giving me three 2.5 hour "naps")? Or should I just continue the Orgovyx (PSA now down to 4.2, two months into my ADT) until I reach my PSA nadir and then do the radiation?
Any suggestions or sharing are much appreciated.