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Living with Prostate Cancer: Meet others & introduce yourself

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Mar 16 1:38pm | Replies (607)
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@waynen

Colleen asked about side effects. The hormone therapy does result in hot flashes, mine weren't as bad as some others. It also weakens bones, requiring taking calcium. It can increase breast size, but mine didn't change much. It also affects sexual ability. Fatigue was probably the most noticeable.

For radiation, the urethea is going to get hit. It will affect urination. Pain when urinating and urgency are the two most serious issues. They reduced the effects with Aleve and Flomax. The side effects from radiation are gone now.

Long term, all side effects should be gone. One advantage of Proton Beam Therapy is that it limits tissue damage, so only the prostrate got hit with the beam. The good cells will regenerate, but not the cancerous.

Also, during treatment I was able to continue normal activity, which is what they encourage.

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Replies to "Colleen asked about side effects. The hormone therapy does result in hot flashes, mine weren't as..."
Al | @9876 | Mar 24, 2019

I had a PSA of 6.7 in Nov. 2018. Biopsy in Dec.2018. I had 17 samples and 5 had cancer. One showed that the cancer was very aggressive. My Urologest recommended surgery. Had surgery March 19, 2019. Surgeon took out limnodes semon vessels. The biopsy on these showed aggressive cancer. Dr. Recommends hormone shots and radiation. Is this the correct decision to make?@colleenyoung

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Dave | @ronan2011 | Nov 14, 2019

I have a good friend who just did the hormone and radiation therapy after previously having had surgery to take out the prostate. He was expecting various consequences but said that the hormone therapy did not produce the hot flashes as expected, so effects can vary for different people.
Since your last post on the Proton Beam radiation was 8 months ago I'm wondering if you have anything to add about early or long term side effects and if you still think the Proton Beam was a good protocol for you. I have been leaning .toward surgery but i see a lot of men that have opted for radiation therapy.......

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