I was diagnosed with cancer in February of 2018. My PSA had gone from 2 to 16. After the biopsy, CAT scan, bone density scan and MRI my urologist wanted to operate immediately. I luckily went for a second opinion at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa. I first met with a urologist there. He did not recommend I have surgery because the cancer had spread outside of my prostate. The thought being that if I had surgery I would still need radiation therapy to kill the other cancer cells. I was then sent to a Moffitt Radiation Oncologist who reviewed my medical records and recommended another Radiation Oncologist that ran the brachytherapy department. They started me with hormone deprivation therapy (Lupron) to shrink the tumor, stop the spread and make the radiation treatment more effective. I then had the first of 2 scheduled high dose internal radiation treatments. It is an all day procedure where they put you under and wake you several times. The high dose radiation treatment lasted 27 minutes. The Doctor was so happy with the results he cancelled the 2nd Brachytherapy and reduced the external beam radiation from 45 fractions to 25.I continue to get the hormone deprivation therapy every 3 months. Side effects are no day at the beach but if you tell your medical staff everything and do what they say it is manageable. I have 3 more treatments left. Looking forward to moving past this chapter.

My takeaway is that you get a second opinion. Go to a facility that is world renowned at treating cancer. Keep a positive outlook and fight like hell.

Best,
Dan

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