I had 20 treatments, not the 5, but talked to someone who had 5. He was part of a study to determine the toxicity of the treatment compared to more doses. He didn't have any problems and the results I've seen indicated the 5 treatment option was no more toxic. After my first 5 treatments, I had pain while urinating. I started taking Flomax which took care of the problem and a year and half later still taking it. I also had more urgency for the first 6 months after treatment. I think these are pretty common side effects. Not sure what your Gleason score is, but if it's in the advanced level, 8+, you may need the antigen deprivation treatment as well to slow down the advancement of cancer, shrink the prostrate before treatment, and reduce risk of the cancer coming back. My Gleason was 8 and my doctor said the use of Lupron was important to increase my chances of survival. Not sure if it's used with surgery, but seems like it might be necessary to reduce chance of the cancer showing up in other organs. I would recommend you talk with doctors who are familiar with the research on treatment options before you make a decision.