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Living with Prostate Cancer: Meet others & introduce yourself
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Mar 16 1:38pm | Replies (607)Comment receiving replies
My husband was diagnosed in DSM, Iowa with prostate cancer about 3 weeks ago. He had a PSMA and it showed the cancer has spread to one lymph node right by the prostate. And he has a Gleason score of 9 (4+5). We have an appointment at Mayo Rochester on Tuesday, Sept 6th with a urologist. My question is when do an oncologist and radiologist get involved with the direction of his care. DSM recommended removal followed by radiation. Thanks
Replies to "My husband was diagnosed in DSM, Iowa with prostate cancer about 3 weeks ago. He had..."
Your husband's journey is similar to mine back in 2019. My pathology report following my radical prostatectomy indicated a Gleason score of 9, and I was diagnosed with T3b-N1 level cancer. Immediately following my surgery, my surgeon at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, put me on Lupron for 24 months, and once I dealt with my incontinence, I underwent adjuvant radiation. All along my journey at Mayo, the Urology team members were in communication and my treatment moved forward very quickly. My surgeon is still my "quarterback" for my care, but I also meet annually with my radiation oncologist, which will be the case for the five years following my radiation treatments, which were in 2020. The good news is that my PSA levels have been undetectable for three years.
You need consultation from all inputs. Then, with that information, you make your choice of treatment. If surgery then no immediate need for radiology. If radiology then no need for surgical advisement. You now have a decision to make and you need all the input you can gather.
I had/have a Gleason 10. I opted for Proton Beam, 1) for it's pinpoint accuracy and 2) to eliminate the trauma of surgery. The Proton Beam is totally painless, you feel nothing at all. You lay down, get prepped, get treated, get up and walk out in about 15 min. What's not to like?? With Proton Beam the cancer in prostate and lymph node should be accurately targeted and dealt with. If I recall I had 28 treatments.
I still now have a prostate gland. Granted it's been thoroughly radiated, but it's still there.
Be careful, take your time!! Good luck with your decision.
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Mayo should include a radiologist in your visit to Rochester. That individual should discuss the radiological treatment plan - what is the total dose, how many treatments, whether to include the entire PLNs and how how high the treatment field they recommend, boost and margins around the lymph node identified...
Others may have different thoughts about including an oncologist at this point since it is advanced PCa. In my journey, I didn't bring an oncologist onto the medical team until it was time to include chemotherapy. I felt my urologists were more than capable of handling the ADT portion of my treatment.
Kevin