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Starting Proton Treatments for Prostate Cancer: Any experiences?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Aug 1 5:01pm | Replies (150)Comment receiving replies
I am at the stage where all i know is that I have prostate cancer and am scheduled for a biopsy. Reading the comments from the group are so helpul. So what my eary question is relates to a better understanding of proton therapy verses hormone. naturally, i want to make the best decision which will be basd on which procedure will be the most effective. That is where I am right now, and look forwrd to your experiences.
Replies to "I am at the stage where all i know is that I have prostate cancer and..."
@billmoskowitz you might consider getting a second opinion when you meet with a radiation oncologist. Also, the decipher test makes use of your biopsy and measures the aggressiveness and suggests whether you need one type of treatment or two types. It seems to be the preferred test over the Prolaris because of its sampling size.
If you have a biopsy, go under anesthesia at a hospital. I tried having a biopsy with a local, and I passed out when the needle hit a nerve. They Had to repeat the biopsy. They have to get a predetermined number if core samples 15-20 or it won’t be paid for by Medicare or maybe your insurance. My biopsy costs were $18,000
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The biopsy will tell the doctors what your Gleason score is and how many areas of the prostate have cancer and depending on that, they will recommend different treatment options. Mine was a Gleason score of 7, 3 +4 as I recall. The proton treatments are radiation that is very focused on the cancerous areas. The hormone treatment is an injection that can be used along with the radiation treatments. Another option is surgery to remove the prostate. I’m sure you will be learning a lot in the next few weeks, hope it’s not very advanced and it is an easy process for you.