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Prostate cancer treatment options?

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Sep 3, 2023 | Replies (31)

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@mikewo

I just turned 74 and like you have an enlarged prostate 120 grams. I have been treated at Mayo in Phoenix. My PSA was 2.9 My MRI showed a 7mm lesion that was not palpable, and my 30-core transperineally MRI fusion guided biopsy showed two cores of 4-3 and two of 3-4 all from the same area. The rest of the prostate was normal. I was classified as unfavorable intermediate risk prostate cancer because of the 4-3. I elected the five SBRT proton radiation sessions that are on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Monday and Wednesday. I had the SpaceOar Gel inserted when the markers were put in to protect my rectum from any stray radiation. The sessions were a piece of cake if you don't mind having a 100 cc saline filled balloon up your butt to immobilize your prostate and can hold a bottle of water in your bladder to move it out of the way too. My side effects are none and I even messaged my radiation oncologist to see if they gave me the correct dose of radiation. My three-month PSA was undetectable, so I am thrilled with the treatment I chose. The only problem I had was after the second radiation treatment and that was my fault. They tell you to avoid caffeine and I had my insulated mug of coffee waiting for me in the car after the first treatment and drank it on the drive home and finished the pot when I got there. I did the same routine after the second session and after about an hour after I finished off the pot my bladder said, "You dummy you should have listened". I had to pee about every 15 minutes the rest of the day. Needless to say, I laid off the coffee for two weeks after my last session. Since you are over 70 with favorable intermediate risk prostate cancer you will want to read "Radiotherapy with or without androgen deprivation therapy on intermediate risk prostate cancer" it is in Radiation Oncology and shows there is no advantage to getting a Lupron shot at our age. Another study is "The need for androgen deprivation therapy in patient with intermediate-risk prostate cancer treated with dose escalated external beam radiation therapy." There are other treatments you should look at like CyberKnife, MRI guided radiation in real time. I had a CyberKnife near me, but he wanted to pump me full of drugs and did not do SpaceOar Gel. The MRI guide radiation is only done in a few facoilities none of which were near me.

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Replies to "I just turned 74 and like you have an enlarged prostate 120 grams. I have been..."

Thanks for the response. A number of men who responded favored proton therapy. I’m gathering as much info as I can when I plan to hear from my doctor.
Health and happiness!