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← Return to Prostate Cancer: The waiting to get going on treatment is killing me
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Prostate Cancer: The waiting to get going on treatment is killing me
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Sep 26, 2023 | Replies (26)Comment receiving replies
I am sending good thoughts to you and feel bad you had to go through this I am newly diagnosed and deciding between surgery and radiation i am a 4+4 am in buffalo ny and not confident they are the best here went to cleveland clinic saw surgeon not radiologist he ofcourse recommended surgery but i just dont no what to do i am scared to no end anyway adivce would be nice but before that once again I am wishing you happiness and a good run you sound like a wonderful confident strong person so I think you know what your doing bless you and your family life is tough
Replies to "I am sending good thoughts to you and feel bad you had to go through this..."
Just a caregiver, here, but I wonder what the recommendation would be if you saw a urologist at Cleveland clinic. I just know that’s how my husband started his journey at Mayo.
Also I think it’s emotionally helpful to have a team of doctors that you have full confidence in. I always remember that they call it the PRACTICE of medicine, because each individual can react so differently to treatments.
Hi @jt3451, have you decided on a treatment plan? How are you doing?
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jt3451: your right. It is scary so take one day at a time. I had 3+4 and isolated in the prostate with a psa of 10.2. I had multiple opinions from radiation oncologists from different centers of excellence. Did not feel the 20-30% risk of biological reoccurrence with prostate removal was worth it and the potential for side effects and quality of life, did not work for me. Many on this web site have had success with it.
Narrowed my decision down to the mridian Linac radiation machine or proton therapy. Chose the mridian machime with 5 treatments because the healthy tissue that was exposed outside the prostate was 2 mm vs 3-5 mm with proton and other radiation treatments. The mridian also automatically shut off if the machine detected the radiation was about to go out of the mapped area. It is also the only machine that has a built in MRI so real time dynamic planning and adjustment in response to internal and external body movement was important to me. Dr Himanshu Nager from Weill Cornell/NY Presbyterian in New York city has lots of prostate experience with the machine.
Use your biopsy material, which is good for about a year, to get a decipher test to test the aggressiveness.
Many people chose proton therapy and are happy with their choice as well because of its narrow beam and the radiation exit was limited.
Ask about spaceoar insertion which separates the bladder from the rectum and helps minimize health tissue exposure from radiation.
The more healthy tissue that is exposed the more potential side effects and quality of life issues.
Good luck and keep asking questions.