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Why did you choose surgery instead of radiation or vise versa?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: May 19 4:28pm | Replies (54)Comment receiving replies
Age 70, 3+4, contained, no stream problems, healthy and at weight. As everyone says, your specific condition may be the deciding factor. For me, I wanted to avoid the initial downtime of surgery (even robotic) and the greater risks (ED, incontinence). I went with HDR brachy (no seeds), which is still the second most invasive with two out-patient procedures, to minimize radiation exposure to healthy tissue and still get the job done. I spoke to two Mayo Rochester doctors (surgery and radiation). Both said I was good for either choice. THE MORE IMPORTANT DECISION IS TO PICK THE BEST HOSPTIAL/DOCTOR. Travel if you must.
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I think it can't be emphasized enough that all cancers are different. Understanding your cancer via the large number of diagnostic tools will help you decide how to: maximize efficacy and minimize side effects and discomfort.
With this knowledge, consulting a variety of Drs. can make more sense. In my case, 71 yo, 4+3=7, some additional risk factors on biopsy including 'suspicion of prostatic extension, 2/3 urologists I consulted recommended radiation, the one outlier was neutral. Both ROs recommended radiation.
My tri-modal plan is ADT, SBRT Boost and EBRT x23. I opted for Cyberknife (SBRT) over HDR Boost based on studies including the attached.
chen_roach (chen_roach.pdf)