Took Eligard for three and a half years and now back on it. Had a great response the first time. Hoping the same this time around. Side effects described are real. Loss of muscle mass was really tough for me to deal with. Fatigue is significant. But I am kicking. And that is what counts.

Hello,
Like most patients with Prostate Cancer, their experiences in both treatment and recovery can vary dramatically. The surgical versus the radiation treatments are as different in scope and utilization as they can be along with everything else associated with the aftermath of each.
First and foremost, there are absolutely NO GUARANTEES when it comes to treating PC and or continuing to be in remission. Anybody or physician who tells you differently is simply misinformed!
As for LUPRON and other similar therapies etc, there are NO GUARANTEES that your cancer won’t come back. This is a fact backed up by the evidence from patients who utilized “ADT,” ANDROGEN DEPRAVATION THERAPY with radiation and their cancer returned. Logically, it makes sense to lessen the possibility of your cancer returning if you can reduce the amount of Testosterone in your body. Pretty much everybody is in agreement that once you have PC, increasing the Testosterone in your body through “TRT,” TESTOSTERONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY will feed your cancer cells and promote the growth of your cancer. Hence, any patient on “TRT” who contracts PC will almost universally discontinue his “TRT” immediately. However, once he is successfully treated with no more detectable cancer and his PSA levels are also undetectable there are no more cancer cells to feed. Of course, nobody can guarantee that every cancer cell in your body has been removed even though no more cancer cells are detectable resulting from the surgical or radiological treatment options.
The thinking regarding TESTOSTERONE and PC has changed dramatically in recent years. Physicians are now prescribing Testosterone to PC patients after their initial recovery to assist them with a better and more full recovery by utilizing the appropriate amounts of Testosterone.
FACT: Every man needs to have a certain level of “T” in their bodies to maintain overall good health and well-being, maintain muscle mass and bone density, reduce depression and maintain their libido.
Of course LUPRON, does the opposite of everything discussed above.
Like most things regarding PC, patients make their personal choices on treatment and recovery options based upon a number of factors in their current life when considering their overall health and wellbeing in addition to assessing their risk attitudes and personal preferences.
Without going into great detail, I had been on “TRT” for 11 years before contracting PC. Due to prior health challenges, discontinuing “TRT” and pursuing radiation with LUPRON was never going to be a viable option for me.
I had my Radical Prostatectomy 13 months ago and started my “TRT” again 5 months after my surgery. My PSA continues to be undetectable at < 0.014, (taken the day of my surgery) and has not changed as of today.
Personally, my overall health and wellbeing would absolutely plummet if I were participating in “ADT!”
and be a total disaster.
Of course, I monitor my PSA on a monthly basis and continue to do so along with my other blood tests every 2-3 months. The other reason I chose the surgery first option is that it provides me the radiation option later should my cancer ever return which is not available the other way around. They just don’t perform surgery after radiation treatments in PC patients. (It’s done but very rarely and reluctantly)!
So, in the end, every patient must do what they need to do if their cancer returns. If this happens to me, I will assess my options at that time and go forward with treatment.
There is no right or wrong answer when it comes to utilizing LUPRON or not! However, there is always your own best, personal choice.
Best wishes and good luck to all of my fellow PC Patients,
GODSPEED