Anyone do Proton Therapy with PNI invasion?

Do they want you to stop the blood thinners because of the Chance of bleeding internally? I am on pradaxa and it seems to have A benefit for me over other blood thinners. When I get cut, I barely bleed, but when I had Afib for 3.5 days it prevented me from having a stroke. I’m not saying it’s an answer just how it worked for me. Ask your doctor about it, What does your cardiologist recommend?

SO many people have PNI. I was real surprised when I noticed it in my old biopsy, about a year ago, 14 years after being diagnosed. I had a prostatectomy back then and it was gone, I know other people who had it and had radiation and it was gone. It’s one of the very treatable things many people have when they have prostate cancer, Though they do say it could be higher risk. There are a lot of other things in a biopsy that you could worry about that’s not one of them.

My brother had five sessions of cyberknife 2 1/2 years ago at 76. He had PNI, No further treatment was required

Thanks Jeff

It’s just what I am worried about. My visit is set for July 14 and I was concerned about stopping my blood thinner meds on longer term Proton Therapy

Mark

Blood clots are not the problem with radiation and blood thinners. This is a lot of information. I hope it gives you some specific things to talk with your doctors about.

Studies indicate that anticoagulant use is significantly associated with an increased risk of severe (grade 3 or higher) late rectal bleeding after radiation therapy.

For patients taking blood thinners, doctors may consider modifying the radiation treatment plan to minimize the risk of complications. This might involve lowering the radiation dose, reducing the target volume, or meticulously adhering to dose-volume histogram criteria to limit radiation exposure to the rectum.

It's essential for patients taking blood thinners to have a thorough discussion with their medical team about the potential risks and benefits of radiation therapy and to explore available options for minimizing potential complications.

While blood thinners are crucial for managing other health conditions, they can interact with radiation therapy for prostate cancer, increasing the risk of bleeding complications. Close monitoring and careful planning are essential to manage this risk effectively.

Thanks Jeff
Kind of a trade off!
Would be nice to have the short term radiation treatment so I would only have to be off Plavix for a week versus 40 days of lowered radiation

Has your RO mentioned a rectal gel spacer? With your anticoagulant therapy - which is VERY important!- all care must be taken to minimize risk to the rectum ( as Jeff points out) since that’s where the bleeding will occur.
I had a friend who needed routine colonoscopy but GI doc wanted him off Plavix; cardiologist said NO! due to high risk of stroke.
Let me just say that if you are high risk or ‘brittle’ or borderline for a stroke event, REALLY, REALLY be sure you can stop anticoagulants (even for a couple days) before you do anything.
You are totally correct about being apprehensive and concerned about blood clots. Rectal bleeding is treatable- many blood clots in the brain, heart and lungs are not.
Phil