Go with local prostectomy surgeon or pursue big center 2.5 hours away

I wish this Mayo blog (my computer?) didn't have auto-correct spelling and assumed word choice. I just noticed that I intended to write (and did type) "neurovascular" bundles twice, but they appeared as "neuromuscular" bundles, and I didn't notice the auto-correction occurred. Sorry gang...but I figured that you knew of what I was talking.

All the great surgeons started out with 0 surgeries.

@fritzo Do whats best for you. Best wishes!

@chippydoo Chip, I actually told my famously nerve sparing surgeon to spare nothing when it came to removing all the cancer; I told him that if I wanted potency more than living, I would be at the radiologist’s office. (Less SE’s sexually)
He did a thorough job as evidenced by my complete loss of erections, but I still needed SRT 6 yrs later.
But I would rather be Erect than ‘erect’ any day of the week!
Phil

@tootall10 True…but would you want to be his FIRST??

@fritzo I'm not familiar with those studies. A friend of mine went with Proton and hasn't had near the side effects I had with EBRT. Definitely not a scientific study. Cure is at the top of my list. I think surgeons oversell nerve sparing. They don't get paid if you go with radiation.

@heavyphil "But I would rather be Erect than ‘erect’ any day of the week!" lol yep

@fritzo It's hard to beat a CCC teaching hospital that uses a team concept.

Mark Scholz of PCRI has a video up where he discusses radiation vrs surgery.
search on: "A Medical Oncologist Compares Surgery and Radiation for Prostate Cancer | Mark Scholz, MD | PCRI" He favors radiation, saying he hardly ever prescribes surgery any more.

Dr. Geo posted part of his interview with Michael Zelefsky on this topic. Search on: "Surgery vs. Radiation: What’s the Truth? with Dr Michael Zelefsky | Dr. Geo Insights".

Zelefsky has been a top flight very influential researcher and clinician for decades. He sums up his discussion saying all the treatments are so much better than only a few years ago that if you find someone and a treatment you believe in, do it. You won't be that far wrong, if you are. I noticed that Zelefsky is based in NYC, where, he says, the surgeons are outstanding, and the radiation treatments are state of the art.

He himself is using an MRI-Linac, said by some to be the latest and greatest external beam that exists, combining it with HDR brachytherapy when he's treating high risk patients.

@climateguy

This is very helpful. I did do a consult with the local radiation oncologist, who was very well trained and looked to be using the standard of care for IMRT. But, I'm going to see if other options are viable for me.

Side note: I am leading to surgery because I'm 63 and in good health otherwise. If there is recurrence, than I can follow up with radiation rather than having to move straight to hormone therapy....so more recurrence treatment options is my thinking. I'm a 3+4 and looks to be contained to prostate situation.