Is it ok to wait 3 months for my radical prostectomy?

Been there..... as we all find out, the waiting is the hardest part.
What if it gets worse/incurable while I wait?

Prostate cancer is one of the slowest growing cancers. But ask anyway. Let him know you'd like it done sooner rather than later & see what he says. He may be confident in what he's seen so far that 3 months is no cause for concern.

I was booked in July 2024 for a September 2024 surgery. But mine was Gleason 7.

I was diagnosed with Gleason 8 in late December 2024 and had surgery mid-June of this year. All turned out well. During the wait, I was put for four months on a 50mg Bicalutamide/day by my urologist, though.

This study from 2020 reported in JAMA indicates that even with localized, high-risk prostate cancer, a surgery delay of up to 6 months has no statistically significant chance of worse outcome. —> https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2773817

The mistake that is often made - that often results in treatment-related regret - is not being fully informed and rushing the treatment decision without having established expectations —> https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/article-abstract/2786406

Just make sure that you’re fully informed, expectations have been set, and that you’re confident that the treatment you’ve chosen is right for you.

I've also been there wishing to get it over with, so I know how you feel. When I inquired about getting it done sooner my surgeon at a CCOE told me that they prefer to wait 6 - 8 weeks after the biopsy to let the tissue heal from the biopsy. So waiting 3 months doesn't sound excessive to me. Reflecting back my wait time was about 11 weeks. I used the time to workout, start Kegels, and drop a few pounds trying to get ready for the surgery. In hindsight, it would have been a good time to find a good PT. Best wishes.

Hi Bomar540,
Totally get you. My Husband was in the same position this May after being diagnised Gleason 7. We were asked to wait till November. We requested them to let us know if there were any cancellations, even if it was only a few days notice. They refused to give him ADT in the proposed waiting period of 6 plus months. Based on my research and gut feeling I did not feel comfortable. Waited restlessly fingers crossed. By God's Grace we were suddenly offered a slot for 15th September (2 months earlier) just in time on 12th September. We took it. All went well. He was diagnosed in another country while on vacation and had started taking some Ayurvedic supplements to arrest the spread. I believe it worked. But again each one is different and you will have to decide what is best for you. Faith and prayers definitely helped! All the best!

@retireditguy Very good point. Use the time to introduce yourself to the wonderful world of pelvic floor exercises.

Well, here's my story
Saw my primary care physician Jan 1995. He felt a lump during a DRE.
Suggested a local urologist. Saw him immediately after. When he did the DRE he said he didn't feel anything and to wait a couple months and repeat the PSA.
PSA came back high and he did a biopsy. It was positive.
Don't remember any of the details. He scheduled the surgery for May.
After the surgery he said they didn't get clear margins.
Subsequently after 12 months I had salvage radiation.
Been dealing with this crapola for 30years now.
Thinking back I have always wondered if he did the biopsy in January and scheduled the surgery in February if they would've gotten clear margins.
No one knows but I sure have thought over the years about it
Hope this helps.

@denkea I am so sorry to hear of your experience. I am still going through regrets for my husband, but for only about 5yrs. We let a local urologist put the fear of God in us and rush us into full-blown ADT which caused the very 1st symptoms he had ever had, such as anemia, fatigue, hot flashes, high blood sugar, anxiety, etc. David had been diagnosed with a mild prostate cancer 3yrs earlier, but this new guy diagnosed Stage IV with only a high PSA & CT that "suggested" lymph node involvement & rushed us into ADT. Since I am a retired RN, if I had gotten with a group like Mayo Clinic Connect, I think I would have said, "Hold your horses a minute," ha! My Christian faith teaches me not to retain my regrets, but it is the hardest thing I've ever done! Prayers to you for the Peace that passes understanding.

When I decided on my RP, my surgeon says he likes to perform them within a month. Because we had a vacation planned during that time frame, I had it done in around 5 weeks. Good luck!

No.