Questions about radiation for prostate cancer: Can I drive myself?

Here are links to posts I had in a different forum.

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Rossi at CA Proton won't have anything to do with the five. But I've also heard that with the 20 to 28 (hadn't heard about 30 or 40) your body starts to heal and then get blasted again giving
cells opportunity for mutation. Leaning toward the 28. Thanks Who was your RO?

Thank you so much for your response. It sounds like you are doing well. Awesome! Jim was told that he should have 18 months of hormone therapy. It's Eligard. It sounds like they would it once every 6 months. Do you know anything about Eligard. I love the way that men support one another on this site. I'm just a very worried wife. Jim is 73 years old.

Thank you. So far so good. I am sorry I know nothing about Eligard.
Both of you Stay Strong!

I had spaceoar inserted a week or so before my radiation. That was in December 2022. If I had to do it again today, I might try BioProtect instead but the spacer makes a difference in protecting healthy tissue. I was knocked out and had a spaceoar technician in the procedure room along with an anesthesiologist and my RO. I did not feel anything afterwards not even the full feeling some have afterwards.

Thank you so much for your encouraging words. Jim seems to be OK with the spacer surgery. What he does not want to do is to have Hormone Therapy. They suggested Eligard however he checked all the hormones that they use and it scares him that they can cause a stroke or a heart attack. Has anyone had the proton beam therapy without hormone therapy?

From: Mayo Clinic Connect
Sent: Friday, February 9, 2024 5:22 AM
To: marlow2@cox.net
Subject: @bens1 posted a new reply to your comment "We saw the radiologist at Mayo this morning. My husband is set up for a urological..."

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Mayo Clinic Connect

Reply by @bens1 to a comment you posted on discussion "Questions about radiation treatment for prostate cancer"

Excerpt of your comment
We saw the radiologist at Mayo this morning. My husband is set up for a urological...

Their reply
I had spaceoar inserted a week or so before my radiation. That was in December 2022. If I had to do it again today, I might try BioProtect instead but the spacer makes a difference in protecting healthy tissue. I was knocked out and had a spaceoar technician in the procedure room along with an anesthesiologist and my RO. I did not feel anything afterwards not even the full feeling some have afterwards.

Jim is scheduled for the pacer surgery on 3-14-24. Then on 3-15-24, he will have the CT and MRI scans. As of yesterday, he has decided not to do the 18 months of hormone therapy that was suggested by the doctor in radiology. He thinks that Eligard and all the other hormone injections cause too many side effects. Has anyone had the Proton Beam therapy without Hormone injections & how did they do?

@marlow2
One question. Did Jim have the Decipher test done? If so he should have that done before making any decisions on treatment and hormone drugs.

I was classified as intermediate based on my biopsies and May oncologist/radiolgist stated radiation and hormone treatments but (thank God) mentioned doing a Decipher test. I had that test and came back low risk not intermediate which does not have a recommendation for hormone treatments just curative radiation (words of my radiologist/oncologist).

So I had 30 rounds of proton radiation at UFPTI as May Jacksonville does not have proton radiation to treat prostrate cancer only photon. UFPTI radiologist/oncologist did not recommend hormone treatment either.

I have heard very sad stories of those takign hormone treatments and some that tolerate them quite well. But for me I did not want them and was glad that the Decipher test showed was not needed.

If you have not been told the hormone treatments are to starve the cancer cells of totosterone and keep from growing. Asked your oncologist/radiologist about the Decipher test. FYI, I had very little side affects from 30 rounds of proton radiation at UFPTI.

@imbimbo Exactly. The curative rates are the same but they don't go into that the photon radiation goes completely through body. Proton stops at the prostrate or the area they want to treat and does not go through body.

What I found is those who only have photon cite the same cure rate and down play the damaging side affects of photon radiation over proton. What really threw me was one saying "Well you would not have to deal with secondary cancers caused by this for 10 years." That is not something I wanted to hear and went to UFPTI in Jacksonville for my proton radiation treatment and highly recommend them if you want proton radiation and a provider that has done 11,000 of them since 2006 and a leading facility in proton radiation with patients coming from countries and states to get their expertise.

I have heard good things about that facility