RARP challenges due to previous abdominal surgeries.

Posted by luger51 @luger51, 4 hours ago

I’m currently a 4+3 and in the midst of a 2nd opinion regarding treatments. In 2023/24 I had 2 abdominal surgeries for colon cancer. One was laparoscopic and the follow up surgery was an open exploratory surgery due to a questionable area on a scan. All is good in that area now. However, we are now deciding on treatment options for my prostate cancer and the surgeon has concerns about getting to the prostate due to scar tissue. I do have an upcoming discussion with a different surgeon, but wanted to see if there is any experience or advice from you good folks. Thanks

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

jeff Marchi | @jeffmarc | 4 hours ago

Surgery is not the only treatment available.

Have you talked to a radiation oncologist? While regular IMRT or SBRT radiation may be a problem, proton radiation can be very directed so that it doesn’t hit or affect other organs. I’m not saying that you could not have the other type of radiation. This would be something a doctor would talk to you about..

Over the long-term radiation is just as effective as surgery.

You may have to go somewhere else to get proton radiation, In fact in San Diego, they’ve been doing it for decades and are very good at doing it with many different types of cancer, including brain cancer in children.

Here is a video where Dr. Rossi talks about proton radiation