David-(Purg) fellow warrior on this, your radiation is atypical in those side effects from probably the median or majority of rad/patients. But, since you have to deal with them you may have to just endure whatever length of time it is to get back to normalcy. I don't necessarily believe I am all that lucky in my own radiation experiences, but maybe I was...did not have nasty pain issues, stomach felt about
normal, foods tasted the same, urinary things were not much different or an issue and bowel was probably the only side effect thing that went on and it got better and better overtime, not a burning thing more of occasional urgency thing( once I was to late....ummgggh...that is probably enough information on that episode, and found that I had not the same control as one had before, but not problematic. Also, it look like I got the max. program you can likely get from anywhere and had to sign off as doing such by my rad-onco-doc I have a copy of that paperwork. Neutron-(Cylcotron) rays-(super rare protocol anyway) & the Photon(IMRT) rays, with max body exposure they allow. The E.D. was ruined by prior ADT3 and then added onto with this proceedure and ADT and DES used after radiations.
It will also take time to reach your nadir psa level(lowest numbers) with radiations espcially if one has not had their prostate removed (for others info). Radiation in effect is not an instant kill on PCa, it messes up the DNA structure in them and eventually they don't reproduce and die off. I my case it took around 5-6 months to hit nadir, and I charted my psa's atleast monthly and sometimes even more often (remember my prognosis and numbers were in fact scary) . So know that you have to monitor psa awhile and like your doc mentions 3 consecutive rises, is what we all hope nobody has to witness in this type of treatment history.
I never had radiation psa bounce it can happen around 12 months and in some cases, way longer like 24 months, then a spike in psa happens and you can imagine the patient...freaks out..thinking failure...the good news is it is followed not real long after by a decline in psa, supposedly happens in around 30% of patients. Kind of a radiation postphone induced prostatitis thing is supposedly the cause, talk about
land of bizzare....hey Iam just getting started....it is a jungle. PCa gets crazier and crazier for protocols for patients that are failing treatments, it is more like a twlight zone thing, especially for newbies looking at all this.
Hope you do well and conquer this beast. Here is a snipet on Neutron use for PCa.
Info on Neutron radiation (DMC-Karmanos-Gershenson Center is all the same place in effect)-Detroit area this is offered at: (radiation rays in power: neutron, then proton, then photon, then electron for what is used on PCa and alot of other cancers)
The Gershenson Radiation Oncology Center at Harper University Hospital in Detroit is the only other neutron therapy center in the USA equipped with an MLC beam shaping device.
The WSU radiotherapy team has more experience than anyone in the world using the neutron cyclotron for prostate cancer, having treated nearly 1,000 patients during the past 10 years. The third-generation neutron cyclotron combines three-dimensional treatment planning with a type of collimator that tailors the beam of radiation to the exact size, shape and location of each person's tumor.
Dr. Jeff Forman (who's picture-endorsement is in one of the PCa books) has found that patients whom got the combo of Neutron first then followed later by Photon rays had significant better results as to control or survival time, I read that information at one time and went with his protocol and Bolla study combined. Only 2-3 places in USA offer the Neutron treatments. Maybe someone else will travel this road.
Post Edited (zufus) : 12/1/2009 7:51:11 PM (GMT-7)