Need opinions on the issue of surgery vs. RT, vs. Brachytherapy

For your intermediate risk cancer the odds of cure with both surgery and BT are close to the same. BT having the edge if cancer is in the nerve area, apex or at the margin.
In mostly all post treatment studies the quality of life issues are much more favorable for BT patients than for surgery patients, both in the short and long term.
other advantages to having BT is it's much less costly. Short term side effects are such as you can work within a few days vs weeks or months for surgery. There is no catheter as it is removed the first day or the next. No shortening of the penis as in surgery.
In the end you have to pick what are the most important factor for you, but you should be aware of all of them so you are able to make a rational choice that is in tune with your personality and needs.

Hi from my point of veiw and I am just a wife. I wouldn't have cared if we had been in the position to have surgery and Dave was left impotent for the rest of his life. The best case senerio is you have a choice. We walked into a radiation oncologist office May 6 2013.On that day we were given no options , surgery , radiation, brachy it was all taken away. Worded this way the horses have gotten out of the barn and sorry we can't do a thing for you !! I would give anything to never have to revisit that day and we have no other choice as there are not many options for Dave. Tall Allan I applaud the knowledge you have and at the start of this for Dave we certainly could have used the expertise you have. I think that is the most frustrating aspect of prostate cancer is the lack of guidance .It is very overwhelming the decisions that we are forced to make really without alot of medical knowledge. So basically I would choose Dave living and being here for years to come over sex any day!! Tall Al if you see anything that would help Dave , I have posted before under Sue saddened Wife

goodlife said...
Sue,

Don't give up. Find a second or third opinion. Go to a major Cancer center. In today's cancer world, their are so many options, some mainstream, some not.

Our friend Todd (todd1963), who you see post on here had the most reason to just roll over and die. PSA in the 3000's , mets, etc, etc. Talk about the horse being out of the barn ! And on top of that his insurance company fought him at every turn. He never gave up, and today is planning his retirement on his terms.

It ain't over until it's over.

Goodlife

Beautiful post right there! And got to love that user name, Goodlife! I just got notice by e-mail last night that another one of my HS classmates( so age 65-66) died. Last saw him at a HS reunion in 2012. I don't know what he died from, I did not even know he was bad sick until a few days ago, but I don't think it was PC. I've lost a fair number of members from my very small HS graduating class, there were less than 50 of us. Point is, if I even have a point, there are lots of things out there besides PC that desire to take us out, and that indeed are actually more likely to take us out. So like Goodlife says: "Don't give up..It ain't over until it's over.".

Allen we get bloodwork done tomorrow plus results of Mondays ct and bone scans. I will let the results be known this weekend. Dave has been treated not even 2 weeks after the biopsy with firmagon. That was given April 16th 2013. Dave basically had nothing at all ,1 short try of casodex but was taken off it because of being accepted in Prostvac drug trial. That was last Nov/Dec ending in Jan 2014 . April there was 5 doses of radiation to lower spine.May 1 green light laser turp. May to Sept doxetaxel with prednisone. Next up was xtandi but only for 2mths and 5 days. Start date of xofigio Dec18th second Infusion Jan 13th. Xgeva was added in Feb of 2014. Nov one blast of radiation to upper spine T 7, 8 and 9 . Psa start point was 80 currently at 3,005 and tomorrow??? Yes I am scared! ,