Interesting Perspective: Prostate Cancer Treatment 1993 vs. 2023

In 1956 I got radiation treatments for chronic tonsillitis. I had a bleeding issue that precluded tonsillectomy surgery. They laid me down on a steel 'bed', positioned me, covered me with lead - filled 'pillows' everywhere except my throat and fired up the big loud old x-ray machine. The attendant operator stood next to me and my mom held my hand ( I was 6 years old) while sitting on a chair next to the table. I still have the tattooed dots on my face they used for repeat targeting placement..they go with the other ones I have gotten over the last decade.

A friend had a brain tumor in the same year. They sat him down on a chair in front of a table with a lead box on the edge, next to the chair. The technician then opened a door panel next to the chair exposing a big chunk of cobalt 90. He sat in the chair for a while then they came back in, closed the box and he left. He now has hard radiation burns over the back of his head and no hair on the back of his head at all. Also killed the cancer, it hasn't come back since the treatments.

My tonsils grew back, doc said 100% chance of them going cancerous so I got them surgically re-removed in 2007. (ouch!) Recent radiation treatments have gone much smoother...and I have 12 fun tattoos to brag about.

My dad had his initial PC treatment in 1993 or 94. I wish I knew more about his case--what his Gleason was, for example, but I don't.

He was treated with whole gland cryotherapy--which was the new, coming thing at the time--since fallen into the realm of rarely used niche treatments. He had 7 or 8 good years, then he had cancer return on his ureters-related to PC or not, I also don't know. Finally, in 2004, the PC showed up in his spine and he passed in a few months.

While the new treatments will (hopefully) never involve me, I'm so glad they are in place.

My dad with diagnosed in 1980 at the same age I was diagnosed. I don't know any of the Gleason details or other stuff, but his treatment was whole pelvic radiation and ADT. The treatment was successful as he died of something else in 2001, but he always told me how miserable the side effects were (severe urinary issues with bleeding, hot flashes). He stopped the ADT after several years as it was so unpleasant.

Cyclone ISU
So true so true my friend. It still echoes in my mind the words of my initial Urologist (who did not have a clue) who said to me "There is nothing much we can do, go home and make plans for the finality of it"
Thank God for Medical clinicians that spent countless hours to develop Zytiga!
And thank Good to those brave souls who went through the trails to get it out and approved. And thank the Doctors who and the foresight to prescribe it prior to an "official" FDA stamp of approval.
I always say, Keep the Faith, and as Steve says, Keep Hope alive , and as Neil Young sang "Keep on rockin in the free world" !
Wings