Ethyol

Hello Everyone,

This is my first time posting to this forum, but I have been reading it for several days and you all seem so wonderful.

In July 2006 my husband's first PSA came back at 15.1, we went to a urologist and he performed a biopsy in Sept. 2006 which showed cancer in 4 out of 6 cores , Gleason score of 4+3  7, and staging atT2B -3 NxMx. After weighing all options he elected surgery ( daVinci robotic assisted radical prostatectomy performed on 1/2/2007) Our surgeon was Dr David Lee at Penn Presbyterian Hosp. in Philadelphia. (wonderful Dr. I recommend him highly) Surgery went well but Dr Lee could only do nerve sparing on the right side. Biopsy from surgery showed , no seminal vessel involvement, no lymph node involvement, but positive margins. Also he has a bone scan (clear) and a pelvic MRI (clear)

As is the norm from what I have been reading, he has had incontinence issues but that has been slowly improving, he is now down to 1-2 pads per day many days, but somedays 4 pads a day.

At 90 days post op (4/2007)he had his next PSA test and it came back at a very disappointing 1.1 indicating that there is still cancer somewhere. To make a long story shorter, we consulted with medical and radiation oncologists at both U Penn in Philly and Helen F Graham Cancer Center in Delaware. Basically, both prescribed the same treatment( both feel it is still in the surgical bed hense the positive margins) with some variations. U Penn Doc said Luprin (sp) for a month before and then during radiation &  Radiation using IMRT (approx. 35 sessions), HFGCC Docs said, no Luprin yet as it will supress/lower ?  the PSA results, they want to do radiation using IMRT(approx 35 sessions), plus ethyol before every treatment to help protect the bladder etc..,

and after approx 25 sessions do another PSA to see if the radiation is getting the cancer, then possibly adding the Luprin. I should add that in May 2007 he had another PSA and it is now at 1.3.

My husband decided to go with HFGCC since treatment was basically the same, he likes the doctors, and it is 20 min from our home as opposed to 1 1/2 hours each way to Philly.

 

My question is : Has anyone had ethyol during radiation? Was it by injection or rectal (I see both in the data I have turned up on the internet) Did it help? Were the side effects worth it?

 

Any help or advice anyone has is greatly appreciated.  Thanks so Much !