gothicarch said...
Why do the statements less side effects with radiation come from? They seem to be stated as fact but Sloan and Upenn had far different takes on risks. I met with radiologists at both. Does this lessen with a lower G#? These factual rad is better less risky simply does not mesh with the drs i met and kinda makes me feel like an idiot despite hearing a very different tale from 2 of the top maybe 3 hospitals in the world...
It is difficult to discuss issues like this in this particular forum because those who support radiation treatments over surgery will entertain very few comments that even hint that radiation is not far superior to surgery or other methods.
The fact is that there ARE side effects associated with radiation, just as there are SEs associated with surgery. And they are often the very same SEs.
I am not afraid to talk about
the SEs from ANY form of treatment, including surgery. But most on the radiation side give the impression that radiation is just a day at the beach and surgery is the end of the world.
It is a shame that things are being characterized in this manner. All of the members of this forum should merely talk about
their personal experiences, what they have learned, etc., WITHOUT attaching any emotional content to their comments.
While I did have surgery, I cannot say for certain that I WOULD have had the surgery if it had not been recommended to me by, of all people, a radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic. If not for the extreme BPH I had, I may very well have gone with radiation because any type of surgery scares the $h!t out of me.
I freely say this even though I had what (knocking on wood) appears to have been a very successful surgery. There are times when radiation is best, there are times when surgery is best.
Our job on this forum is to merely state things as honestly as possible, to the best of our knowledge, and let new patients peruse those comments as part of their learning curve about
the road they are just starting down.
Chuck
Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Pathology showed Gleason 3 + 3, pT2c, N0, MX, R1
adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Abdominal drain removed the morning after surgery.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, 9/9/13 PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Firm erections now briefly happening in early mornings, 2 years post-op.