Cyberknife for P CA treatment?

Any experiences with this?

I'd like to know in what capacity you have experience?

Well I guess that doesn't clear things up

What is it you want to know?
I'm confused. Tdubb - who are you talking to?

Post Edited (Tall Allen) : 4/17/2014 9:00:28 PM (GMT-6)

dennis h-

Could you be more specific in your question? What is it you would like to know beyond what is readily available online and in my signature? It would help too if you can provide the details of your diagnosis - PSA, Gleason score, stage, etc. Where are you located? Perhaps I can recommend a doctor you can consult with.

Just got through my cyberknife treatments on April 8. What browntrout said was true except for the fact you won't be reading a book or working on your I-pad. You will want to lay as still as possible, so as not to shut off the machine by too much movement. The cyberknife machine is locked on to gold fiducials which are inserted in the prostate before treatments. That is the only semi-invasive part of the procedure----the fiducials which are inserted by a similar method as your biopsy---just four sticks instead of twelve or whatever they did on your biopsy.

My side effects have been very minimal ten days out. Probably a slower urine stream and a little more frequent.....but nothing to write home about! Most of the other guys that have had cyberknife treatments have said their symptoms disappeared in a few weeks. I spent about 3 months after diagnosis reading every day every website I could find on cyberknife, IMRT, surgery, proton therapy, etc. Check out the success rate of nonreoccurence on SBRT (cyberknife.) Although most studies are only 6 or 7 years out the results have been impressive.But as my urologist told me "there is more than one way to skin a cat!"

dennish,
Yes, you seem to be a perfect candidate for SBRT (as well as focal therapy, and brachytherapy). MD Anderson has that pencil beam proton which also seems to get good results, if your insurance covers it, but no better than SBRT. Some places will even take you for Active Surveillance, if they have an mpMRI and a great radiologist to monitor you.

It's a great idea to get a second opinion on your biopsy slides from Bostwick or Epstein.

Your PSA seems pretty high for that small amount of GS3+4. Is there any indication of prostatitis (perhaps a note about chronic inflammation on your biopsy report) or an enlarged prostate (perhaps a note about hyperplasia on your biopsy report)? How big is your prostate?

Who did you talk to in Houston about SBRT/CyberKnife? St. Luke's? CyberKnife is one of several machines they use to perform SBRT. 4 or 5 short treatments and you're done. Effective and convenient.

Dennis, I can't recall....did you get a second opinion or your biopsy pathology and did you undergo a round of antibiotics for what seems to be very high PSA for your pathology. Also, did you consider a multi-parametric MRI? If the PSA really is that high because of PCa that is not consistent with your pathology either.

Jim