Discussion About Pratoman and Graytech Options

I don't want to give you reason to doubt, but I don't understand the justification "I want it out of my body", mainly because I think "dead" cancer cells are the same as cancer cells that are "out".
if my prostate is hanging in there with dead cells, there's no chance they're coming back to life.

I think we all must remember there's a lot of money in all these treatment choices so I know there's a conflict of interest. The good surgeons and RO's will admit that, but they each have their selling points they believe in.

For me the full pathology ( with hopefully clear margins ) will make the quarterly PSA results wait time more bearable.

Salvage radiation also remains a viable option post surgery instead of the other way around.

With that said to each his own. I don't recall who said it that any of the major treatments would likely end with a good result and that makes me one of the fortunate ones. I wish it were you have this and here is the treatment for it. instead it has been - make this life altering decision with little to go on and oh by the way your manhood is at stake so you better choose wisely.

The good news is my wife has already picked out a second bathtub so we can make our own commercials.

Pratoman,

Sounds like the decision process is just about run its course. MY decision to have it removed was more about the full pathology report (actually downgraded my Gleason to a 6) and to know what has happened is important to ME.

Like Graytech says, Salvage radiation remains a viable option post surgery. Just hoping it is not needed for me.

It is great to have multi options in our cases that are likely to cure us. Each of us has to make our own decision and then get on with the fight. A lot of this decision making is what psychologically makes you feel right.

I think you were seeing a RO sometime soon (this week?) and that will give you that side as well. you can then put it through YOUR decision making process and come out with what YOU want to do. It will be correct for YOU and I know that it will be supported here as well.

DonC

Just wondering prato....how old are you? You stated you were probably too old to worry about the effects from radiation so to me with a G6 (3 of 12) youre probably too old to then do surgery and a great candidate for AS.

I saw 80 year old guys with G6 getting 45 days of radiation along with me because they pressured their DR. into doing it....these are the kinds of cases that make the Government want to stop using the PSA test. I understand you are worried but please don't rule out AS because your fearful of not taking action.....AS is taking action as you are monitoring it every 6 months or so and can take action when you need to if you ever do. many men with G6 can live with no treatment for years.....which is why I was wondering about your age.

I think you should do the surgery for all the reasons you stated. I think BT would take care of it nicely, but even if you have a bit of incontinence early on and ED they are not that bad. All this is based on your personality. Be cause you are a text book case for AS. My biggest fear for you is that the s/e are not tolerable for you and overtime as you lear more and mor about the disease, you will realize how little you did know back then and your fear and anxiety affected the thinking of an otherwise intelligent individual, even with all the data points you have been gaining in your due dil, and they are impressive, you, because of fear and anxiety are missing the connections. Your logic on one of your threads asking about the cores and coming to the conclusion that maybe, just maybe, epstien or bostwick got it wrong and you still have 80% GS 5 is a classic example of misunderstanding data. Your fear and anxiety, and this happens to everyone, skews your thought process. This is why Anytime there is a scare or trauma, or when something fearful happens, there is always someone that will say" calm down, don't panic " That voice of reason gets everyone thinking rationally. You still don not really know how good that biopsy report is. intellectually yes, but in reality , no. On second thought, I will again recommend BT. Why would you want to know everything when you angst about it. bottom line get tx any tx and get on with short chapter of your 90+ book.

Sounds like you need to listen to your wife more closely. Becoming overly OCD over all things PC is not good for your general health. The PC may never harm you, especially a G6, yet the stress over what to do could lead to a heart attack or stroke. All things in moderation. There is such a thing as over thinking a situation to death, I have been guilty of that in the past.

I know you don't want AS, you have made that abunandately clear, and that's your right and choice, but it could still be the best and least invasive way to go. Beauty of AS, if you situation truly worsens, your primary treatment choices are basically the same as now.

You are looking at someone who was left crippled and totally disabled as the results of PC treatments, first from the surgery, and then from the radiation, both failed miserably and I and now dealing with advanced PC, and living with serious chronic pain and fatigue - that never ever gets better.

I only wished I had been a Gleason 6, I would have been on, and hopefully still on, AS, over 6 years later, and would still have my "old" body and self to live with

You're worried about secondary cancers from radiation at age 64? Better stop eating sandwiches, flying on airplanes (or getting security scans at airports - radioactive - so flying & scans = a double-whammy... danger Will Robinson), having sex (or even sleeping beside someone because we-are-all-radioactive), smoking (yep -> radiation there too), no drinking water, avoid all things wireless (radio waves are non-ionizing radiation), fear microwave ovens (only if the door is not sealed tight), don't live in high-altitude places like Denver, please stay out of kitchens that have granite counter-tops as they emit radiation, avoid CRT tubes of any type, keep far away from dirt as it emits radionuclides, beware natural gas used for cooking/heating - the list goes on and on.

Joking.

Good luck with the surgery.

my fear of immediate and permanent incontinence and ED greatly outweighs my fear of secondary cancers years later. but when that surgeon looks you in the eye and says "with surgery you will always have radiation as a back-up but not the other way around" he knows he gots you.

ed

Jerry:

I understand with your biopsy results, you knew enough and the argument that with surgery we will know exactly where we stand was unpersuasive. Unfortunately, you knew!

It's a different argument for someone with say a G7.

Tim -- I don't think Prat needs to think about any esoteric tx. or trials or any of that.

Mel

Mel, I do understand that.

It was good for me that my diagnosis didn't leave many options. I would have dithered myself silly with the options that intermediate cases face. For what it's worth, just the eventual confirmation from a pathology report wouldn't be sufficient to tip me toward surgery. If radiation would cover it, I'd accept that without needing surgery to prove the diagnosis.

On the other hand, our friend PeterDA is an unfortunately good example that the pathology could reveal something much more serious than thought. He could have treated conservatively as a G7, not knowing he was really a G9.

Jim, I just turned 64 this month

I have pretty good insurance, my wife is a retired NYC teacher, and the union is very strong. This whole thing will cost me less than $100 for the surgeon, anesthesiologist, and other docs all together

I haven't checked the hospital coverage yet, but it will be way under $1000, probably $300 for one night

the fact is if radiation fails the cancer has most likely already spread so I see the radiation back-up argument as a scare tactic. with radiation you can also treat the prostate and prostate bed so saying there is no back-up is a bit misleading here too.

I do think in Prato's case the cancer is local and therefore surgery might be all that's needed.

ed