My Duke PC Clinic Experience

7 hours round trip from my home. As far as I could tell, I was the only patient at the "clinic".
2 hours from check-in to check-out, broken down like this.

1.5 hours- Check-in, vitals taken, asked questions by med asst, given forms to fill out asking same questions, and wait time between the 3 specialists' consults.

15 minute consult, with a DRE, by Duke Cancer Center's Urologist/Surgeon
10 minute consult with DCC's Medical Oncologist
5 minute consult with DCC's Radiation Oncologist, who then told me I was free to leave.

My take aways:
URO said he felt no T2a, and that it was a waste of time to have a mpMRI less than 3 months from the biopsy(I have one scheduled for Thursday).
MO said maybe 6-18 months hormone therapy.
RO said my local RO was his classmate who he respects, and whatever he recommends, is probably what I should go with.

Disappointed that there was not a final wrap up, which I was expecting, with the group's consensus. My wife and I spent more time in brewpubs around Duke Univ and Chapel Hill, than I did at the "clinic". Also visited Wake Forest Campus on the way home, so my wife and I agreed, we need to just consider it a college campus tour/vacation.

And a sad side note. While in Durham got a call from my sister, that my younger brother had died on his 3rd day in hospice. He died of the deadly combination of alcoholism + melanoma, and I suspect, probably also had prostate cancer that was just taking a back seat to the faster moving melanoma.

So sorry to hear this news, Manich. May each day bring you to a place where thoughts of your brother evoke the happy memories as the sadness fades.

Djin

Very sorry to hear about your brother.

So you got some good news re staging from the DRE, but disappointing that the RO didn't have more of a point of view. Did he discuss any of the radiation options with you?

Manich...Sorry about your brother I share the loss of a brother several months ago. I possibly have an idea of what you’re feeling.

Your experience at Duke maybe just confidence on RO’s part that the CK will offer a complete cure. I would hope that you could get some clarification and agreement regarding the need for ADT between the RO and MO. Maybe they could provide some statistics regarding a cure between monotherapy and joint? Possibly a three way consultation by virtual visit? I hope your MRI is totally boring. Take care and keep us posted.

Three doctors totalling 30 minutes. Even the best clinics have to do enough volume to keep the lights on.