My dads diagnosis Gleason 8, PSA 10

needadvice1911

mt father was just diagnosed with prostate cancer. We know very little of this disease.  I read the pathology report but if course don't really understand.  Total involvement is 22.5 percent.  There is less than five percent involvement on the right side in one section. Each of the four sections on the left side has 30-50 percent involvement.  His gleason score is 8 and Psa is 10.  He starts radiation today.  The doctors said removal of the prostate is being avoided due to his age.  He is 73 years old.  Does this seam like a proper course of action?  Is radiation painful? What are the side effects?

VascodaGama

RT for prostate cancer

I am sorry for the diagnosis of your father. You need to share more details about the status of your dad and the type of radiation therapy if you want to receive more opinions from the patients in this forum.
In any case you may read some past threads in this forum with the accounts of patients that had similar treatment as that of your father. You also can search the net about the treatment and its side effects. Type in a search net engine this sentence "radiation treatment for prostate cancer".
I did radiation treatment during two months and did not experience pain. At the midterm of the treatment I experienced some irritation when peeing but that disappeared later. Stool become soft due to sort of colitis which also improved latter.

Here are links that may be of help to you;

http://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostatecancer/detailedguide/prostate-cancer-treating-radiation-therapy

http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/cancer-help/type/prostate-cancer/treatment/radiotherapy/side-effects-of-prostate-cancer-radiotherapy

http://csn.cancer.org/node/210934

http://csn.cancer.org/node/219769

 

Wishing you and your dad a good outcome from the therapy.

Welcome to the board.

VGama 

Drahmed

RT plus hormone therapy for your dad

Sorry about your dad recent diagnosis 

make sure he also gets at least six months of hormone therapy since he has high grade and high volume of disease 

tarhoosier

Follow the plan

Need:

With the small amount of information you provide Your father has doctors who are following the proper procedure. Surgery for a patient of 73 is to be avoided. 22% involvment is a high percentage and the gleason indicates that treatment of the area just outside of the prostate is recommended. Radiation can do this.

Side effects are acceptable to most patients. Other than the nuisnce of travel to and from the radiation center and the indignities of any medical treatment, most common effects include bowel looseness and urgency, burning sensations in the colon, tiredness, potential lymphedema in the future and a few others. All these can be mitigated with the best and most advanced equipment and technologists. Monitoring and nterventions for these side effects should take place during treatment and shortly after treatment ends. Any other issues he has in the bladder/colon areas may be worsened. There is no pain, per se from radiation. For many men radiation is a minor issue. It is the right and proper way to go for your father.

needadvice1911

tarhoosier said:

Follow the plan

Need:

With the small amount of information you provide Your father has doctors who are following the proper procedure. Surgery for a patient of 73 is to be avoided. 22% involvment is a high percentage and the gleason indicates that treatment of the area just outside of the prostate is recommended. Radiation can do this.

Side effects are acceptable to most patients. Other than the nuisnce of travel to and from the radiation center and the indignities of any medical treatment, most common effects include bowel looseness and urgency, burning sensations in the colon, tiredness, potential lymphedema in the future and a few others. All these can be mitigated with the best and most advanced equipment and technologists. Monitoring and nterventions for these side effects should take place during treatment and shortly after treatment ends. Any other issues he has in the bladder/colon areas may be worsened. There is no pain, per se from radiation. For many men radiation is a minor issue. It is the right and proper way to go for your father.

Thanks for the reply. That's

Thanks for the reply. That's the general consensus we have been getting. They are recommending radiation and hormone therapy. Bone scan is set for next friday. Does a high gleason score mean he likely has bone mets? That's a scary question for us. I know that's a bad tahini to have bone mets. He feels no pain anywhere, just the constant peeing at night. He just wants a good night sleep.