Treatment

BLUEpac6 said:

treatment

when I found out I had prostrate cancer my psa was 110 and agressive carcinoma. I was told by two different doctors surgery was to dangerous and they would not talk to me.I had radiation set up and had to take a hormone shot and wait 90 days before radiation began so I donot think you have to get in a hurry. While waiting to begin radiation I was referred to adoctor at Baylor clinic jn houston where he said he would open me up and if cancer was in my lymph nodes he would have to close me back up but they were clear and he removed the prostrate.I had to have salvage radiation but am doing fine.My surgery was in aug. 2009 raiation in 2011 my psa now is less than.01.Pray you do fine.

The hormonal portion in the combo HT plus RT got the purposes of sensitizing the PC cells to improve the RT portion outcome. Radiation is what kills the cancer. The hormonal manipulation is palliative and when taken solo it proves to be better in low aggressive types of cancerous cells. A portion dies but the majority just becomes indolent and in better shape for the “kill” by the radiation.

Two months of neoadjuvant HT is typical to allow for the cancer to be more prune to the radiation. Lower than 6 weeks before RT has lesser points in rates in the total outcome. Some doctors administer 6 months of HT before starting RT.

Best wishes for the perfect “kill”.

VGama 

handyb said:

i am new to all this....i had

i am new to all this....i had the robotic surgery to remove my prostrate.  3 weeks later i had a psa of 1.8.  did the radiation consultation and my understanding was to get the shot, take a month of pills and go get another psa 1 week before going back to dr in 3 months to discusss the next step. does this sound right?  it was all so whirl-wind and confusing on top of scarey

Handy

You are worried and so would I be if my doctor kept me “blind” on the procedures.

You need to get educated in all what is occurring to you and not just rely on the “projections” of your doctor. Many guys trust so much their physicians looking at them as “gods”. However they are just professionals like all of us that can be erroneous in certain decisions. They are “partitioning” in our bodies and we are the ones to be affected not them. It is important therefore that one knows to what is being subjected before accepting such decision.

The net is a rich resource full of information on treatments and probabilities of success. There are many papers with references to the type of therapy you are doing. You can do your researches but above all it is your doctor following your case from the very start that can provide you with the answers to your doubts; at the present or on what you have found in your researches.

I would advise you to prepare a list of questions before the next meeting. You can get some ideas from these threads;
http://csn.cancer.org/node/224280
http://www.cancer.org/Cancer/ProstateCancer/DetailedGuide/prostate-cancer-talking-with-doctor
http://www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Newly+Diagnosed/Questions+to+Ask+the+Doctor

In any case, from your descriptions it seems that you miss understood the subject of the next meeting because it seems not to concern on what to do next but in informing you on the RT protocol. The hormonal treatment was started to hold the advancement of the bandit. Any possibility in cure would come from a salvage radio therapy if the location of the cancer has been identified.

The first (3-weeks) PSA of 1.8 is high post surgery which may have been taken as treatment failure by your doctor. In the consultation for radiation (you indicate above) you may have reached to a decision without realizing the full content due to your scared mind status at the time. If worried you can call the office of your doctor and inquire again on what has been discussed. Moreover, you can request to have another consultation on the matter or get a second opinion from another RT specialist.

Best wishes for a successful conclusion.

Welcome to the board.

VGama