looking for treatment

MCJ

Seeds (Brachy) plus EB has been a treatment choice for many years. Nowadays some physicians add hormonal treatment to the RT protocol with successful rates. Please read these;

http://www.prostate-cancer.com/brachytherapy/survival-rates/brachytherapy-survival-rates.html

http://www.americanbrachytherapy.org/aboutbrachytherapy/qanda.cfm

There is another type of Brachytherapy named High Dose Rate (HDRB) which has a longer history in the treatment of PCa highly successful. The difference with the “seeds” is that the radiation dose is higher so that it is done in a short. The application in both is similar (invasive) with the insertion of rods into the gland. Seeds are implanted and left behind, losing the effects a few days later, but the HRDB rods apply the radiation at the moment of insertion and then are withdrawn. High dose radiation seems to have better responses in the treatment of cancer and such can also be applied by an external beam non invasive. Several machines do the job but CyberKnife become quite popular for the successful reports in regards to the side effects. Please read these;

http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/453349-overview

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3502731/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberknife

You can read the stories of various patients who chose Brachy (or other forms) as prime treatment in these links;

http://www.yananow.org/

http://www.google.com/cse?cx=012502927953566205825:ocjd945u1as&ie=UTF-8&q=brackytherapy&sa=Search&siteurl=www.yananow.org/query_stories.php&ref=www.yananow.org/Experiences.shtml&ss=4594j2236594j13#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=brachytherapy

Can you share more details about your initial diagnosis?

Best wishes.

Welcome to the board.

VG

MCJ

Guys in this forum are a bunch of survivors with the intent in helping newbies, to the best we can. We are not doctors so that you should try obtaining details from reliable researches and then discussing the contents with PCa doctors. We all get anxious initially because we are fighting the unknown. PCa is problematic but allows time to get educated on the matter and the confidence on how to proceed. You should try reading past threads of this forum and probably getting a book on PCa for guidance. Below I list two good books but these were written by two famous surgeons (urologists from JH and MSKCC) so that the content is biased towards surgery, however, they explain well about radiation therapy too;

Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer by Dr. Patrick Walsh (third edition).

The Complete Guide to Overcoming Prostate Cancer, Prostatitis, and BPH by Dr. Peter Scardino (second edition)

I do not know if you have already decided on the type of treatment but the radicals are the only ones providing cure. Both surgery and radiation have risks attached which ones we should know in detail because they can become permanent affairs and nightmares in our quality living.

Gleason score 7 (4+3) is an aggressive cancer that needs care the soonest but not the earliest. I believe that in six months time the diagnosis would not differ. The PSA may become higher but the form of treatment would be the same as it has been ten years ago, with the same probabilities of success. What is important is to find an experienced physician (and team) we trust, chose a treatment we feel confident in and get the support of our families. Proper diagnoses are helpful in choosing the best which involves in locating the cancer. No one can throw arrows in the dark expecting to hit the target positively. Accordingly, if cancer is not localized then the chances in obtaining total success are much lower.

Surgery is for cases with cancer totally contained. Radiation is applied in localized (gland and surroundings) cases. In this concern, (your discussion regarding Brachy) the seeds would aim the gland and EB (IMRT) would target a wider field that could include lymph nodes at the iliac. This is also a good modality (treatment) in micrometastases cases. In aggressive forms of cancer (Gr4) radiation get better results when done with hormonal treatment. However, all therapies got their risks and side effects so that these will be wider and should be considered in a final decision.

I recommend you to get second opinions from two or three specialists in each field. It will be confusing but at the end you have chosen the best to your knowledge. Before consultations you should prepare a list of question. Surely having someone with you is better so that you can get notes easily.

I am sorry for your wife’s cancer case. She would be following a similar path to yours. We will try helping you in understanding matters based on our experiences while leading our cases.

Best wishes,

VGama

VascodaGama said:

We are all survivors travelling in the same boat

MCJ

Guys in this forum are a bunch of survivors with the intent in helping newbies, to the best we can. We are not doctors so that you should try obtaining details from reliable researches and then discussing the contents with PCa doctors. We all get anxious initially because we are fighting the unknown. PCa is problematic but allows time to get educated on the matter and the confidence on how to proceed. You should try reading past threads of this forum and probably getting a book on PCa for guidance. Below I list two good books but these were written by two famous surgeons (urologists from JH and MSKCC) so that the content is biased towards surgery, however, they explain well about radiation therapy too;

Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer by Dr. Patrick Walsh (third edition).

The Complete Guide to Overcoming Prostate Cancer, Prostatitis, and BPH by Dr. Peter Scardino (second edition)

I do not know if you have already decided on the type of treatment but the radicals are the only ones providing cure. Both surgery and radiation have risks attached which ones we should know in detail because they can become permanent affairs and nightmares in our quality living.

Gleason score 7 (4+3) is an aggressive cancer that needs care the soonest but not the earliest. I believe that in six months time the diagnosis would not differ. The PSA may become higher but the form of treatment would be the same as it has been ten years ago, with the same probabilities of success. What is important is to find an experienced physician (and team) we trust, chose a treatment we feel confident in and get the support of our families. Proper diagnoses are helpful in choosing the best which involves in locating the cancer. No one can throw arrows in the dark expecting to hit the target positively. Accordingly, if cancer is not localized then the chances in obtaining total success are much lower.

Surgery is for cases with cancer totally contained. Radiation is applied in localized (gland and surroundings) cases. In this concern, (your discussion regarding Brachy) the seeds would aim the gland and EB (IMRT) would target a wider field that could include lymph nodes at the iliac. This is also a good modality (treatment) in micrometastases cases. In aggressive forms of cancer (Gr4) radiation get better results when done with hormonal treatment. However, all therapies got their risks and side effects so that these will be wider and should be considered in a final decision.

I recommend you to get second opinions from two or three specialists in each field. It will be confusing but at the end you have chosen the best to your knowledge. Before consultations you should prepare a list of question. Surely having someone with you is better so that you can get notes easily.

I am sorry for your wife’s cancer case. She would be following a similar path to yours. We will try helping you in understanding matters based on our experiences while leading our cases.

Best wishes,

VGama

I previously mentioned the MRI test with a T3. it is important to do this, positive results will preclude surgery, and give insights to radiation treatments if undertaken. 

MCJ said:

Not sure what you mean by the

Hey Vgama

Not sure what you mean by the radicals only ones providing a cure? We have talked with a davinci surgeon [ he has been my treating dr throughout], and a radiation oncolgist, and a open surgeon, all suggested removal of the prostate. I have to ask them why no suggestion of ct or mri maybe because the dre has been negative. It seems the younger you are the stick with that treatment. The radiation oncologist did say he felt a firm spot but if he didn't know my condition he would not be concerned. Seeing a second radiation dr on Monday. I will get a list of questions.

Yes that 4-3 score has me more worried.

Thanks for all the info and concern you guys are the best, not much of a reader but I will now.

Vasco referred to radical prostatectomy when he wrote 'radicals' in his 3/07 post.

Hi

Radicals are all forms of surgery and radiation treatments. Freezing the prostate or attacking it with ultrasound waves or heat waves or laser, are also modalities in use but the outcomes from these treatments are not published and are so rare that we cannot ascertain about success rates.

I would like to know the facts that made your doctors suggest surgery. It could have two meanings; either they diagnosed you as a contained case and propose the treatment with intent at cure or suggested surgery with the intent at debulking. The later is recommended in advanced difficult cases with cancer spread so that they get rid of the chunk; the whole prostate gland with the seminal vesicles and surrounding nerves, etc.

In each meeting try to clarify as many doubts as possible and get a phone number to call later in case you need extra clarification on a matter discussed that you forgot or did not understand totally. Many patients prefer to leave all concerns with the doctor and just follow their suggestion but in the end, before the treatment, we have to sign an agreement indicating that we understand what is going to be done, reliving the doctor and the hospital from any wrong doings, risks or unsuccessful treatment.

Do not forget in have the lipids checked. If you decide on radiation, it would be better to know in advance if you are prune to ulcerative colitis. This is a status that would be affected very much by the treatment.
Just add these to the list of questions.

Best

VG