gleason score of 9

Kongo said:

Tough Situation
Rick,

You were faced with a difficult set of decisions when you were diagnosed and I'm happy that you were able to find a medical team that worked within your priorities.

A couple of your statements are somewhat confusing to me. Cancer cells don't really go after testosterone and I guess I am not sure what you mean by that. Testosterone is the chemical trigger at the molecular level that causes cancer cells to grow. Without testosterone prostate cancer cannot survive. Testosterone is not just in your prostate. It's a powerful stimulant for both men and women and it exists throughout the body and triggers many things such as the sex at birth, the ability of men to achieve intercourse, the desire for sex, sexual preferences, personality, aggressiveness, emotions, and is the tigger for puberty in males.

In males, testosterone is produced in the testes and by small percentages in the adrenal glands. In women, testosterone is produced in the ovaries and adrenal glands. Testosterone is not produced in the prostate.

Removing testosterone is one way to slow prostate cancer growth but its not done by removing the prostate. The only way to surgically eliminate testosterone is to undergo an orchiectomy which is the removal of the testes (castration). Interestingly, one report I read indicated that there is absolutely no history of prostate cancer among eunuchs. The other way to remove testosterone is through hormone therapy, which blocks the chemical interaction between testosterone and cells.

Contrary to what your post implied, removing the prostate doesn't get rid of testosterone. If you still have your testes and are not taking hormones I would bet you a bottle of Grey Goose vodka that you have a testosterone level showing in your next blood work.

Radiation doesn't "shrink" cancer tumors, it kills cancer cells by altering the DNA so that these cells die when they try to divide. Sometimes it takes a couple of cell generations for this to have effect but these cells are not shrinking, they're dying. In older forms of radiation, cancer recurrence percentages was about the same as in surgery in that about 35% of men saw recurrence after treatment. Newer methods of radiation have been able to increase the dosage levels through extremely accurate targeting and are much more effective in killing prostate cancer cells than the older forms of radiation. (Not all cancers react the same way to radiaton). In some recent studies for men five or more years out from undergoing these newer radiation treatments, more than 90% never see a recurrence. So, even with a prostate and the cows coming home, the cancer does not keep coming back.

Some recent reports have shown indications that surgical removal of the prostate in conjunction with radiation treatment has been effective in treating advanced stages of cancer like you had when you were diagnosed. I don't think radiation you're receiving is purely a precautionary measure. I am sure your medical team felt, despite the negative margins, that given the stage of your cancer at diagnosis that there was a very strong possiblity that the prostate cancer had spread from your prostate gland to the surrounding tissue and that the radiation is designed to kill these traveling cells.

I never had to make the tough choices you did. My cancer was detected early and was relatively low risk. I do hope that you continue to see the results you wish for. I hope you investigate the implant option as well...to me at least, the sexual aspects of life are a significant factor of overall quality of life and I don't expect to ever get too old for it.

Best to you,

K

Going crazy right now.   Of all the postings ive read in the past several hrs yours called to me.   Meeting with my urologist on Tuesday to go over my options. I have no idea if it's spread....I'm leaning toward immediately having surgery, followed up with radiatio, and hormone therapy.     Hit it hard.     Any thoughts.

Be well.      

Old Salt said:

Sorry you have joined us

but please start a new thread. There's a button for that: Add new Forum topic.

You will get better responses; this is one is so very old...

Yes start a new thread

To get to Add new Forum topic., click discussion boards above, then you will find "Add new Forum topic." in upper left hand corner under discussion board