deciding

pcolin71
pcolin71 Member Posts: 10
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
sure confused on surgery or seeds or enen trials

Comments

  • randy_in_indy
    randy_in_indy Member Posts: 496 Member
    the more reasearch you do will eventually determine the path you choose.
  • jhayslip
    jhayslip Member Posts: 11
    You might need more info
    The National Cancer Institute recently put an update online that may be helpful to you. I recently wrote about it in another blog: http://ukhealthcare.uky.edu/forums/blogs/cancer-research/archive/2010/02/28/new-recommendations-for-some-patients-with-prostate-cancer.aspx

    For some people it is helpful to tell both the radiation specialist and the urologist that you are considering both and get each of their opinions about the pros and cons of going either way. It is probably worthwhile to recognize that each type of specialist may have their own bias.

    Lastly, you may want to get a 2nd opinion at a University cancer center where different types of doctors work together to help patients create the best plan for their care. And as you pointed out, if you qualify for a clinical trial that is often the best choice of all.

    Although this is obviously not something anyone wants to go through, hopefully it will be a blessing that you do indeed have good choices.

    John Hayslip
  • jmw029
    jmw029 Member Posts: 5

    the more reasearch you do will eventually determine the path you choose.

    more confused then ever
    My boyfriend was diagnosed in dec'09 and we've been reading lots. We've also see the urologist and an oncologist. We have one more appointment with a DaVinci urologist in early April. But honestly we are more confused then ever when it comes to making a decision.

    We both just recently joined the csn to see if we could get advice and opinions because we are having a hard time finding support groups in our area so any input is helpful.
  • jminnj
    jminnj Member Posts: 129 Member
    jmw029 said:

    more confused then ever
    My boyfriend was diagnosed in dec'09 and we've been reading lots. We've also see the urologist and an oncologist. We have one more appointment with a DaVinci urologist in early April. But honestly we are more confused then ever when it comes to making a decision.

    We both just recently joined the csn to see if we could get advice and opinions because we are having a hard time finding support groups in our area so any input is helpful.

    jmw029
    A lot of goes into the decision is personal choice based on age, psa, biopsy results. I am 47 and had a low psa (2.9) with only one core positive, 3 suspicious and the rest clear. When I weighed all the treatment options and side/after effects, the robotic surgery was the clear choice for me. If I was 20 years older, maybe my choice my have been different. There are many here who have tried various approaches (surgery, radiation, seeds), I can only speak from my own experience. The robotic surgery gave me a minimal hospital stay (1 day), about 2 weeks before I could start doing some normal things and about 4 weeks till I was up and running doing all the things I was doing before (working out, using a snowblower, bowling, etc). I have had some incontinence issues, mostly stress type like when I am throwing a bowling ball. But it has not been that terrible. All I can say is do your research. If you have specific questions about the surgery, I would be more than happy to answer them.

    Take Care,
    Joe
  • pcolin71
    pcolin71 Member Posts: 10
    jminnj said:

    jmw029
    A lot of goes into the decision is personal choice based on age, psa, biopsy results. I am 47 and had a low psa (2.9) with only one core positive, 3 suspicious and the rest clear. When I weighed all the treatment options and side/after effects, the robotic surgery was the clear choice for me. If I was 20 years older, maybe my choice my have been different. There are many here who have tried various approaches (surgery, radiation, seeds), I can only speak from my own experience. The robotic surgery gave me a minimal hospital stay (1 day), about 2 weeks before I could start doing some normal things and about 4 weeks till I was up and running doing all the things I was doing before (working out, using a snowblower, bowling, etc). I have had some incontinence issues, mostly stress type like when I am throwing a bowling ball. But it has not been that terrible. All I can say is do your research. If you have specific questions about the surgery, I would be more than happy to answer them.

    Take Care,
    Joe

    deciding
    thank you
  • Trew
    Trew Member Posts: 932 Member
    Have you considered proton
    Have you considered proton therapy? Just type in these four words in the search bar:

    proton therapy Loma Lnda

    and find the web site for LLU medical center and request their free DVD and book. Why not?

    There are a lot of happy former proton patients out in the world today.
  • erisian
    erisian Member Posts: 107
    Trew said:

    Have you considered proton
    Have you considered proton therapy? Just type in these four words in the search bar:

    proton therapy Loma Lnda

    and find the web site for LLU medical center and request their free DVD and book. Why not?

    There are a lot of happy former proton patients out in the world today.

    More than one opinion
    Some hospitals have what they call a "tumor board". This is a group of various specialists who meet every so often to discuss particular cases. They look at all the available information, discuss it, then make a recommendation for treatment. The final decision is still yours, of course, but it is a good way to get a relatively unbiased opinion based on a lot of knowledge and experience.

    Don't rush into a decision! You have time to learn all you need to know to decide what is right for you.