Prostate Cancer

[bobhicks]

hi,In 2006 I had a course of external beam radiotherapy for prostate cancer,but after 5years the cancer returned and I ended up having a radical prostractomy the surgeon who did the operation said that the radiotherapy makes it very difficult to do.And since then have had a lot of problems with other damage the radiotherapy has caused.So i would advise anyone to have the prostate removed and avoid radiotherapy.Bob

[Tall_Allen]

What I would conclude is that if you have radiation as your primary therapy, do not have surgery as your salvage therapy. There are many salvage therapies after primary radiation that do not involve surgery. Salvage surgery was your mistake, not primary radiation.

[Don_1213]

Bob,

There are a LOT of men who due to other health issues can't do the surgery. Telling people just to do it really isn't useful. As Tall_Allen said - there are a number of other salvage therapies after radiation, and it might have been better to choose one of them rather than surgery. If you were going to do surgery after radiation you really needed to look for a surgeon who has a lot of experience doing it (and they are out there.)

Sorry, you're now having other issues - but can they be directly tied to the radiation treatment, or perhaps to a not terribly successful salvage surgery?

[dadzone43]

Sorry for your plight. Remarkable that your surgeon proposed surgery knowing full well that radiation scarring would be a problem. The warning is good for others; you can only look forward.

[Hidden]

Hi Bob, What I conclude is that all Radiation Oncologists are equal. Research and then ask questions. You had a bad experience and I am sorry for that. My experience was just the opposite. After seeds and then 25 sessions of IMRT in 2004, I was left with only minor scarring in the left side of my colon. My Gastroenterologist was amazed....... Asked who, and he then remarked that he knew him and that he was top-notched..... a Professor at a leading medical school.

Having removal after radiation is always tricky and what one needs is someone who does a lot of the procedure; then ask about his track record...... talk to former patients, etc.......

GD