Aware of the difference.

[Poppy1952]

Yes...I am aware of that. I was asking if anyone has had any experience with brachytherapy.

[Hopschops]

Hello. Yes, I had brachytherapy a couple of years ago. I followed that up with ~28 rounds of external beam radiation. PSA is virtually undetectable 2-3 years later. Knock on wood.

[spencoid2]

I had brachy and IMRT about 9 years ago. Gleason 9. Now it is stage 4 castrate resistant. Not a great brachy story. It being 9 years later you probably have a better chance.

[JimJimJimJim]

In 2009 I was diagnosed with a large aggressive prostate cancer. It filled the right side of my prostate, where all the samples were Gleason nine. It also spilled into the left side of my prostate, with one Gleason seven. It also grew through the wall of my prostate in two places, one of them being around the seminal vesicles.

I was treated with radiation - High dose rate brachytherapy followed by 35 IMRT (RapidARC) sessions. This is sometimes called Brachy boost.

Three years of hormone therapy after the end of radiation kept the beast in check for six years. When it recurred after the sixth year, I started taking continuous hormone therapy, and my PSA is still undetectable - 13 years after diagnosis.

As with many men, I had no long-term adverse effects from either type of radiation.

The hormone therapy can make you tired, but, opposite to what you would expect, exercise improves that.

Here is a summary of my treatment (very patchy because it has been updated over the years):

jimjimjimjim.com/jim

[Hidden]

Primary treatment in April 2003, Brachytherapy with 25 sessions of IRMT.

GD

[EdinBmore]

Yes, to brachy. Combined with 25 IMRT and ADT. No noticeable side effects from brachy boost. Prep and procedure uneventful (lots of anxiety though). Not so with ADT; lots of side effects.

Good luck to you.

EdinBaltimore

[Poppy1952]

Thanks for the reply. With current advances...I am going to avoid EDT if at all possible. No spread...no EDT for me. Biopsy is 1 week from today at Mayo....

[Burk in reply to Poppy1952]

I'm not sure how you can choose a treatment option until you have had your biopsy. I would encourage you to keep an open mind until you understand the nature of the beast. ADT has mitigated a cure for many and extended life for many others. Difficult choices! Choose wisely!

[Poppy1952 in reply to Burk]

Will do so...thank you. I have been looking at all the advances in many treatments. I have not made any choice just looking at my options and happen yo see brakes therapy as a possible good option. Maybe not. But I should know in a couple of weeks on biopsy results. I am getting a second opinion read from Dr. Epstein at John's Hopkinfs and see what the numbers look like. At that time I will explore ALL options. I would like to avoid EDT ....depression has bee on board for years. Soooo...wait and see is where I am. The great thing is.....it is totally my informed decision. Thank you for the advice!

[Hidden]

I had brachytherapy in 2010. I'd already had IMRT in 2006. The brachytherapy procedure went well, but that night I experienced extreme bladder spasms due to a blood clot in my bladder, and ended up in ER for many hours. Followed by HIFU in 2020. I began ADT very soon after that.

No issues at all with the brachytherapy aside from the blood clot. On the other hand, it didn't slow down my rising PSA count. It took a couple of years of ADT to do that.

[CharlestonSC]

Hi Poppy, I hope my Brachytherapy experience gives you an idea of this treatment. In 2006 I was 52 years old when diagnosed with PC and started treatment on my 53rd birthday. I just turned 68 this month, June 2022.

My prostate biopsy gleason was 4+4 = 8 in right base, right mid and right apex zones. (90%, 90%, 30% in 3 cores). A Clinical T2A (radiographic T3B) grading. PSA 4.01. No evidence in left prostate. No evidence in seminal vesicles tissue. Suspicious signs of early metastasis in bilateral iliac bones.

After two months of research into various PC treatments and their 6+ year success results I chose to have Brachytherapy treatment at Dattoli Cancer Center in Sarasota, Florida. I immediately started triple androgen blockade with Casodex (9 months total), Avodart, Requip, Ursodiol, injectable Trelstar, Flomax, high Vit. D3, among a host of other natural supplements. I started on Trental (to increase blood flow to pelvis aiding in healing) and Carafate (to protect bowels during treatment).

My treatment plan was:

Phase 1: 4-D Image Guided Radiation to prostate with initial dose of 6300 cGy rads given in 35 divided doses (1 daily Mon - Fri) with 180 rad/fraction/a day utilizing DART treatment planning (iliac bone would encompass that field). After this initial treatment on my prostate I had a short break and returned to Dattoli for Phase 2: High dose Conformal Palladium Seed Implantation (total of 60 palladium seeds were placed) in prostate and surrounding margins. After seeding I had another break for 90 days and then returned to Dattoli for Phase 3: A post seeding IMRT radiation of 41Gy to the surrounding tissue of the prostate (seminal vesicles, various internal lymph nodes, etc.) in case any microscopic cancer cells were outside prostate before treatment.

The only side effect I had during treatment was nausea from the Carafate medication. My remedy for the nausea was eating about a half bottle of ginger daily. No more nausea.

Since my 2006/2007 combined Brachytherapy treatments I’ve checked my PSA quarterly with Labcorp Ultra sensitive PSA testing and my PSA has remained at 0.002 until 2014 when I decided to start weekly Testosterone treatments. After weekly 100mg Depot Testosterone injections my PSA rose to 0.013 (which was expected)and has not changed for 8 years. My testosterone went from 340 to 900-980. I continue to do quarterly PSA testing and monitor my Hemoglobin levels, etc. since testosterone therapy.

In 2006 the most valuable advice I received was to ask for the 6+ years success results from every PC treatment modality I researched. Most all 1 to 5 year treatment results I encountered look promising. Years 6+ we’re very different, but we all know there have been great advances in PC treatment since my treatment 15 years ago and I’m sure Dattoli Cancer Center has even advanced much further. I wish you much success in your research for the best and most successful treatment modality. Sincerely, Jack

[j-o-h-n]

Greetings again Poppy1952 (70 y o ?),

If and when you get this info add it to you bio home page. Thanks....

Would you please be kind enough to tell us your bio. Age? Location? When Treatment(s)? Treatment center(s)? Scores Psa/Gleason? Medications? Doctor's name(s)?

ALL INFO IS VOLUNTARY, but it helps us help you and helps us too. When you respond, you might want to copy and paste it in your home page for your use and for other members’ reference.

Note: Answers are for your benefit, not mine.

THANK YOU AND KEEP POSTING!!!

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Wednesday 06/15/2022 6:16 PM DST

[bluesnjazz]

Hi, Poppy1952. In 2005, PCa cells (no tumors) were discovered in one quarter of my prostate, Stage 1, Gleason score 5+/-. I had brachy in 2006 after trying watchful waiting with diet restrictions and supplements for over a year. Three years brachy, my PSA zeroed out and I thought I was home free but discovered it at over 7 in 2014. Another biopsy should nothing in the gland but scans showed nothing suspicious anywhere else, so doc said I had micro-metastasis. Being a sceptic that treatment so early without even a tumor would allow metastasis, I again tried watchful waiting with restrictive diet and supplements. Watching my PSA climb during the time, first slowly, then exponentially, I still doubted it had metastasized until a scan finally showed a swollen lymph gland near the prostate when my PSA finally reached 45. So I started intermittent ADT and am still doing it now 8 1/2 years later with not sign of a tumor.

Even though the stuff somehow metastasized, for me, with apparently so little cancer inside, there was no other option than watchful waiting or brachy. Chopping it out is a horrendous medical procedure in which the guys' rarely ever pee right again and in most cases never have real sex again, yet still about 30% of them later find metastasis, anyway. External radiation, too, can destroy nerves and blood vessels.

My only regret now is that I did not continue watchful waiting longer, as it kept my PSA within a very narrow range during that year. But when I rose to about 6.5, I began to panic and consented to brachy. Even now, with metastasis, I accept ADT only about half the year (NEVER during or near summer as the hot flashes are unbearable and debilitating in the swampy heat where I live).

Hope this helps you.