I started a 18 month course of Eligard 3month injections in August,2022. I was newly diagnosed in June, 2022 with aggressive PCa (cribriform and intraductal present in 3 of 12 cores, Decipher 0.88).I will start 28 sessions of EBRT in December. Should I ask the RO for radiation to my chest area to prevent gynecomastia from the Eligard. I have been told I can't take tamoxifen. I would appreciate any advice. Thanks.
Having Eligard injections. Should I a... - Advanced Prostate...
Having Eligard injections. Should I ask for radiation to prevent gynecomastia?
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Danskor
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I suggest you get them radiated. Its done quickly without pain. Most men do not like to have boobs.
I had radiotherapy to the nipples just before my first injection of Degarelix. No boobs 12 months on which I am v pleased about!
did insurance take care of this in concert with your “actual” tx?….if not how much does it cost to get radiation to chest to prevent gyno?
I'm from the UK but had this done in Finland via direct payment. I guess you are in the USA?
Eligard typically won't cause it.
Is that true for Lupron also? And, when combined with Zytiga?
it’s mainly a concern with Casodex. When testosterone is low, there can’t be much estrogen.
• in reply toTall_Allen
Yeah it does. Six month eligard shot caused my gynecomastia. "Not typically" doesn't cut it when it happens to you. That's the attitude of urologists too, so they never offer a preventive measure.
Tall_Allen• in reply to
Yeah, atypical cases are a bummer.
I workout 5 days a week taking special care to exercise my chest. I had the beginning of boobs but they are now gone and i have nice pecs
sounds like you have been able to preserve a measure of muscle tone in the face of ADT…yes? Were you working out 5x weekly prior to ADT?……
• in reply tomrscruffy
Yes, the best exercise to mask this is the 'fly' with dumbbells -- not the bench press which hits the shoulders and upper pecs mostly and does nothing for the nipple area / lower pecs.
I have some boobs from my 4 years of tE2 usage; however, I think it's a small price to pay to keep the PCa at bay!
Boob pics
those years from 60 to 80 are hard on men….even with PCA you’ve done quite a good job staying in shape.
IMHO, no you should not. You might never get them, AFAIK they're harmless, and you can request radiation anytime the condition starts.
I have a slight amount on one side only, doesn't bother me, and I have never considered radiation for it.
I took tamoxifen first because I liked the additional benefit of improved bone health but it caused side effects so I went with electron beam radiation. Very easy and effective but if I could do it tamoxifen might be better.
• in reply toGrandpa4
Yes, I was going to mention tamoxifen as an alternative to radiation. I learned about both of these options on this forum, but too late so I availed myself of neither of these options. What greatly reduced (but not completely) the problem was the return of my T after that one and only Eligard injection. I think I'd need a serious diet to complete the process.
On Eligard and have moobs big time. Wish I had been zapped.
All anyone can do is guess, there's nobody that "knows" whether or not you'll grow breasts!
Problem is if you "DO" grow them, then it's major surgery to remove them, ie, mastectomy!
I reviewed with my MO and RO prior to my 40x IMRT and ADT and when I went on life ADT with StgIV... My RO noted the % chance of growing breasts was small, as was the chance of secondary issues due to the low dose of RT to prevent them.
I chose to Radiate and take a shot at prevention! And so far, so good. Like everything, it's a distinctly personal decision!
Good Luck & Best Regards
I got to experience the joys of Eligard for 13 months and I didn't notice any changes to my chest. I did, however, continue to exercise and work out with weights as I had been doing before the Eligard shots, which included chest workouts, so that may or may not have helped prevent any breast tissue enlargement. Just one data point, I guess.
Good luck on your course of action! 🙂
No! You’ll be getting enough radiation to kill the pc . Right! Man boobs can arrive with no t . Try not to gain weight . I’ve got man tits . No biggie . To me it’s a non issue . But I chopped my balls off in 2015 so man titties are nothing to me .. non issue . Ego was the first to leave the building. The more upper body work that you can do , the better I assume for this ? . Like flys and lat raises . Even with small weights . Stay moving . Walk daily . Keep rolling Paisano!
Exercise does nothing for it, not directly. The right exercise, as I mentioned above (the fly), can help mask it but not prevent it. I've hit the gym for 25 years. Before, during, and after gynecomastia onset. I know from whereof I speak.
TJGuy• in reply to
That's what I thought but was open to hearing other opinions.So when I was in high school I asked another athlete how he developed his chest. Said just do pushups everyday. Within a few months I too was developing my chest too.
So for gynecomastia I think you can lessen the appearance by building up your pectoral muscles. Losing weight also removes fat on your breast but your not stopping the growth of breast tissue itself by exercising.
What about the related issue with Eligard and other ADT treatments? I'm talking about the the complete and permanent elimination of armpit hair. A little weird. Should I start a company to manufacture armpit toupee's? 😜
I actually viewed this as a plus. It makes it easier to apply underarm antiperspirants and deodorants, and they probably work better. And very few people will notice you don't have armpit hair anyway. Winning! 😀
I had 2, 6 month injections of Elligard along with 44 doses of radiation. Two points, 1. I did not develop gynocomastia, I think that is somewhat unusual, 2. the hot flashes, fatigue, and increasing loss of strength were much more worrisome. I would definitely avoid eating soy products and eat plenty of meat (the best source of protein by far: needed for muscle maintenance and numerous body processes). I also took fenugreek (I don't know if it helped) and vitamin e and venlafaxine (which did) to help with the hot flashes.
Chris
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