Surgery

Started the ball rolling for debulking my main tumor. My Urologist is booked till March 3rd. Appointment is made, but I need an answer sooner and I let them know. My desired date for surgery is sometime in June. I have done my homework on this, do I want surgery, hell no, but name another cancer where they leave the main tumor in your body.

[Nusch]

I assume, you will get different answers. I also decided for RP and never regret it.

[TeleGuy in reply to Nusch]

I’m with you. No regrets.

[NanoMRI]

I debulked with RP, again with salvage RT, and a third time with salvage lymph node surgery. All the best!

[Tall_Allen]

Maybe RP will turn out to be as beneficial as debulking with radiation. There is an ongoing clinical trial to determine that. But we know that radiation has better results for higher risk level contained prostate cancer, because radiation treats an area outside the prostate that surgery cannot reach.

[Break60 in reply to Tall_Allen]

For high risk Pca my thinking now is that RT is better than RP because as you say, RP can leave positive margin(s) leading to SRT. My biopsy showed low volume gleason 9 (4+5) Pca but post RP I had clear LNs but ECE near bladder neck. My attitude at the time was “get this thing out of me” and if RP failed I always have SRT as a fallback. The scan I had back in 2013 post biopsy was 3 Tesla MRI which showed no pca outside the “capsule” which turned out to be wrong. My question is does today’s imaging visualize tumor growth beyond the capsule so a more informed decision can be made regarding appropriate treatment??

[Hidden in reply to Break60]

2013....that's what I go by. You made the right choice by removing the main tumor and stem cells. Medications mutate cancer till you run out of options in my opinion

[Tall_Allen in reply to Hidden]

Medications do not mutate cancer.

[Hidden in reply to Tall_Allen]

Poor choice of words by me, would you agree that the main tumor has stem cells and that metastasis don't create metastasis, the main tumor does and can you name another cancer at stage 4 where the tumor is not removed

[Tall_Allen in reply to Hidden]

I agree with none of that. Why are you making up natural history of prostate cancer?

[Hidden in reply to Tall_Allen]

I've noticed that you snap at people, why is that, because I'm not interested in a hostile PC support group....not exactly support pal!

[Tall_Allen in reply to Hidden]

"snap"? Pointing out your ignorance of prostate cancer natural history is not snapping, it is correcting your error. Don't reply to me if you aren't willing to be corrected.

[Hidden in reply to Tall_Allen]

Ignorance.....are you a doctor?

[ulfhbg in reply to Hidden]

Hi !

Don’t you think your tripping yourself. So by removing the prostate you can no longer have more mets? Are you kidding? Why do people that have done prostatectomy progress by having more mets AFTER prostatectomy???

Of course a primary met can put out seeds that eventually becomes secondary mets

[JRLDH in reply to Hidden]

Stage 4 cancer is often non-operable. My direct experience is with my late husband's stage 4 pancreatic cancer. Surgery was never an option. And I think that this is the case for several stage 4 cancers where surgery is extremely hard on the patient without showing a survival benefit.

[Hidden in reply to JRLDH]

I'm sorry for your loss

[Tall_Allen in reply to Break60]

PSMA PET scans are more sensitive than previous ones.

[j-o-h-n]

In the old days they used to say "cut it out" now they say "burn it out".....I'm glad you're not sheepish about finally removing it. BTW It should be called our "gland canyon")...

Good Luck, Good Health and Good humor.

j-o-h-n

[ulfhbg]

Hi !

Yes chemoradiation types of cancer where surgery is not necessary, is not possible or makes more damage then necessary