Post my dad’s PC diagnosis in Dec 2024(PSA:38) with semi vesicle invasions, we started firmagon injection.
After 3 month firmagon, dad’s MRI review shows left semi vesicle involvement,PSA dropped from 38 to 1.4. Doc suggests prostatectomy.
Post second opinion with RO we were advised to undergo VMAT for 28 sittings and continue formation for 2 years period.
My questions:
1. VMAT /IMRT/IGRT which is preferred for locally advanced PC?
2. Side effects during VMAT/ post VMAT?
1. VMAT is a type of IMRT applied in an arc. IGRT just means they use fiducials.
2. prostatecancer.news/2018/10...
Hi Tall_Allen , Do you know if they use hydrogel with VMAT. As per RO they don’t use hydrogel to spare organ as it is high precision radiation ?
If your RO says they don’t use hydrogel, why are you asking me if they do?
I asked coz I am not sure. I saw in PCRI videos that they use hydrogel for IMRT and that this is an imp question to ask radiologists. I am not sure if I should insist for hydrogel for organs. Do you know if we need to use hydrogel for VMAT
PCRI videos are a poor source of information. You should be asking your RO and certainly not a youtube video. You don't have enough knowledge to "insist."
Agree! I am trying my best to ensure I don’t miss anything as it is my dad.
Tall_Allen's link is good. On a related note, never mind the side effects -- you want the best odds of the primary outcome. See this link pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/953...
VMAT, or Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy, is a type of radiation therapy that uses a machine that rotates continuously around the patient to deliver radiation in arcs, allowing for precise and efficient treatment of tumors while minimizing radiation exposure to surrounding healthy tissues.
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n
I had 37 sessions of VMAT a year ago, It is a very precise way of delivering radiation. The only difficulty I had was holding the right amount of urine in my bladder. No side effects to talk of. I was very pleased with the treatment I received.
Did they use hydrogel with VMAT. As per RO they don’t use hydrogel to spare organ as it is high precision radiation ?
I'm 73 and have had advanced, stage IV, metastatic PC for five years. Upon diagnosis I sought treatment from a medical oncologist at a comprehensive cancer center. I have been treated with chemotherapy and ADT and still remained hormone sensitive to this day. I declined my urologist’s recommended treat of radiation and prostate removal due to the many adverse side effects. I feel very fortunate to be relatively healthy and have learned to live with the side effects of ADT. Chemo was not easy but I was able to get thru it with few side effects other than some minor neuropathy in the soles of my feet. I recommend you seek an opinion from a medical oncologist before preceding with your current course of treatment of radiation and prostate removal. Good luck.
Do they use hydrogel with VMAT. As per RO they don’t use hydrogel to spare organ as it is high precision radiation ?
I had some version of IMRT VMAT and SGRT and I GET. Not sure how it all broke down. 23 to both prostate AND pelvis, plus an additional 17 to prostate only.
Side efforts were moderate: urinary (had to use 1 Flomax a day), energy drop of 10-20%, diarrhea (4 1-2 day bouts). After finishing they faded but a second wave soon hit (inflammation in the booty crack, scraping of stool as it exited causing mild pain, inflammation inside belly button, and a second shorter energy loss. Mostly back to normal now, except navel still recovering inside the well.
Lymphocytes dropped significantly and are still down, as are the three red blood readings, two months after finishing.
White blood cells dipped below normal but back in normal range last Friday.
Initial PSA 209 stage IV with bone Mets and 4 years + Later Still Undetectable
Is this castrate resistance?
After Firmagon, what next?
Just started Firmagon, question on PSA
