Prostate Cancer, Hemeriods and Brachytherapy

[pellett12]

I had a biopsy at my local Hospital 22/11/2016 and was diagnosed with prostate cancer.

I had four consultations in London leading to brachytherapy on the 19/06/2017 at a London Hospital. Anaesthetised at 8.30. Came round at 11.30 to be told the brachytherapy could not proceed because of hemeriods and a prolapsed hemeriod. This condition was identified at my first examination and biopsy and should have been passed on to the London Hospital.

[AlanMeyer Moderator]

Bummer! It took them 3 hours under anesthesia to discover the hemorrhoid, one that was already in the medical records? I think that you need to see if you can find different doctors to treat you. Maybe you can go to the Royal Marsden or one of the other teaching and research hospitals where cancer treatment may be more professional. If not, maybe you can ask around for recommendations, or go to the nurses at the hospital and ask who they'd recommend - since they will have seen this kind of medical foolishness before.

Did they recommend or offer you treatment for the prolapsed hemorrhoid? Did they say if you should get it treated and then come back for brachytherapy? Or did they think you should have surgery instead? Hopefully, you can find somebody very competent to treat you. Perhaps the discovery of the problem was a blessing in disguise, preventing an incompetent doctor from treating you.

I live in the U.S. and am not familiar with what options you have in the UK/NHS, but cancer is serious stuff and warrants treatment by committed and experienced doctors who take their work seriously.

Fortunately, early prostate cancer is usually very slow growing. There is an excellent chance that a delay in treatment of even a few months will make no difference in the outcome.

Best of luck.

Alan

[aksns61 in reply to AlanMeyer]

By the way- my brachy treatment was quick, no issues and I went to work same day. A bit sore for a few days, some blood in urine and blood in ejaculate. I did not have any urinary problems. They gave me flomax for a few days, then switched me on to cialis daily. Ive got low blood pressure and the flowmax caused dizzyness. The cialis increases urinary flow but is safe for men with low blood pressure. Its not really "surgery" since they only plant seed pellets. Mine were Palladium with a half-life of 17 days.

[RolandUK]

Hi,

That sounds like an awful experience. It may difficul,t but I think you should try and find out where the error occurred. Did your original hospital not include the Hemorrhoid and a Prolapsed Hemorrhoid condition in your medical record and handover notes. Or was it included but not noticed. If the latter then I agree with Alan you should request another hospital for the brachytherapy. Also, surely your original hospital Dr's should have known the Hemorrhoids needed treating first. I hope you have now been given a date for the Hemorrhoid removal operation.

Roland J