Hi all, well I got my bone scan results yesterday and its all clear. The cancer is confined to my prostate gland, I will now see my specialist to discuss the next step , suppose it comes as a relief to know it hasnt spread and its the best news of the bad news, from what I recall at my diagnosis last week the options will be either radiotherapy and hormone treatment or surgery to remove the prostate gland, either way it is very daunting, suppose Ive got a few days to decide my best options,
regards, Pete x
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You have well more than a few days to make a decision. Seek out multiple opinions before deciding on best course of therapy. Keep in mind that who you choose is equally or more important. Every option has pros and cons. each case is unique.
That's good news! You have plenty of time to make a decision. There are many options available in the UK. Try to get a referral to talk to Peter Hoskin at Mt. Vernon Cancer Centre in Northwood. He is a world expert in high dose rate brachytherapy. Also talk to Nicholas Van As or Alison Tree at Royal Marsden about SBRT. Talk to a surgeon too. You may find all the options you have confusing at first, but decide not to decide for a while. Just take it all in and let it sit.
It’s great to hear that it’s confined to the prostate. I can imagine the relief.
You have time to consider your options, if need be, simply say you need a little more time to decide. Doctors understand that, though they may be working in a conveyor belt type environment (NHS), they’ll back off a bit when reminded.
I have nothing but praise for the NHS, they saved my life when I had a heart attack in 2012.
Remember that urologists will generally recommend surgery and radiation oncologists generally recommend radiation etc. It’s only natural, they’ve been trained that way.
Gather as much information as you can regarding the options that your doctors present, it can at times be overwhelming, so please take your time. Understand as best you can the pros and cons of each option as they would impact you, in an effort to honestly weigh up what you’re best prepared to accommodate within your life. No 2 people are the same nor will they react the same to the potential side effects of treatment options. If there’s something that you don’t know or understand, please ask.
There’s a wealth of knowledge and understanding on this site available to you. Also there’s a few great cancer charities in the U.K. that will provide detailed information on prostate cancer, its treatment options and resources surrounding the whole gamut of ways that cancer can impact your life. It’s much more than just a medical option.
When you have absorbed as much information as you can, and are comfortable that you are ready to decide, then it’s up to you; you’re the one that will be living with the consequences, not anyone else (expect those close to you obviously).
Ask as many questions as you need and remember once you’ve made your decision, it will be the best decision that you could make at the time. It’s normal to second guess ourselves but ultimately useless.
Yes, you have a few days and then a few more; don't feel rushed. Remember than often specialists in one kind of treatment often tend to recommend that treatment--i.e. surgeons recommend surgery, etc. So "shopping around" can give you more options but also be confusing. People on here can be very helpful, don't hesitate to ask questions if you don't understand something or if you feel you have incomplete info about any particular option. Best of luck!
Hi , as you can gather I'm just a couple of weeks into actually knowing that I have prostate cancer, My gut feeling is telling me to get this thing sorted asap! yet the advice I'm getting is to take my time on making a decision, it doesn't make sense to me, I have an appointment with my specialist soon, lets hope he can help me come to a decision, regards. Pete
Being 6+ years since the time of my diagnosis with confined 5+5 in right half, I'll agree with the others regarding you *chill out a bit and research your options.* My choice for treatment was far from being a SOC protocol that was performed by a doctor with 30+ years of PCa treatment and who has directed his own metastasized PCa surgery by another physician while awake utilizing a spinal tap since no other surgeon in the WORLD had any experience of the procedure used.
Your options have varying side effects that should be considered so weigh them, decide and keep looking forward.
Just remember you can have radiation after surgery if cancer still present but no surgery after radiation. Radiation turns your prostate into a sticky mess that glues itself to all surrounding organs. Very, very few surgeons will try surgery after radiation with a much higher chance of permanent impotence even if they did attempt removal!
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