I have decided to follow through with my decision to have SBRT at UCLA vs. AS . (The risk was too great for possible spread, and I would go "nuts" having it on my "head " like a cloud all the time.
As you no from my previous posts my ONLY problem with Sbrt was the ED side effects ,(mainly 40% chance of impotency after 2 years) as well as the minor side effects Urinary and Bowel as well.
If you had SBRT at UCLA or any other major med. center, with or W/O Spaceaoar, please tell me your outcome in regards to ED PRIMARILY and secondly urinary or bowel..) please tell me the "time sequence as well (i.e No ED for 7 years and still going, ED after 2 years from the SBRT)
( I.e. SBRT- NO ED problems now for 12 years, Urinary- burning for 3months,, Bowel -None..or something like that.)
I know this is personal so I thank you very much in advance for those of you who respond....
(PSA 6, Gleason 4-3, PSMA PET 2 nodules- L & R midgland - AGE-Late 60's)
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JWS13
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In Spring of 20I9, my PSA was 12 and biopsy was Gleason 7 (4+3) with nodule contained in prostate. I did not have ED at that time but used Viagra for endurance. Put on Bicalutamide for one month then had the SpaceOAR and gold markers placed. In June and July that year, I had 27 sessions of IMRT. My ability to get erections did not change after the radiation and 3 years later, I'm just as sexually active as I was years prior to the cancer. My PSA has been very low for the past 3 years at .2, .4, .3, and .25. I believe my rectum took some damage because when it's time for a bowel movement, it's usually pretty urgent that I get to a toilet (Loo ) quickly. I will tell you that the SpaceOAR is not worth the effort or money. If you understand that the radiation machine travels 360 degrees around your body, the SpaceOAR gel that is placed between your prostate and rectum only protects you when the machine is straight overhead pointing downwards at your pubic area. Once it starts traveling around in a circle, there is no protection. Even my urologist told me it's a money thing but I had it done anyway because I had no idea at the time how the radiation was performed. The radiation was aimed at the prostate and the two seminal vesicles so even though I still have very strong orgasms, the amount of semen is just a few drops of a translucent fluid and it generally doesn't come out immediately. Just sort of trickles out after the orgasm.
You refer to other info you've found re potential for various side effects....I'd go by that data versus anecdotal evidence you'll gather here or elsewhere!
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