One step nearer Salvage Treatment

Thanks to those who have wished me good luck on being accepted into the trial. I will update position in due course as others may find themselves in a similar position to me. The basic details of the information about the study is prefaced by saying that up to one third of men who have radiotherapy for prostate cancer can develop recurrence within 8 years. (This is very much in line with what Rob said elsewhere when he gave the guide figure of 30% I seem to recall.) If this salvage treatment proves successful over the medium to long term, as it is hoped, this may prove a preferable treatment to salvage surgery which not many surgeons will do after RT because it makes an already intricate operation more difficult due to scar tissue and charring of the prostate. Also,I was told that surgery after RT results in about 80% of men being incontinent, something I would not want to risk. HIFU or Cryotherapy though not always without complications, therefore seems to me to be worth a shot rather than have surgery or opt for Active Surveillance/HT. Of course, if the cancer has spread AS would be considered with HT as a systemic treatment with perhaps chemo etc., at some stage in need.

Edited by member 13 Feb 2015 at 23:57  | Reason: Not specified

Barry, mobile issues on here have delayed my congratulations on you achieving what you wanted. Hope all goes well in the future.

Ray

Following this with interest as you know Barry.

So sending Best wishes for great results.

You have given much time & sensible advice here & I'd think it is time for Lady Good Fortune to smile upon you as a reward http://community.prostatecanceruk.org/editors/tiny_mce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif

Hi Barry,

I am just recovering from salvage HDR brachytherapy which I had last week.

It has taken over a year since it was first mooted, firstly my own Onco and Radiology consultants at Norwich wanted to run a full set of scans on me, to satisfy themselves that my PCa first diagnosed back in 2007 was still confined to the gland etc.

They then referred me to Prof Hoskins at Mount Vernon for the HDR, and of course he wanted to do his own set of scans to make sure everything was fine.

That identified cysts in my kidneys and thyroid gland, so I was referred back to Norwich to have these checked out.

Then it was back to Mount Vernon for a template biopsy before Christmas and the treatment last week.

I know in a sense it is frustrating to have these delays with repetitive scans, but I take satisfaction from the fact that they have given me a thorough structural survey, finding such trivia as benign cysts on my thyroid gland, so my vital components must all be in good order?

:)
Dave

I have just had a full set of scans and cameras in dark places - although the problem is not resolved, I am secretly overjoyed that my chest x-ray was clear and I can carry on smoking with impunity

Hi Dave,
Your post prompted me to read through your bio. You certainly have been on a roller-coaster, at times giving rise to optimism only to be dashed and other complications found. So let's hope the Brachy salvage treatment works for you. I suppose you were able to have it because you did not already have the fullest normal dose of External Beam RT? Certainly Brachy was not offered to me, perhaps because my External Beam dose already exceeded the standard UK dose. It's good that salvage treatments are being tried, albeit in some cases but perhaps not yours, only in a trial, athough of course we have to accept the possibility of further side effects.

NOOOOOOOO!  you know you should not you muppet carcinogenic fume inhaling muppet, you.  :-)

dave