Hi Old King Cole and welcome to this forum though sorry for the reason that brings you here.
It is unfortunate that you were hospitalised with Septicaemia following your biopsy. This does happen in some cases, particularly with the TRUS biopsy and infections can sometimes be difficult to overcome. So not an easy start to your PCa journey but at least the biopsy helped establish you had cancer and along with scan(s) the perceived extent.
Most men find RT a doddle, though a long commitment of about 7 weeks if you cannot have it as a a hyperfractionated course of 19 or 20 heavier dose fractions as some hospitals offer. I found the side effects of RT subside within a couple of months of RT and this is quite usual. There are possibilities of radiation prostatitis at some stage and late effects for some and the initiation of other cancers in the very long term for a few, (20 years or so has been mentioned). The effects of HT, particularly where this is given as an accompaniment to RT and may continue for many months after RT is more likely to result in more constant and debilitating side effects in most men than the RT.
The fact that you have already been started on HT and expect to be started on RT would suggest that it is considered that HT/RT would be of benefit and help restrain your cancer and possibly cure it, Active Surveillance not having been recommended as an option.
Whether you follow the plan consultants suggest is of course only a decision that you can make. If you are a 'Merry Old Soul' and wish to maximise your remaining years you may think the RT worth the slight inconvenience, it doesn't take all day to have RT and many men work for the rest of treatment days. On the other hand, if there are other issues which lead you to think you can expect only a few years, you may feel that you want to enjoy these without suffering the effects of treatment, until the PCa causes severe side effects if it advances.
I take the view, which I have formed through reading the stories of men suffering affects of advanced PCa, is that delaying these effects for as long as possible, so I die of something else, is my choice if possible.
If you can show your PSA on diagnosis along with Gleason score, staging and scan on your profile, these details will be helpful to members in seeing where you are and to make more meaningful replies. Also, if you have not yet done so, you might find it useful to obtain the 'Tool Kit', available from the publications section of the main part of this Charity.
Edited by member 23 Jan 2017 at 02:00
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