It now looks as though I'll need to do a lot of T3b/N1/M? research over the next few weeks, but sticking with T2a/N0/M0 for the moment, here's another learned article about the ProtecT trial, this time concerning potential side effects of the assorted treatments:
Patient-Reported Outcomes after Monitoring, Surgery, or Radiotherapy for Prostate Cancer
The conclusions in brief:
The negative effect of prostatectomy on urinary continence and sexual function, particularly erectile function, was greatest at 6 months, and although there was some recovery, the effect was worse than in the other treatment groups over 6 years; however, prostatectomy was associated with no change in bowel function. At 6 months, the negative effect of radiotherapy with neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy on sexual function, particularly erectile function, was only a little less than that of prostatectomy, and bowel function, urinary voiding, and nocturia were worse in the radiotherapy group than in the other groups. However, there was then considerable recovery in the radiotherapy group for these measures, apart from more frequent bloody stools. In the active-monitoring group, sexual (including erectile) function and urinary continence and function were affected much less than in the radical-treatment groups initially but worsened gradually over time, as increasing numbers of men received radical treatments and age-related changes occurred; bowel function was unchanged.
No effects were observed with respect to general health status (mental or physical) or anxiety or depression in any treatment group at any time or in cancer-related quality of life at 5 years.