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Waiting for treatment decision

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User
Posted 22 Feb 2018 at 16:06

Hi all,

I had my diagnosis confirmed last Thursday (15/02) and I am waiting for the doctors feedback on treatment alternatives, so I was told. The doctor thought pointed out already that the best solution would be surgery. They are having a multiskilled meeting today.

Not knowing yet well what this all means, but I have a localized Gleeson 8 tumor after biopsy, local MR and full body PET scan exams. I still don't know whether it is t2b or t3a.

I am not afraid of surgery, but I am terrified of the consequences of it after prostate removal. Of course the priority is life, but any words about my worries please. For example, incontinence or erection problems or also how often do we need to be tested afterwards to know the desease progression or stop?  

Thanks, Paulo

 

User
Posted 22 Feb 2018 at 17:41

Hello Paulo and welcome to the site.

As you live in Portugal? it may be that testing post surgery will be dealt with differently but I expect you'll get replies from us saying how it is done here.

IT may be that when the multi discipline team meet today that they decide to offer other treatments instead/as well so please come back and update us so that we can advise you to the best of our ability.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 22 Feb 2018 at 17:41

Paulo. You should see an oncologist as well as your urology surgeon after the MDT meeting. There is a choice of treatment routes to take and you may decide when you know more that surgery is not the way you want to go. Depending on the way you go, the follow up PSA test frequency will vary. Hang in there for now, you will soon know enough to make decisions and the consequences which flow from them for the future. I can tell you after over ten years from my treatment that living is helluva better option than not having the treatment and that the side effects are to be seen as minor if you set your sights on survival.

Good Luck

AC

User
Posted 21 Mar 2018 at 22:51

Well, your priorities are right !
Life then love.
The pair of you will work it out if you love each other. Just be patient with each other

Don't expect too much too soon and give yourself time to heal.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
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User
Posted 22 Feb 2018 at 17:41

Hello Paulo and welcome to the site.

As you live in Portugal? it may be that testing post surgery will be dealt with differently but I expect you'll get replies from us saying how it is done here.

IT may be that when the multi discipline team meet today that they decide to offer other treatments instead/as well so please come back and update us so that we can advise you to the best of our ability.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 22 Feb 2018 at 17:41

Paulo. You should see an oncologist as well as your urology surgeon after the MDT meeting. There is a choice of treatment routes to take and you may decide when you know more that surgery is not the way you want to go. Depending on the way you go, the follow up PSA test frequency will vary. Hang in there for now, you will soon know enough to make decisions and the consequences which flow from them for the future. I can tell you after over ten years from my treatment that living is helluva better option than not having the treatment and that the side effects are to be seen as minor if you set your sights on survival.

Good Luck

AC

User
Posted 21 Mar 2018 at 11:08

Thank you for your replies and sorry for the late answer... I didn't set an alert and let these messages pass, but very happy with your replies :-)

Well, by now I know what comes at least on a shorter run. So I will undergo surgery on 05/April next and most likely radiotherapy as a co-treatment after surgery.

After multi discipline meeting I was given 2 solutions, 1) surgery and 2) radiotehrepy with hormone together. I had a 3 doctor appointment plus a radiotherapy consultancy to understand their different views and I decided for surgery. The reasons were: a) I am relativelly young (49), b) radio over a long period has also consequences to other organs as I hopefully still have many years ahead, c) in case surgery will not show full success, I have other second options as radio and hormone therapy, d) the follow up by PSA with radio is to fluctuate around some patters and decision on what to do after PSA interpretation is more uncertain, whereas after surgery PSA level drops to zero and for me this is more easy to handle.

I didn't see an oncologist... I followed the urologists advice. He is also part of the surgery team and doing this type of surgery (with robot) since 2010.

By now, my fist priority is survival of course and even though I have a localized tumor, I am scared now of the results of either or not there is microscopic desease in the seminal vesicles and lymph nodes. As PET and MRI showed only the tumor in the prostata I was a bit reasured but I was told that after surgery protsta will be analysed in full as well as the other removed tissues. This may show ultimatelly my odds with this desease. Is this so?
In the event then that PSA does not drop to zero after surgery, does this mean I cannot be cured anymore with other treatments? How long do the PSA follow ups last?

The erection problems I may face after surgery are being diminished by my partner. He is saying me we will find both a new way out for our sex life. So difficult not to have this in mind as well, but I leave this for a later worry.

This is my latest feedback then. Glad in advance to any comment.

Thanks, Paulo

User
Posted 21 Mar 2018 at 22:51

Well, your priorities are right !
Life then love.
The pair of you will work it out if you love each other. Just be patient with each other

Don't expect too much too soon and give yourself time to heal.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
 
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