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User
Posted 06 Aug 2018 at 17:20

 

I decided to self refer for a PSA test in March after minor symptoms.   My GP clearly thought I was worrying unduly until we got the result - PSA of 30.2.  After that, everything moved fast, and I was diagnosed with local advanced prostate cancer in May.  Gleason 8.    I started hormone therapy at the end of May - Zoladex (goserelin).   Radiotherapy starts on 1st October for 7.5 weeks.

So far the only effects of the hormone treatment are that I've said farewell to erections and I get hot flushes (a pain in this weather but I now have a new topic of conversation with the women I work with).

So far no sign of weight gain, mood swings or (God forbid) growing breasts .   My question is - after only 10 weeks on Zoladex am I breathing a sigh of relief too soon?   

 

 

User
Posted 06 Aug 2018 at 21:12
Probably larger number of smaller radiotherapy doses, which is the traditional method, rather than 20 bigger doses which is a recent innovation known as hypofractionation. Both methods are equally effective. Good luck chaps.
User
Posted 07 Aug 2018 at 01:29
It's strange but true that men can suffer different side effects of HT and to varying extent. Often the body begins to adjust to the effects of HT for some me and in a few cases the reaction can be so severe that a man may stop the form of HT he is on and try an alternative. So you are not out of the wood yet but it seems you are tolerating your HT well which is promising. The addition of RT to the mix may present it's own, usually minor problems but compound effects of RH. Like so much with this rotten disease reaction to treatment is often variable and unpredictable.
Barry
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User
Posted 06 Aug 2018 at 20:45
Hello Chas,

I put weight on around my waist (very frustrating!). No "Moobs" but I can get upset at trivial things. I was PSA 18 Gleason 9 locally advanced but I'm on Prostap, started hormones late January this year.

Richard

User
Posted 06 Aug 2018 at 20:55

Your journey seems to have gone more slowly than mine Chas.

i was diagnosed Gleason 4:5 T2c mid March. I started Decapeptyl Hormone Therapy 3rd week in April. After 14 weeks I have gained 12 pounds and have defined Moobs which have stopped me going to the local pool as I’m self conscious of them.

I start 20 fractions of EBRT tomorrow! VMAT with Ultrasound support for added accuracy in bladder location

i wonder why you are getting nearly twice the amount of fractions as me?

User
Posted 06 Aug 2018 at 21:12
Probably larger number of smaller radiotherapy doses, which is the traditional method, rather than 20 bigger doses which is a recent innovation known as hypofractionation. Both methods are equally effective. Good luck chaps.
User
Posted 06 Aug 2018 at 22:15
John was part of the trials for hypofractionation 7 years ago. The theory was that the cumulative effect of less RT given in higher doses over a shorter period might be more devastating to the cancer but they wanted to see what the optimum dose might be. The standard thinking had previously been that no more than 2Gy could be given in each fraction in the pelvic area but the trial tried a range up to 3.2 or 3.4Gy over 19 or 20 fractions. They concluded that for an otherwise fit male, 3.2Gy could be given without increasing the side effects (in fact, they found that the side effects were actually reduced) and crucially, that it was just as effective.

Cumulatively, 60Gy or 64Gy over 4 weeks delivers the same amount of energy as 74Gy given over 7.5 weeks. Crazy, isn't it!

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 07 Aug 2018 at 01:29
It's strange but true that men can suffer different side effects of HT and to varying extent. Often the body begins to adjust to the effects of HT for some me and in a few cases the reaction can be so severe that a man may stop the form of HT he is on and try an alternative. So you are not out of the wood yet but it seems you are tolerating your HT well which is promising. The addition of RT to the mix may present it's own, usually minor problems but compound effects of RH. Like so much with this rotten disease reaction to treatment is often variable and unpredictable.
Barry
 
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