Hi wonderful members of this community,
At the outset, let me thank everyone here for being so helpful, patient and supportive with questions from newcomers :) It's a great community. Let me also state that my dad lives in India and we really don't have any good forums to discuss these things.
He (59 yo) was initially diagnosed with a Gleason score 6 (3+3, PSA = 16-17, free PSA= 1.266) and it was diagnosed as an early stage prostate cancer. We were kinda relieved but the PMSA PET scan revealed that the cancer had spread to the femur and some lower vertebra (both low grade). This didn't correlate with the biopsy and hence the biopsy slides were re-analysed by another pathologist and it was deemed to be a Gleason 7/8. So the planned surgery was cancelled and an immediate shot of hormonal therapy was given. However, the doctor now advises surgical castration/orchiectomy. The chemotherapy will be started soon.
He also has a pretty shitty insurance which refuses to pay for regular HT shots but will pay for any surgical procedure (you guys with NHS are blessed!). So financially too, it's a sensible decision for him. He doesn't mind going through with the procedure. We are going to get another oncologist's opinion tomorrow.
What do you guys think about this? For me it seems like they are skipping some other treatment options like ultrasound or radiation.
Once again, thank you so much for this really informative forum.