Good evening,
Any consultant will only suggest the treatment that they can offer, that is all they "know about" and are expert on.
It has been suggested here that a consultant has recommended a treatment option outside of their specialist field, but I doubt that it was actually the case. Imagine - a plumber recommending a fuse in your electrical circuit. How and what would they know?
The reality is that you and Dad, will have to weigh up all the information, bearing in mind it is largely "best guess" information, about his condition and then make a choice. Like we all do or did.
I am truly sorry and sad that you have felt the need to post as you have, but the reality of PCa is that there is no clear "leader" in terms of the treatment. If there was, all the others would be on the dole.
Surgery is, as I understand current thinking, mostly recommend for younger patients, with many many years ahead hopefully?
You and Dad may wish to consider his expected longevity, in context of other family members, before making a decision on treatment?
atb
dave
All we can do - is do all that we can. So, do all you can to help yourself, then make the best of your time. :-) I am the statistic. |
User
I'm afraid that's just the way it works. There are two available treatment options for your Dad, and it's up to him to decide which one he wants to go for - nobody is going to make the decision for him. This is absolutely normal - your Dad is not being "mistreated" in any way.
If you've not done so already, I'd suggest downloading the "Toolkit" from this site which will give you a lot of helpful information about the pros and cons of the different treatments. You can also phone the Freephone number at the top of the page and have a chat with the specialist nurses, who will be happy to answer any medical questions you may have.
Best wishes,
Chris
User
It would help if you could post your dad's full diagnosis - his Gleason score, staging, etc plus his PSA at diagnosis and if you know it, the % of cores that were cancerous.
Usually, that makes the diagnosis look something like T2 G7(3+4) NoMo or T1 G8(4+4) N1 Mx or something like that. Some hospitals don't give a Gleason score now and report it as a stage 3 or similar.
Depending on his results, he may also have the option of active surveillance (regular testing & monitoring but no radical treatment) - it seems that is the path he is on while decisions are made anyway, but some men will choose to stay on AS for as long as possible, particularly if treatment is going to make other medical conditions more problematic.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
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User
Many thanks for your replies and explanations. That helps clarify the usual process.
It's a very daunting decision of course, and I feel my dad needs much more guidance from the professionals (I have ME and so can't be with him as I have my own health struggles, otherwise, I'd go to appointments with him and ask more questions to help him decide.)
To briefly provide more context to the frustration - my dad has had great support from Macmillan and it was their support worker who sat with my dad recently to explain his consultants should have met to discuss his treatment. They hadn't, and so my dad requested that they do so. The earlier-mentioned meeting was the outcome. My dad feels like he's going round in circles.
I'm sure that once treatment gets underway, it will be excellent. It's distressing hearing my dad being so upset in the meantime.
User
Originally Posted by: Online Community MemberIt would help if you could post your dad's full diagnosis - his Gleason score, staging, etc plus his PSA at diagnosis and if you know it, the % of cores that were cancerous.
Usually, that makes the diagnosis look something like T2 G7(3+4) NoMo or T1 G8(4+4) N1 Mx or something like that. Some hospitals don't give a Gleason score now and report it as a stage 3 or similar.
Depending on his results, he may also have the option of active surveillance (regular testing & monitoring but no radical treatment) - it seems that is the path he is on while decisions are made anyway, but some men will choose to stay on AS for as long as possible, particularly if treatment is going to make other medical conditions more problematic.
The diagnosis is 2/11 cores positive Gleason 4+4
Thanks
User
I really don't think there's any more that anyone can do. As I explained previously, your Dad is following the same path that pretty much everyone here has followed: he's been given two options, one surgical and the other radiological, and now he needs to make a decision which one to go for.
There is no "right" answer; both surgery and radiology have life-changing consequences, and it's a matter of deciding which is least objectionable to him personally. As I suggested before, download (or order) the Toolkit which will give you the pros and cons of each treatment, and talk to the nurses (or ask here) if you have any questions - there are lots of people here who've opted for each choice.
At the end of the day, though, you need to decide.
All the best,
Chris
User
Thanks, Chris.
My dad is going to call Prostate Cancer UK again for some more advice on making his decision. Hopefully, they can help reassure him.
Interesting you say there is no 'right' answer. It may make his process of deciding a little bit less stressful.