Brachytherapy option

User

Posted 05 Aug 2019 at 15:08

Hi All,

as I am relatively low risk and I fit into the right parameters, I have just been offered Brachytherapy as a treatment.

Anyone on here recently had it and would like to fill me in on their own real life experiences and side effects? (ED incontinence etc.)

I'm at early stages of gathering info but this sounds like a good option for my circumstances, unless anyone has had bad experiences!

Any feedback greatly appreciated, cheers.

Robin

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 10:10

Hi Robin

I took the low dose Brachytherapy route in September 2016 my Psa was 2.19 Gleason 3+4=7 with 5 cores of 20 showing positive. I was a bit concerned about the operation to start with but once i was in the Mount Vernon it went very well overall i was taken down for the operation knocked out and in no time i was i n the recovery room and then taken back to my own room on the ladies ward as that was the only place available as because of the radioactive seeds in me i had to be away from pregnant ladies and babies.I was a little saw and very hungry and was looked after very well by the nurses got tea served any time i wanted some. I had to pee in a bottle and they had a geiger counter on the window sill with 13 bottles that i filled during the next night and day to be checked for escaped seeds,I stayed in the following day and my daughter took me home.I was given Tamsulosin and pain killers and an antibiotic to keep infection at bay.I had no real problems that i can think of and still had an urgency to wee and was getting up three to four times a night and still do but that's not a problem.I got off the Tamsulosin in April 2017 and was given four Viagra a month to help with ED. My PSA dropped down to 0.22 in January 2019 when i was put on to yearly tests.

Overall i feel fine for a 73 year old ,if you click on my avatar you can see the bits i forgot.I don't look that i am cured yet from prostate cancer but at my age there are many other ways to check out.I am happy to answer any questions or fears you have if you choose to take the Brachytherapy route.

Good Luck John.

Edited by member 06 Aug 2019 at 10:14 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 08 Aug 2019 at 09:38

Hi Robin...I had LDR Brachy 2.5 years ago (about the same time as Johntheprint). Please click on my avatar to read a full account of my journey and where I expect to progress from now on. My impression is that your age is a significant factor in the choice between removal or Brachytherapy.

Good luck, Robin

Will be following your progress with interest

User

Posted 09 Oct 2019 at 09:12

Whatto Robin,

I have just read your post of 9th September and quite amazingly your experiences mirror mine of 10 years ago and I am in no doubt that I was dealt with by the same lady as you but at The Royal London Hospital. I remember the last words she spoke to me at our pre Brachytherapy meeting in December 2009 ,she said " If I was you I would be seriously considering Active Surveillance" I had been diagnosed two months earlier and had made my decision despite all the arguments my mind was set and would not be changed. As can be seen by my profile I was Gleason 3+3=6 with a PSA then at 5.4. Ten years after the procedure I have no regrets whatsoever and have enjoyed life travelling extensively around the world and to this day I play Golf usually 3 times each week and carry my clubs because I cannot be bothered with Golf Trolleys electric or otherwise. My PSA at this time is 2.8 and is almost 2 higher than the nadir in 2012. I did experience some slight radiation damage to my bladder 5 years ago but these damaged blood vessels were blasted by a Zapper and have to date never reappeared. As for your oscillating Grant all I can offer is once you have made your mind up stick to that decision like super glue. I am now 75 years old and have just returned home from 10 days in The Algarve where the last thing on my mind was Prostate Cancer. If I can be of any help to any of the guys and girls on this forum please feel free to email me direct.

Michael aka Chigwell2010.

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 13:42

Great, good info there thanks John. Answers my questions.

I'm pretty good for not getting up in the night at the moment, unless I've had beer!

My dad was similar age to you when he had rt and ht -

before treatment he suffered terribly with gout, even without beer/wine and a good diet. Since treatment he no longer gets it! Probably one of the positives as he does have other side effects.

Thanks again, if I think of anything else I will let you know.

Robin

User

Posted 07 Aug 2019 at 09:57

Hi Robin,

I think I did have fatigue after the Brachytherapy but possibly also worry that had i made the right choice of operation.I think it all depends on your situation ie are you still at work or retired so have more time to dwell on it.

Coming up to three years i think i did make the right choice and if the results in January are good i can relax a bit more.

John.

User

Posted 07 Aug 2019 at 10:22

Thanks John,

Yes I know what you mean about dwelling on it, work, etc. Can be tiring, although I do work, and tend to ride my bike to take my mind off things...

Same as you 3 choices all with 90% ish success rate, not easy, you have my sympathy!

Sounds like you have definitely made right decision though, and your results will be good im sure.

Cheers again,

Robin

User

Posted 07 Aug 2019 at 12:38

Hi Robin,

I was only given two choices Robotic removal at the Lister and Brachytherapy at Mount Vernon, the first specialist believed his option was the best way forward but i asked for a second opinion and luckily the specialist that done my procedure was at the hospital and he thought i was a good candidate for Brachytherapy. What also pushed me to wards Brachytherapy was I had a friend that had Brachytherapy two years before and was in remission at the time.

I was not given and percentages of success rate on either of the procedures and did not expect it.

Good luck John.

Edited by member 07 Aug 2019 at 12:40 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 09 Sep 2019 at 18:18

Hi all,

I said I would keep you posted, so here goes:-had my apt at Christie yesterday to talk about Brachy option- consultation was nothing like the others!

I spoke with the Brachytherapy radiologist consultant (the top dog and that's all she does) It was not an impartial interview like the other 2 where I have been left to decide my options, she was the 1st one to have an opinion-slightly abrupt, but very strong in her views, almost to the point of wondering why I was there, or I was wasting time/money.

She has strongly advised me against having Brachy, (also discouraged me from the other options but said that Brachy option would be a no brainer if I was to treat it).she said that it was a good news conversation, and said it was so small that they class it as an "insignificant finding", said if she was to treat it she would be treating whats going on in my head rather than whats in my prostate. (although she has't just been told she has cancer)

Explained to me in detail about the procedure and how big of a dose it is etc. also the side effects, and the real chance of having them, also more clearly about the lesion and how small the positive core is.

So in short she told me to go away and have a good think about A.S. and tried to reassure me that it was the best way to ensure a good quality of life for the foreseeable.

I was a bit taken aback to be honest, So I have a follow up apt (and psa test) from 1st consultation on the 16th of Oct, I will chat with the nurse then and see where we go, where i will be asking more questions about how I will be monitored etc. if I decide I can get my head round it.

hope this makes sense!

Robin

Show Most Thanked Posts

User

Posted 05 Aug 2019 at 23:53

There are two kinds of Brachtherapy. One is high dose where radioactive rods are inserted and then withdrawn during an operation. The other is low dose where radioactive seeds are strategically placed within the Prostate during an operation and left there (low dose). In this situation the seeds give off radiation for 18 to 24 months. Either treatment can, if considered appropriate, be augmented by External Beam Radiotherapy. Do you know which one you are being offered Robin, so any responder replies about the same treatment?

Barry

User

Posted 05 Aug 2019 at 23:58

I am hoping that Johsan will see your thread and reply - her husband had successful brachy

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

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 07:45

Thanks guys,

Apologies for missing that off! I'm presuming low dose, as they were taking about 12 months of a dose, and implanting seeds. It will be done at the Christie, so I need to meet up with the apt. Consultant yet.

Pretty sure I won't need to have it supplemented by anything else at this stage.

Robin

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 08:08

A friend had LDR seeds a couple of years ago for a T2 diagnosis (not sure the precise grading) and he's been fine with it. He was on HT for 18 months too.

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 10:10

Hi Robin

Good Luck John.

Edited by member 06 Aug 2019 at 10:14 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 10:40

Brilliant, thanks for your time John, sounds like you are doing well.

I have all the options open to me, and as I also have the option of AS, I prefer to get it sorted while it's at its earliest stage, and I'm still reasonably fit.

I think brachy is my favoured option at the moment, but I still need to speak to the specialist.

Your side effects don't seem too severe, I think I could live with needing to pee a bit more often, as long as I'm in control.

Did they tell you how long that will last?

how long was your dose scheduled to last for?

And what happens to the seeds after they have done their job?

Consultant was in a dilemma how to monitor me as my psa is quite low and hasn't really elevated relative to the other problems, we will see...

Thanks again John

Robin

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 11:06

John’s first choice would have been brachy but at the time, our hospital didn’t offer it as an option to younger men due to concerns about a slightly increased risk of other cancers down the line. Things have moved on a lot since then and although there does seem to be a tiny risk of bowel or bladder cancer 15 or more years later, the risk is still less than 5% I think.

Generally speaking, if ED is going to be a side effect it tends to develop a few years after the treatment. If the brachy is with hormone treatment (which it usually is although in your case, the onco might not think necessary) then loss of libido is almost always a side effect. This then impacts on penile health unless you take steps to avoid atrophy.

Surgery - SEs like ED and incontinence are usually immediate but hopefully improve over the first 2 years.

EBRT / brachy - Hesitancy / frequency can be an immediate SE which then improves, incontinence is much rarer than with other treatments but if it happens, it develops some years down the line.

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

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 11:07

“although there does seem to be a tiny risk of bowel or bladder cancer 15 or more years later, the risk is still less than 5% I think.”

Sorry, I didn’t word that very well. The risk of second cancers as a result of any kind of radiotherapy is very small, and research suggested that the very small risk is increased by up to 5% by brachy. NOT that 5% of all men who have brachy get second cancers a few years later! 🙄

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

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 11:28

Thanks Lyn, very helpful. I meant to ask about secondarys from the Brachy, but you have answered my question.

After all my studying, I agree with what you have said about side effects of surgery and rt.

All the curative rates are pretty much even, which makes the choice more difficult!

Having said that, surgery no matter how neat/small, still involves cutting through muscle/tissue etc.

My oncologist, did say no Ht necessary, but I suppose the practice that is doing the Brachy could look at it differently...

Thanks again for your time,

Robin

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 12:20

HI Robin,

Not sure if you meant how long related to the peeing at night or seeds so i will answer both ,If i wake in the night i am not desperate to go and have never had a accident, but find it easier to get back to sleep, i used to get up quite a lot way before Pc and it was mainly down to beer drinking but i tend to drink wine as beer sets off my gout.

Dose Scheduled. the Specialist works out the amount of seeds and dose from MRI scan and samples at biopsy stage.

The seed degraded over a few months and they are just left to degrade in the prostate.

You carry a card to say you are radioactive and to avoid close contact with pregnant women and young babies also may set off scanners at airports.

If i did not explain everything please post more questions.

John.

Edited by member 06 Aug 2019 at 12:23 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 13:42

Great, good info there thanks John. Answers my questions.

I'm pretty good for not getting up in the night at the moment, unless I've had beer!

My dad was similar age to you when he had rt and ht -

before treatment he suffered terribly with gout, even without beer/wine and a good diet. Since treatment he no longer gets it! Probably one of the positives as he does have other side effects.

Thanks again, if I think of anything else I will let you know.

Robin

User

Posted 06 Aug 2019 at 20:57

Hi John,

Forgot to ask did you have any fatigue apart from immediately after the op?

Cheers,

Robin

User

Posted 07 Aug 2019 at 09:57

Hi Robin,

Coming up to three years i think i did make the right choice and if the results in January are good i can relax a bit more.

John.

User

Posted 07 Aug 2019 at 10:22

Thanks John,

Yes I know what you mean about dwelling on it, work, etc. Can be tiring, although I do work, and tend to ride my bike to take my mind off things...

Same as you 3 choices all with 90% ish success rate, not easy, you have my sympathy!

Sounds like you have definitely made right decision though, and your results will be good im sure.

Cheers again,

Robin

User

Posted 07 Aug 2019 at 12:38

Hi Robin,

I was not given and percentages of success rate on either of the procedures and did not expect it.

Good luck John.

Edited by member 07 Aug 2019 at 12:40 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 08 Aug 2019 at 09:38

Good luck, Robin

Will be following your progress with interest

User

Posted 08 Aug 2019 at 11:07

Thanks Thomas,

plenty of useful info in your avatar, I will message you about it.

Thanks for your time.

User

Posted 09 Sep 2019 at 18:18

Hi all,

I said I would keep you posted, so here goes:-had my apt at Christie yesterday to talk about Brachy option- consultation was nothing like the others!

So in short she told me to go away and have a good think about A.S. and tried to reassure me that it was the best way to ensure a good quality of life for the foreseeable.

hope this makes sense!

Robin

User

Posted 09 Oct 2019 at 00:35

Hi Robin

Any update on where you got to with your decision.

I have been oscillating between RP and Brachy treatment options but after long discussion with guy who had Brachy think this may be a better option than RP!

Grant60

User

Posted 09 Oct 2019 at 09:12

Whatto Robin,

Michael aka Chigwell2010.

User

Posted 09 Oct 2019 at 10:28

Hi Grant and thanks for your interest.

In short no I'm no further on yet - I have just done my psa test and results to be seen next weds and discussed with my nurse. I have sent all details to her regarding the last consultation, but have had no response which is a bit disappointing. So still in limbo unfortunately.

Have read you post too Michael, all sounds good and like you definitely made right decision. - lady I saw at Christie was {Name removed by Moderator], if that means anything to you?

I would imagine finding is an issue, and maybe that's the reason for fobbing me off, hard to say.

Thanks for sharing your story with me and reading mine, hope your good progress continues.

Will keep you posted,

Thanks

Robin

Edited by moderator 09 Oct 2019 at 10:36 | Reason: Not specified

Notification

Join the online community now.