Hello Carlos,
Welcome to this forum though sorry it is PCa that brings you here.
As regards Nanoknife, which is Irreversible Electroporation (IRE), you are considering is a form of treatment where there is no medium to long term knowledge of outcomes because it is a relatively new form of treatment. I think we have only had one member who has been treated with it on this forum. It is a treatment that was largely done abroad although I believe there may be a small number of places where it can be done in the UK but quite possibly only privately unless within a trial. No doubt you have investigated this aspect. There is a pretty comprehensive report by NICE on studies that have been undertaken and short term analysis of IRE together with a caution about it's use being carefully considered. I suggest you look at this as it will provide more information than you will receive from members here due to it's rarity https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/ipg572/documents/overview-2
Are you concerned about Prostatectomy as a treatment in general or is it the robot assisted procedure that particularly concerns you? There is very little to choose between the forms of surgery in terms of ultimate success and sometimes there is an advantage for some men in having the more conventional open surgery. However, the robotic method has gained in popularity among hospitals and patients because recovery is quicker and patients appreciate smaller incision marks.
I think you will find it of benefit to obtain the 'Tool Kit' which can be downloaded or a hard copy obtained from this Charity. It will give you a better understanding of Prostate Cancer (PCa) and treatment options. https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/our-publications/publications/tool-kit?_ga=2.206109653.795867346.1564408880-1013787081.1564408880
You must be aware that due to their diagnosis and other possible contraindications, not all men are suitable for every type of treatment, furthermore not all hospitals are able to offer all types and ways of treating, so some men opt for treatment in another hospital where permitted within the NHS or where they decide privately.
Edited by member 06 Feb 2020 at 22:22
| Reason: Not specified
Barry |
User
There was a NanoKnife trial in London carried by Professor Ecannotbenamedhere, on the NHS, but the results were inconclusive, which is why it is not offered as an NHS procedure. I think he charges around fifteen grand privately, depending on how many electrodes (@ £400 a pop) they need to use.
There is a centre of excellence for the procedure in Offenbach (my nick-name for my German Shepherd) near Frankfurt in Germany, which no doubt you have already Googled. It might be worth obtaining an opinion from them regarding your condition, but I doubt if your European Health Insurance Card will cover the cost.😉😂😂
If you check on the Macmillan Cancer Care website forum, I think there are one or two guys who have had it done on there.
Best of luck.
Cheers, John.
User
Hi Barry,
Thanks as ever for your informative link to those medical trials. I note one of the NanoKnife patients had a post-op complication when an abscess formed in his epididymis.
The comment that it was resolved by a ‘simple orchietomy’, seems somewhat understated!
Cheers, John.
User
Hi Barry
Thanks for the reply and the useful info as your aware all of this is a bit new to me and I’m still trying to come to terms with my diagnosis let alone the treatment. I’m leaning toward the robotic assist surgery at the min, the only hurdle is the timing. I was supposed to see my surgeon middle of Jan and the op scheduled for end of February, we have along overdue and very exciting holiday booked for this July. As it stands now I’m booked to see my surgeon 28th February and not really sure when the operation would go ahead, even if it was end of March this doesn’t give me time to get well and back to a degree of health I’d like before travelling.
I have been toying with the idea of asking the surgeon to schedule the operation after we return from our holiday. My wife is a teacher and will be off for the school holidays in the summer so will be home to help me get well if needed. At least then we can relax in the coming months, enjoy the holiday as a complete man, if you know what I mean and then go for the operation middle of July.
What are your thoughts on this ? I would welcome any input at all, as at the moment I feel pretty alone and confused.
kind regards
Carl.
User
Hi thanks for the reply, can I ask how is your husband now ? The indecision is killing at the moment some guys say go for radiotherapy for now and wait and see, most guys including professionals recommend the robotic assist surgery. I have been married for 4 years and I’m more worried about the impact of the side effects on my wife and my marriage, even though she has been amazingly supportive she didn’t marry a man with erectile disfunction or one that will wear a Tener men’s 😅. I have decided almost 99% to go ahead with the robotic assist surgery but one day I’m all for it then the next day I want to run away and ignore the cancer.
User
You have not shown your staging and what the cores revealed so we don't know how much cancer is in your prostate, things that could affect urgency to treat and any other options. Any treatment has possible side effects and not doing anything may mean the cancer progresses and shortens your life. It might be that you might be a suitable candidate for a treatment that has milder side effects than surgery or radiation. This is HIFU, (High Intensity Focal Ultrasound). You would have to get an opinion on whether you are a suitable candidate for this procedure which can be repeated in need or followed either by RT or Prostatetectomy. Long term results are not yet known and success rates as a primary treatment may be not quite so good as the other aforementioned treatments but could buy you more time at least as an interim measure. You might have to have this done privately as this treatment on the NHS is generally given as a salvage treatment for failed Radiotherapy treatment within a trial.
A treatment decision where options are available is one that probably most men struggle to make. You usually have to make your own decision based on how you prioritize the potential pros and cons of various treatments for your specific case . I again suggest you refer to the 'Tool Kit' in the link I previous gave to help you with this decision if you have not yet done so.
As regards your wife's attitude, this is something you should consider discussing with her. PCa is considered a couples disease.
Barry |