Truthfully, when it comes down to it, only you can answer that, and you never really know whether you rolled the dice and won until the end (when it's too late to change course, but hopefully a long way in the future).
All treatments carry risks. The only thing you can do is weigh them all up and decide which potential side-effects seem the least unbearable to you (and then hope you don't get them).
Then decide. And then stick to your guns and don't look back.
Everyone has a different story and different set of circumstances. Whilst it's useful to hear other people's stories, none will be an exact match to your life.
Surgery seems to have worked for me in that it hasn't stopped me from doing anything I want to do. But, we're not there yet. It is possible I could have a recurrence (was told 10-15% chance), so it's too early to know for sure if I won my 'bet' on surgery.
I wasn't offered anything other than HT/RT or Robotic Surgery. I found the idea of hormone therapy and 28 visits to hospital during the beginning of the COVID pandemic very unappealing.
The 40% chance of erectile failure was unappealing, but less unappealing than dying. Same for the small chance of permanent urinary incontinence. I didn't really like the idea of the small possibility of death or blindness from the anaesthetic, but it was time to roll the dice.
First thing I thought when I woke up in recovery and opened my eyes was. "Yay I can see."
What are your most important things to consider?
_____ Two cannibals named Ectomy and Prost, all alone on a Desert island. Prost was the strongest, so Prost ate Ectomy. |
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I wonder how good the follow up is after hifu? I like the idea of a minimally invasive treatment, and I wouldn't mind if it had to be repeated every 5 years; just as long as you didn't go for a five year treatment and get told "sorry its now locally advanced".
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Originally Posted by: Online Community MemberI wonder how good the follow up is after hifu? I like the idea of a minimally invasive treatment, and I wouldn't mind if it had to be repeated every 5 years; just as long as you didn't go for a five year treatment and get told "sorry its now locally advanced".
I would check out how you would be monitored post HIFU. I had HIFU within the NHS in 2015 as a salvage treatment for failed RT. I have been monitored by PSA and then in 2020 by MRI and biopsy. I have been booked in for an MRI next month and a decision will be taken on whether to repeat HIFU. Last time this was followed by a Transperineal Biopsy and I hope this is not necessary this time. Particularly as the Prostate ages, there can be increasing calcification which makes HIFU more difficult, as can increased scar tissue from previous treatment. I have managed without HT since 2008 and will try to avoid having it still preferring another HIFU procedure if this is an option and needed.
Barry |