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Treatment timescales help please?

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User
Posted 24 Mar 2021 at 20:56

Husband was diagnosed today. We have to choose between surgery, EBR or seed brachytherapy. Any ideas how long it will be? Weeks or months? Very worried at the mo and want to thank you all in advance for any support you can offer.

User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 05:00

Hi,Gillb,


The wait for treatment can vary depending where treatment is to be administered. Hormone Therapy is most usually started several months prior to RT being given so treatment commenced quite soon after diagnosis. However, with delays due to Covid 19 in some areas a number of patients opting for surgery have been started on HT as a holding regime. The wait for surgery, may also be delayed to allow priority for more urgent cases. Your husband could contact his appointed special nurse at the hospital or if he has not been allotted one the Oncology Department who should be able to advise about time scales.


You don't say whether hubby has decided which treatment he has decided to have. If he has not yet decided he could send for a copy of the 'Tool Kit' or download it. Among other information it details various treatments which may help him with his decision. https://prostatecanceruk.org/prostate-information/our-publications/publications/tool-kit?_ga=2.206109653.795867346.1564408880-1013787081.1564408880


It would help us if you posted his diagnosis in his Profile when this is obtained. We can then have a better idea of where he stands. The sort of details are PSA at diagnosis, Gleason Score, results of scans and number of cores affected by PCa and percentage found within each core if shown. As the surgery option has been offered it looks the disease has been found at an early stage.


 

Edited by member 25 Mar 2021 at 05:01  | Reason: to highlight link

Barry
User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 07:02

Barry thank you


he is 58 next week, PSA 9.9, had a biopsy that’s 7 (4+3) don’t know about the cores but all contained in the prostate. He’s thinking surgery as he wants to ‘whip it out’ but not sure that’s the easiest recovery. We have our first grandchild due in July so thought of RT has implications for him re that but if it’s less invasive and has similar success rate might be good, but then would worry it might come back. Such a hard decision. We have all the leaflets and will speak to nurse Shona, who is lovely xx was hoping to read about others actual experiences on here. Thank you all so much, such a shock as he’s fit and well xx

User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 10:40
The vast majority of men who are diagnosed were fit and well until the day they were told they had cancer; it isn't like unhealthy people are more at risk than others.

The NHS Trusts have timescales to comply with but these are targets rather than absolute rules. On the day that your husband tells them which treatment he is opting for, the clock starts ticking and the hospital should start his treatment within 31 days. If he starts on HT in case of delays with surgery, the clock stops. If he asks for a second opinion, the clock stops. If he opts for radiotherapy or brachytherapy with hormones, as soon as he takes the first hormone tablet, the clock stops. The onco decides how long the patient should have HT before doing the RT or brachy and many will say 3 months but quite a lot of oncos would prefer to wait 6 months anyway so if your OH opts for RT/HT he could just tell the onco that he would prefer not to start the RT/brachy until at least August or September and see how the onco feels about that.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 10:42

Thanks so much Lynn that’s really helpful. 

User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 12:20
As Barry said, please order the Toolkit, which comes in a thick folder if you get it by post. I prefer the tangible paper version.

Make sure you discuss his case with both a surgeon and an oncologist. I and two mates of mine (not a scientific sample) all had surgery and the other two had to have RT afterwards for slight recurrence. We are all fine now.

Click on my profile and you can see all my notes since diagnosis about three years ago.

Best of luck.

Cheers, John.
User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 12:25

I was diagnosed in Nov 2020 with a 10.2 PSA and a Gleason of 7 after Biopsy in Dec,


Had RT on March 13 in Churchill Hosp Oxford . I had same attitude to your other half " whip it out" based on the idea that I could then " Live again" I was fit before 8-10 miles a day power walking and I will  get back to that in time. 


Rest assured you are not alone.

User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 13:17

Thank you Barry. Can I ask how old you are and why you chose to go with RT instead of surgery? 

User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 13:18

Thank you bollinge

User
Posted 25 Mar 2021 at 17:02
Some men are not suitable for surgery for all sorts of different reasons; because of the extent of the cancer, or because of previous abdominal surgery / scar tissue, because of heart problems, fear of anaesthetic, living on their own with no support network post-op. Others choose RT or brachytherapy because they are just not prepared to risk being left with permanent incontinence or impotence. Sometimes, the multi-disciplinary team advises that all treatments are suitable but there is a concern about whether surgery could get it all, or conversely, the MDT might advise that no treatment is necessary and close monitoring is the best way forward.

My husband was 50 at diagnosis and if brachy had been available that would have been our first choice, but he turned out not to be suitable. My father-in-law, on the other hand, refused to have surgery or hormone treatment because he wasn't prepared to lose his sex life. He died within 4 years which is a pretty certain way of losing your sex life.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 21 Apr 2021 at 16:58

Sorry for Delay in answering , I was 69 when I had the operation , and the decision for taking this action was so that we ( my partner and I ) could get on with living and not be constantly trying to map our lives around Hospital scans and treatments. Sorry to be so blunt but thats us ( and she is worse than me) ha ha.


Keep smiling.


 

User
Posted 21 Apr 2021 at 17:03

Sorry Typo in previous mail I had surgery not RT all these initials are sometimes confusing . I I had Radical Robotic operation.


 

User
Posted 28 Apr 2021 at 17:51
on decapeptyl every 3 months just finished 37 days off radiotherapy all went well little side effects hopefully ok when tsets are done in july feeling really well
 
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