Ldr brachytherapy newbie

User

Posted 15 Jul 2025 at 18:01

Cheers Kpc

I hope your health is improving after that bad run that you had.

Fingers crossed for your next psa test continues with a downward trend.

Bryan

User

Posted 15 Jul 2025 at 19:02

Thanks John.

Patience will have to be the name of the game so. I'm feeling a good deal more confident following yours and others comments .

Bryan

User

Posted 15 Jul 2025 at 20:19

Hey Bryan,

As others have already said, absolutely nothing to be concerned about in my opinion - a really good start in fact!

This is definitely the hardest part of choosing brachy - you're going to have to be patient for a good while longer yet unfortunately!

In the meantime, you should reassure and remind yourself that if you've had a successful implant (which you have), the treatment itself really doesn't fail very often - in my centre, it's literally less than in a couple of percent of patients - so with that on mind and a decreasing PSA, you've got plenty to be positive about 💪👍

Cheers!

Paul

User

Posted 16 Jul 2025 at 11:12

Thanks Paul.

Probably a bit of impatience on my behalf, expecting too much too quick.

Again after everyone's comforting words on here I've become grateful of my drop.

I'm actually lower than my first PSA test now that I think of it.

Otherwise life is tipping along pretty well

Thanks.

Bryan

User

Posted 16 Jul 2025 at 13:01

It's more usual to have EBRT and this preceded and accompanied by HT. It is the latter that causes a major drop for those patients so the PSA drop is less dramatic for those who do not have HT. Radiation rather than wipe out existing cancer cells immediately, damages their DNA so when they come to divide they are unable to do so and then die. This accounts for the fall in PSA being more gradual. Looks good here.

Barry

User

Posted 16 Jul 2025 at 20:59

Thanks Barry.

Yet another very helpful post, hopefully it will keep dropping as time goes by.

Bryan

User

Posted 21 Jul 2025 at 08:57

Many thanks to everyone on this thread, I wish everyone well. It's made a massive difference to me to be able to read about your journeys.

I'm lucky to have a choice of treatments and I've gone for Brachytherapy.

A brief summary - no symptoms, no family history.

PSA test just after 70th birthday mid-May 2025 showed 12.

MRI, biopsies soon after. Diagnosed early July T2 N0 M0, CPG 3, Gleason 7 (3+4)

No definitive route for treatment from specialists.

Local hospital doesn't offer brachytherapy so I may have to travel but it seems like the treatment that will get me back to my current health as quickly as possible.

Referral made and now waiting.

(Away for 2 weeks on a long organised holiday)

Thanks again.

User

Posted 28 Jul 2025 at 11:41

I've just had my latest PSA back, now 5 months after the procedure. 1.7, down from 3.2 last time. Consultant happy and has put me on 6 monthly follow ups.

I'm more than happy with that and can get on with the rest of my year now after the dodgy start I had.

User

Posted 28 Jul 2025 at 11:59

Hi Kevin, good news and hopefully all the problems you had are behind you now. I’m about 2 months behind you with my treatment and recovery and will give an update on my progress in October after my next PSA test and chat with my consultant. Enjoy the remainder of the summer and all the best for the future.

User

Posted 28 Jul 2025 at 21:37

Great news KPC, good to hear things have started down a much more positive path 👍💪

User

Posted 28 Jul 2025 at 21:52

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Many thanks to everyone on this thread, I wish everyone well. It's made a massive difference to me to be able to read about your journeys.
I'm lucky to have a choice of treatments and I've gone for Brachytherapy.
A brief summary - no symptoms, no family history.
PSA test just after 70th birthday mid-May 2025 showed 12.
MRI, biopsies soon after. Diagnosed early July T2 N0 M0, CPG 3, Gleason 7 (3+4)
No definitive route for treatment from specialists.
Local hospital doesn't offer brachytherapy so I may have to travel but it seems like the treatment that will get me back to my current health as quickly as possible.
Referral made and now waiting.
(Away for 2 weeks on a long organised holiday)
Thanks again.

Hey there.

The procedure is pretty good, no more painful than a biopsy, I'm going post 5 months, a few niggles but all under control.

Feel free to shoot the questions.

Bryan

User

Posted 29 Aug 2025 at 14:31

An update:

Have been to see the nearest Brachytherapy specialist, they are happy to go ahead. Pre op assessment and bloods all done. Have a date for mid September. That gives me a couple of weeks to get my head straight and hopefully keep fit and well. Good luck everyone.

User

Posted 29 Aug 2025 at 15:00

Hi Ford55.

Don't be too worried about the procedure, I would suffer anxiety pretty bad but Paul and a few of the lads on here put me at ease.

It's still a GA and a fairly complex procedure but the recovery is pretty good, the radiation will cause some bowel and bladder problems, but they will ease as the months go by.

All the best to you and let us know how you get along.

Bryan

User

Posted 30 Aug 2025 at 17:04

Good luck Ford - not that you'll need it - the procedure is a walk in the park, certainly no worse than a TP Biopsy in my opinion.

As Bryan said, you can expect some rose coloured urine for a few days and perhaps to pass a few clots (painlessly!) and then an increase in urinary urgency and frequency for a few weeks (take the tamsulosin/alfuzosin which you'll be prescribed which really helps) but everything settles down pretty quickly from my experience. I travelled back up North from London and walked the golf course watching my lad in a competition 24 hours after the procedure without problems and was back to playing myself in under 2 weeks.

For the vast majority, it really couldn't be any easier.

Cheers!

Paul

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