Side effects of radiatipn therapy. EBRT prostate cancer

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 15:48

Interesting Matron Kierkegaard, that you mention a local trial of HT combined with RT for everyone, post prostatectomy, regardless of the post operative pathology results.

I have consulted with two oncologists and the local prostate nurse, and none of them suggested adjuvant therapy in my case, despite some adverse biopsy results. One said: ‘We don’t want to poison or irradiate you and make you more ill than you are already at this stage’.

In fact, I have never felt so well. Is there a name for the trial you mentioned, and are any preliminary results available to view?

Cheers, John.

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 16:14

Hi john, what was your situation. psa . gleason before and after surgery also was urs a postive margin. herc

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 16:25

Hi chris what was your psa afyer the surgery before you started HT. Thanks herc

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 16:41

I didn't have surgery, Herc. The urologist recommended against it, so I went down the HT+RT route. I was Gleason 3+4, T2C N0 M0, with a PSA of 32 on diagnosis.

Chris

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 17:38

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hi john, what was your situation. psa . gleason before and after surgery also was urs a postive margin. herc

You can check my profile for that information. Gleason was 4+3=7, PSA 16 odd, no symptoms, post-op bio was upgraded to T3aN1M0 from T2a after two removed lymph nodes were cancerous and there was also a 'focal' breach of the capsule.

Anyway, I am now cancer-free with undetectable PSA, so I am keeping calm and carrying on. Two specialists have told me I will die of something else.....Can't wait!😉

Cheers, John.

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 18:25

I had 20 sessions of rt .Finished 7 feb ,awr on the 9 feb . After having cathter out last tues , after acute water retention , had hope waterworks would be ok , it has in a fashion , but slow slow flow plus urge how and again . been on tamulosin for 17 days one a day , i think i will see doctor see if i can increase to 2 aday ? as the consultant said first 2wks ok its the second 2 side effects kick in . i know side effects is individual i wonder on average how many weeks after rt things improve ?

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 22:47

Hi John so you had surgery and NO RADIOTHERAPY after, is that correct? What was you PSA after the surgery? Thanks Herc

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 23:05

Herc, you can click on John's (or anyone else's) picture and then select "View Profile" to read their details. Most of the "regulars" here keep their profiles updated.

Chris

User

Posted 01 Mar 2019 at 23:10

HI cheshire chris , yes i have checked profile but doesnt show that there. Thanks Herc

User

Posted 02 Mar 2019 at 02:27

In five tests in the nine months since my surgery all PSA readings have been ‘undetectable’. Our local billion-pound super hospital only tests down to 0.1, so <0.1 is undetectable. I had one at the Royal Marsden which only test down to 0.04, and that was <0.04.

Three consultants I have spoken to all said that PSA tests down to multiple decimal points (known as super-sensitive assay) are of limited value. And they all agreed that adjuvant radiotherapy was not appropriate in my case.

Cheers, John.

User

Posted 04 Mar 2019 at 09:47

HI Is great to hear you are clear now :) My Biopsy stated Gleason 3 + 4 (7). PSA 34 and bulging the capsule on right side but not penetrated T3aNoMo, went up to PSA 48 before the surgery( i put this sudden rise down to alternative therapy i had and all the juicing).

Post surgery Pathology states T3b With seminal vessles invaded and lymp node involvement which they removed near the prostate, and a PSA of 0.06 and this was at the ROYAL MARSDEN too.

Because of the Pathology report and PSA detecting 0.06 they think i will need RT And HT BUT, as the psa test was done

after 6.5 weeks and 2 psa were done 2 weeks apart which were both 0.06, they want to wait 8 more weeks and see but feel i will need RT. Lets wait and see. I really pray i dont need it. Thanks

User

Posted 04 Mar 2019 at 11:48

There are 2 schools of thought here. RT might not be necessary which seems to be the way the Marsden are advocating in your case and only have RT subsequently if PSA rises and perhaps some cancer shows up on scan or hit largely the Prostate bed now with RT before any cancer cells move further away which is another alternative being tried at some hospitals. In your shoes I would go with what the Marsden suggests as they know your case best and have an excellent reputation.

Barry

User

Posted 04 Mar 2019 at 15:25

HI Barry , yes you're right. Gona wait to see what happens in APril with the psa, but they said because of pathology good chance i will need RT. Thing is PSa now is 0.06 if it goes down to 0.05 or stays same and they dont treat it, and then down the line it comes back, i think is less chance to cure it becuase lets say it rises to 0.07 and then 0.09 anf they decide to treat it... even though the psa still shows low, the cancer couldve still moved from prostate bed ( thats if this is what is the reason for the 0.06 now. Thing is i think some hosptials lean towards doing RT whilst it is early in case can cath it early even though it is very low psa. Also i just hope that by april it isnt too late to treat it with simple RT. Thanks again The prayers continue for ll of us.

Herc

User

Posted 04 Mar 2019 at 15:26

Whats your story Barry, everything ok with you? Herc

User

Posted 05 Mar 2019 at 01:03

Herc, thanks for asking but my story is a long one - its under my bio (click on my avatar) but now makes for more difficult reading because since the 'site' reformatted it, (why?) instead of being spaced out they have now run it into a long unbroken record. Also, I wouldn't want to side track this thread by going into great detail.

I will just say that I am convinced that the RT I had in 2008 severely knocked back my PCa as evidenced by PSA and scans with only significant problem over HT being increased urinary frequency and urgency, which reduced to pre RT levels by 2 months post RT. I did have a new small tumour grow in the Prostate which was treated by HIFU in 2015, again with no significant side effects after pains for a week while catheter was in. A further small tumour was found in 2018 but is considered too close to my rectum for further HIFU. I am investigating the feasibility of having this treated by Focal Laser Ablation (FLA) as this treatment is said to be able to treat closer to the rectum. Unfortunately, FLA would likely mean going abroad and even if this proved successful, a further tumour might become more significant or alternatively if the present tumour was untreated it might never be a problem or one that systemic treatments might hold at bay for several years. This is one of the sometimes impossible questions to answer, viz is treatment necessary and I can tell you from personal experience that experts looking at the same scans and histology can sometimes disagree on this?

Barry

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