Best wishes and speedy recovery.
FWIW - my mother had both radiation and chemo for a rare form of lymphoma 23+ years ago. Back then they didn't even really know much about that particular form so they just threw everything at it. She is still doing great - its never returned. I know exactly how long because my first was born shortly after she was done treatement.
Glad to hear about your mom, that's fantastic. Slowly we are getting there.
Someday they will beat all this cancer. I think and hope the days of radiation and chemo will be in the history books replaced by immune therapy.
Sample the cancer and inject you with the proper antibodies to track it down and kill it. I have a nephew, gosh I think he was in college ended up with Hodgkin lymphoma. That was maybe 20 years ago I guess we can call him cured. Back then I assume like your mom, yeah, everything was a shot in the dark, I think 10 years before that 20 he would not have made it.
It's tough with those above cancers you can't see or simply cut out. The prostate is also one of them. Ive learned so much and REALLY been into this. Im actually looking forward to today. Have just about an hour until we have to leave the house.
Surgery would have been a challenge on me, not really an option in my opinion, surgeon said 20% chance they would open me up and have to close but he was ok doing it as long as I knew the odds. Robotic wasnt a possibility for me do to an operation I had in the 4th grade with a ruptured appendix and scarring. That helped the radiation treatment option decision as well as other things important to me that I wanted to preserve. With Prostate I picked the side effects I can live with and the ones you do not want or lets say better chance of not having them and that is how you select. This is 100% why I chose radiation regardless of surgery option being limited.
The reason for yet another long post *LOL* is now my point when we talk of advances. As short as 2006 surgery was the "standard" way to deal with the prostate. Radiation was almost considered barbaric for that area of the body in the 1990's. Depending on who you talk to radiation is far more preferable today. Still surgeons will state the other side of the argument. The bottom line is they are both equal is life span, just different side effects and every one if different with different prognosis.
The technology much more advanced and the "focus" of the radiation much more precise to limit as much as possible in an impossible place, radiation exposure to your other organs. It will never be zero but lets say much improved. My doctor is considering what I am about to do, a "cure" (with its side effects) for the next 15 years. In that time about 10% will die. The risk of other cancers and issues 3 years or more down the road from exposure to radiation are still there, a lower level however from just even 15 years ago (grabbing numbers out of the air) However the immediate risks of incontinence, sex life etc are much lower than surgery so its a trade off.
The thing about surgery is people think once the prostate is removed the cancer is gone, some have immediate and life long side effects, but most can be worked on and most do well, yet some never do. As told to me with removal, in my doctors particular radiation center. Approx 25% of his patients getting treated with radiation had their prostate removed and the cancer returned. That is why after removal you still are monitored with PSA tests. After removal all that has to be left behind are a few cancer cells in the connecting tissue and over time it will start growing. The good news is you can then get radiation.
So its like pick your poison, there is no right or wrong, these stories are about my particular case, everyone is different with this cancer and you need to discuss with your doctors on what is most important to you. Also get second opinions (gosh that was so helpful). There is no rush in most cases, ask your doctor if he doesnt offer that advice. All of mine told me to take my time.
Here is to me, the biggest issue with going the route I am going. Hormone therapy and Radiation. If you get radiation and the cancer comes back, they will not radiate you a second time. Something about cooking your organs. (layman's term) SO then you are stuck with the other options and surgery is another big challenge after radiation, the gland after radiation is sticky and hard to remove, most doctors will not do it. So typically its will be some type of drug and that is another problem the cancer can learn to live without testosterone over time so hormone therapy CAN become less effective.
My hope is, in 10 or 15 years (which is a LONG time in the medical field) if it comes back after my radiation treatments this year, by then they will have a more universal drug that knocks it out. Also radiation like all treatments is always improving.
So this is where I stand my doctor (in my case) says I will be
cancer free when I am done this year. I also will have a much greater chance of not having the two most important to me side effects with the radiation vs surgery but those risks still exist and the after effects of radiation exposure can start showing up years later.
If I chose surgery there is a significant chance or risk some cancer cells are left behind. However with surgery down the road it can be dealt with radiation and hormones. With Radiation well, as of right now that isnt as viable according to my doctor. They will not radiate twice. To me that technology is still improving though. This is why, and I have now spoke with 6 specialists in their respective fields from two different and far away health networks. No right or wrong in my case, I was told to choose by which side effects were my biggest concern that for me, both treatments will have the asme lifespan. We still are quickly making advances, even this drug I am taking right now. Some have a hard time with it. Im ok with it, six months and I Will be done. I got back a series of blood tests yesterday, I think 49 results. All looking good but that is another post.
Wow!! Another famous long post, anyone else reading this, what I type pertains to me, my specific cancer in my body. Talk to doctors about yours, get the information is the key. SEE A DOCTOR and dont be afraid of tests!
Thanks for your good wishes, didnt mean to get into this long post but maybe will help others interested to talk to their doctor, dont put off testing and decide to get other doctors thoughts too.
