re: Radiation or surgery for prostate cancer ?

I would recommend surgery and then radiation based on my father's experience. He was diagnosed at 55. He was advised to have hormone treatment and then surgery. He was diagnosed in November and had surgery in March after hormone treatment. I sincerely believe he got bad advice.

He had surgery and then was told 2.5 years later it was back. He didn't have radiation and he had chemotherapy. He was diagnosed in 1999 and died in 2010. I think he got bad advice and took it.

There is a book all men should read:HOW WE DO HARM by Otis Bradley,MD.He’s an oncologist and chief medical and scientific officer of the American Cancer Society.I am sure he is hated by urologists all over America.

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Surgery. Can't get it up anymore but I'm alive.

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Go to your urologist and ask about an IPP. Don’t get the Boston Sci. You will be disappointed with the results.

Somehow I missed your first post.

Glad you are recovering well and the surgery went as expected. If you have complications after surgery, they usually show up pretty quickly. You're probably out of the woods. Hope you continue to have a quick and complete recovery.

My PSA was 17.1 and my Gleeson Score was 3+4=7. I was thinking I was going to have surgery, but the 2nd surgeon (who used the Da Vinci) kind of talked me out of it. He sent me to consult with a radiation oncologist and I couldn't be happier with the results (so far). No complaints.

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If you are a man and on the earth long enough you’re prostate will frick you. Take it out.

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How does removing the prostate affect your sex life?

How does removing the prostate affect your sex life?
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Depends if they "spare" the nerves that cause erections. That's why a very exerienced surgeon is preferred.

I flew to Baltimore to see one of John Hopkin's top doctors.

Cancer is gone, full bladder control, and erections are still a go.

How old are you?

What’s your PSA?

My dad died of complications following prostate surgery.

They accidentally knocked a hole (fissure) in his “plumbing” that they didn’t catch. He became septic, had a couple of heart attacks, and died within 3 weeks of the procedure.
He was 78 and in fantastic shape going in.

Please be careful in asking for other’s opinions regarding the treatment of prostate cancer. While some cases of prostate cancer may have both a surgical and a radiation option for therapy, most cases have a preferred and recommended treatment strategy. This is not as simple as a matter of preference.

My dad had surgery followed up by radiation at around 70. He could still get it up without Viagra at 84

Be very careful listening to any of these my family member did this posts. Realize the pros and cons of each. ED rates and incontinence rates vary by modality and surgeon. Also realize that surgery may very well be followed by radiation depending on the results of pathology which could have then avoided surgery altogether.

I strongly recommend meeting with a good urologist and a good radiation oncologist and perhaps a second radiation oncologist. The good radiation oncologists will give you all the data and let you make the best decision. Many (not all) urologists lean straight to surgery since they are surgeons and there are many new articles noting that many patients are going to prostatectomy when radiation would be more appropriate.

If you want a tie breaker, meet with a medical oncologist since chemo doesn’t have a role in early stage disease. Given that if you are talking radiation and surgery you would not have metastatic disease, a medical oncologist would have no dog in the fight and could discuss pros and cons of each very objectively.