I have my volume study today in prepration for seed implants and IMRT. Tupock, after reading your experience I was a little worried, but it was no big deal. Absolutely no pain and just mild uncomfortableness. Lasted about 15 min. Maybe the valium and vicodine played a part.
The good news is that the study came out very well. My prostate shrunk form 60cc to 34cc on 6 weeks of Casodex and proscar. They wanted to give me Lupron, but I convinced them to use only Casodex and proscar because the side affects are about 20% that of Lupron and as you can see the results are just as good if not better.
So if your doctor wants to give you Lupron to shrink your prostate insist on Casodex and proscar. The only affect I had were loss of libido. I can still get an errection, but have no desire to do so. some hot flashes, but very minor and very tolarable.
The next step is sending the volume study to Seattle where they will develop a radiation plan and order the seeds preconfigured.
I chose seeds and IMT as the radiaton dose is much higher than from either treatment alone and the risk of adverse side affects is much less.
My radiation doc wants me off Casodex, but I chose to keep taking it until 30 days after treatments because I want my prostate stabalized during treatment and the side affects aren't that bad. I should regain my libido within a month of stopping it. I'm hoping that it will aso kill any cells that may have escaped.
It's important that one take charge of his own treatment by doing through research, because doctors are usually set in their ways and you have to find doctors that respect your opinions and desires.
JohnT
64 years old.
I had an initial PSA test in 1999 of 4.4. PSA increased every 6 months reaching 40 in 5-08. PSA free ranged from 16% to 10%. Over this time period I had a total of 13 biopsies and an endorectal MRIS all negative and have seen doctors at Long Beach, UCLA, UCSF and UCI. DX has always been BPH and continue to get biopsies every year.
In 10-08 I had a 25 core biopsy that showed 2 cores positive, gleason 6 at less than 5%. Surgery was recommended and I was in the process of interviewing surgeons when my wife's oncologist recommended I get a 2nd opinion from a prostate oncologist.
I saw Dr Sholtz, in Marina Del Rey, and he said that the path reports indicated no tumor, but indolant cancer clusters that didn't need any treatment. He was concerned that my PSA history indicated that I had a large amount of PC somewhere that had yet to be uncovered and put me through several more tests.
A color doppler targeted biopsy in 11-08 found a large tumor in the transition zone, gleason 6 and 7. Because of my high PSA Dr. suspected lymph node involvement, 30% chance, and sent me to Holland for a Combidex MRI, even though bone and CT scans were clear.
Combidex MRI showed clear lymph nodes and a 2,5 cm tumor in the anterior. I was his 1st patient to come up clear on the Combidex which has a 96% accuracy,
I've been on a no meat and dairy diet since 12-08 and PSA reduce to 30 while I awaited the Combidex MRI.
The location of the tumor in the anterior apex next to the urethea makes a good surgical margin very unlikely. Currently on Casodex and Proscar for 8 weeks to shrink my 60 mm prostate. Treatment will be seeds followed by 5 weeks of IMRT while continuing on Casodex and Proscar. So far no side affects from the Casodex.
JohnT