Tony,
Your bias is affecting how you see things.
1st, this was a study supported by many noted doctors from just about
every field and major institution, and just because the results were posted on a seed site does not make it an ad or biased any more than a study favoring surgery being posted on any institution's site doing surgery is. If I were running a seed institution I would also be touting this study.
2nd, To infer that Scholz is biased because he has Bahn as a partner. Bahn is a cryosurgeon and Scholz certaintly doesn't recommend cryosurgery. Frankly he's biased because he has treated hundreds of cases of failed surgery and is intimately familiar with the results and permanent side affects.
3rd. You are quick to support all posts indicating surgery as the most effective option and quick to discredit any that don't share this view. You infer that any doctor who does not support surgery like Bostwich or Sholtz are biased. Maybe they are biased because the evidence supports their bias.
4th, You can't really compare the combo of seeds and IMRT to a combo of surgery and anything else. Seeds and IMRT is an established protocol widely recommended as a 1st choice treatment. A combo of Surgery and anything else is rarely a recommeded 1st option, but in too many cases ends up that way. Very few people choose a surgery combination when offered as a 1st option. It is mainly touted as the best chance of a one shot cure.
I admit my bias. I started out as most everyone else, believing that surgery was by far the most effective option. As evidence mounted, I changed my opinion, and more and more evidence is being presented that surgery may not be the most effective option for the vast majority of PC patients.
Thanks for clearifying your other positions to Ohio State; I agree with them. PC has many conflicting opinions among all the specialists and we must avoid letting our bias keep us from accepting new evidence that may not support our preconceived positions.
JohnT
64 years old.
PSA rising for 10 years to 40, free psa 10-15. Had 5 urologists, 12 biopsies and MRIS all neg. Doctors DXed BPH and continue to get biopsies yearly. 13th biopsy positive in 10-08, 2 cores of 25, G6 less than 5%. Scheduled for surgery as recommended by Urological Oncologist.
2nd Opinion from Dr Sholtz, a Prostate Oncologist, said DX wrong, pathology shows indolant cancer, but psa history indicates large cancer or metastasis. Futher tests and Color Doppler confirmed large transition zone tumor that 13 biopsies and MRIS missed. G7, 4+3, approx 16mmX18mm.
Combidex MRI in Holland eliminated lymphnode mets. Casodex and Proscar reduced psa to 0.6 and prostate from 60mm to 32mm. Changed diet, no meat and dairy. All staging tests indicate that tumor is local and non agressive. (PAP, PCA3, MRIS, Color Doppler, Combidex, tumor reaction to diet and Casodex, and tumor location in transition zone). Surgery a poor option because tumor is located next to the urethea and positive margin is very likely; permanent incontenance is also high probability with surgery.
Seed implants on 5-19-09, 3 hours door to door, no pain, minor side affects are frequency and urgency; very controlable with Flowmax and lasted 4 weeks. Daily activities resumed day after implants with no restrictions. Gold markers implanted with seeds to guide IMRT.
25 treatments of IMRT 6 weeks after seed implants. No side affects at all.
PSA at end of treatment 0.02 mostly the result of Casodex. When I stop Casodex next week expect PSA to rise. Next PSA in November. Treatments and side affects have greatly exceeded my expectations. Glad to have this 11 year journey finally conclude.
JohnT