Re: Uncle preparing for Brachytherapy (what should he expect?)

[Guest guest]

Mick Im only one year out from brachytherapy, but maybe this will help. First day after seeding there is only minor discomfort . No need for any type of pain reliever. Passed a little blood in the urine for about 3 days nothing serious. I had full bowel control from day one, no problems of any kind. About 12 months I did have some fatigue ,but maybe its just getting older,Im not sure LOL. The worst side effect has been minor rectal itching, but that is easily stopped by Prepartion H cream , which is over the counter at Wal Mart. Sexual function is normal after about 2 days, I did need Flomax for about 6 months to help with urinatian after that , everything was just back to normal. Long term Im happy with my choice, Proton treatment was not an option for me because of cost, My insurance wouldnt cover it.Mick Northrop wrote: ,_._,___ Hi group - I have an uncle in his 70's preparing to go through Brachytherapy. I don't know what his PSA is, but I can tell you that one side of his prostate is 70% - 80% involved and the other side shows some signs as well. There is some perineural invasion. His Gleason is 4+3. Having had PCa surgery, I don't really have much information to share with him as far as what to expect after the treatment. Would anyone be willing to share their

experiences so I can relay the information onto him? Thank you! Mick God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive. Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive. Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.

[Guest guest]

- Very helpful thank you. Did you notice an immediate drop in PSA or has it gone down gradually? Mick GARY WEBER wrote: Mick Im only one year out from brachytherapy, but maybe this will help. First day after seeding there is only minor discomfort . No need for any type of pain reliever. Passed a little blood in the urine for about 3 days nothing serious. I had full bowel control from day one, no

problems of any kind. About 12 months I did have some fatigue ,but maybe its just getting older,Im not sure LOL. The worst side effect has been minor rectal itching, but that is easily stopped by Prepartion H cream , which is over the counter at Wal Mart. Sexual function is normal after about 2 days, I did need Flomax for about 6 months to help with urinatian after that , everything was just back to normal. Long term Im happy with my choice, Proton treatment was not an option for me because of cost, My insurance wouldnt cover it.Mick Northrop <mnorthrop1977> wrote: ,_._,___ Hi group - I have an uncle in his 70's preparing to go through Brachytherapy. I don't

know what his PSA is, but I can tell you that one side of his prostate is 70% - 80% involved and the other side shows some signs as well. There is some perineural invasion. His Gleason is 4+3. Having had PCa surgery, I don't really have much information to share with him as far as what to expect after the treatment. Would anyone be willing to share their experiences so I can relay the information onto him? Thank you! Mick God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive. Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive. Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games. God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive. Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive.

Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.

[Guest guest]

It was slow but went from 7.5 to 1.5 after about 6 months, PSA will always be about 1.0 to 1.5 due to the seeds , at least thats what the doctor told me Mick Northrop wrote: - Very helpful thank you. Did you notice an immediate drop in PSA or has it gone down gradually? Mick GARY WEBER <garyweb50sbcglobal (DOT) net> wrote: Mick Im only one year out from brachytherapy, but maybe this will help. First day after seeding there is only minor discomfort . No need for any type of pain reliever. Passed a little blood in the urine for about 3 days nothing serious. I had full bowel control from day one, no problems of any kind. About 12 months I did have some fatigue ,but maybe its just getting older,Im not sure LOL. The worst side effect has been minor rectal itching, but that is easily stopped by Prepartion H cream , which is over the counter at Wal Mart. Sexual function is normal after about 2 days, I did need Flomax for about 6 months to help with urinatian after that , everything was just back to normal. Long term Im happy with my choice, Proton treatment was not an option for me because of cost, My insurance wouldnt cover it.Mick Northrop <mnorthrop1977> wrote: ,_._,___ Hi group - I have an uncle in his 70's preparing to go through Brachytherapy. I don't know what his PSA is, but I can tell you that one side of his prostate is 70% - 80% involved and the other side shows some signs as well. There is some perineural invasion. His Gleason is 4+3. Having had PCa surgery, I don't really have much information to share with him as far as what to expect after the treatment. Would anyone be willing to share their experiences so I can relay the information onto him? Thank you! Mick God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive. Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive. Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games. God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive. Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive. Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.

[Guest guest]

My experience was similar to 's.

I had two sessions of HDR brachytherapy plus 5 weeks of

external beam, plus two injections of Lupron.

I experienced some blood in the semen and pain during sex

during the external beam. I don't know if it was related

to the external beam or the brachytherapy radiation.

I did have difficulty urinating for about five months,

mostly resolved with Flomax. For about two months I was

getting up many times each night to urinate.

I also had some proctitis. Like , I was able to treat

it successfully with Preparation H.

All in all it was not too bad. I missed hardly any work.

I had no pain except for some soreness after the procedure.

My PSA bounced around a good bit after treatment but now,

3.5 years later, it is .21.

Alan

[Guest guest]

It is my understanding that PSA following treatment should be at a

minimum below 1.0. I guess I am saying a reading of 1.5 would concern

me, but the trick is to watch for three consecutive rises.

I found the following:

" In the 24-month period after radiation therapy, PSA levels may bounce

up and down from reading to reading. This fluctuation is normal and

not a cause for concern unless three consecutive readings indicate a

consistently rising PSA. "

and:

PSA following treatment:

After Brachytherapy [monotherapy]: under 1.0, according to

Brachytherapy Made Complicated, the textbook by Drs. Wallner, Blasko,

and Dattoli (but see one-year bump)

Note that Critz et. al. say they expect a nadir of 0.2 or less after

their combo of brachytherapy and radiation.

Fuller

>

> Mick Northrop wrote: ,_._,___

> Hi group - I have an uncle in his 70's preparing to go through

Brachytherapy.

> I don't know what his PSA is, but I can tell you that one side of

his prostate is 70% - 80% involved and the other side shows some signs

as well. There is some perineural invasion. His Gleason is 4+3.

Having had PCa surgery, I don't really have much information to share

with him as far as what to expect after the treatment. Would anyone

be willing to share their experiences so I can relay the information

onto him? Thank you!

>

> Mick

>

>

> God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive.

Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive.

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha!

> Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at

Yahoo! Games.

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

>

> God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive.

Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive.

>

>

> ---------------------------------

> Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha!

> Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at

Yahoo! Games.

>

[Guest guest]

Thanks Alan. What were your stats before surgery? I was curious why you had the Lupron. Mick Alan Meyer wrote: My experience was similar to 's. I had two sessions of HDR brachytherapy plus 5 weeks of external beam, plus two injections of Lupron. I experienced some blood in the semen and pain during sex during the external beam. I don't know if it was related to the external beam or the brachytherapy radiation. I did

have difficulty urinating for about five months, mostly resolved with Flomax. For about two months I was getting up many times each night to urinate. I also had some proctitis. Like , I was able to treat it successfully with Preparation H. All in all it was not too bad. I missed hardly any work. I had no pain except for some soreness after the procedure. My PSA bounced around a good bit after treatment but now, 3.5 years later, it is .21. Alan God rewards those that keep on keeping on. Stay positive. Think positive. Pray positive. And talk positive.

Boardwalk for $500? In 2007? Ha! Play Monopoly Here and Now (it's updated for today's economy) at Yahoo! Games.

[Guest guest]

<snip>PSA will always be about 1.0 to 1.5 due to the seeds , at

least thats what the doctor told me<snip>

I am having difficulty with this statement. Is this level of 1 to 1.5

in PSA " due to the seeds " a temporary thing or is it really " always? "

What have others that received brachytherapy alone experienced, and

what did the doctors say to expect? Thanks

Fuller

http://www.prostatebrachytherapy.info/3dctbrachytherapy.aspx

- Very

helpful thank you. Did you notice an immediate drop in PSA or has it

gone down gradually?

>

> Mick

>

>

[Guest guest]

> Thanks Alan. What were your stats before surgery? I was

> curious why you had the Lupron.

The numbers are a little inexact. My highest PSA reading before

treatment was 10.3, but I suspect it was due to having had a

digital rectal exam before the blood draw. Before that I think

it was 8.7. Earlier that year I had readings of 6.3 and 6.0.

Similarly, my Gleason score was read differently by different

pathologists. The low bidder lab used by my HMO said 3+3. The

same slides read by another center said 3+4, and the National

Cancer Institute, where I was ultimately treated in a clinical

trial, said 4+3.

I had consulted a urologist who worked for my HMO but didn't

respect him at all and didn't want him to cut me up. So I asked

for a second opinion from a radiation oncologist and was sent

to a very fine fellow who strongly recommended Lupron as a

neo-adjuvant therapy because, he claimed, there was good

evidence for improved outcomes for " intermediate risk " cases

(any PSA in the range 10-20, or Gleason 7). The NCI doctor

actually recommended against it on the grounds that hormone

therapy had unknown long term effects and it wasn't clear it

was needed.

I did some research on my own in Pubmed and did find some

clinical trials that claimed to find a significant improvement

in outcomes when HT was used. Later I found some that did

not find a difference, however I think there may be at least

a majority opinion, if not a complete consensus, that HT improves

radiation outcomes for intermediate risk cases. So I asked

NCI if I could have that along with the rest of the treatment

and they agreed to do it.

Incidentally, both radiation oncologists, as well as other

sources I have read, believed that brachytherapy by itself

was not sufficient for intermediate or high risk cases. It

should be combined with external beam to treat the area

around the prostate.

Alan