Prostate Cancer Treatment - Radiation

I was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer at age 50. I have chosen radiation therapy  (Monday - Friday for 9 weeks) as my treatment option. I've read plenty and spoke with other patients that had surgery but can't seem to find many that have elected to go with radiation as their treatment option.

My wife thinks that I should do the surgery but the side effects of surgery really turns me away and I feel that I have just as good of an outcome with radiation. If anyone has had radiation therapy for their prostate cancer I would love to hear about their experience good or bad. My treatments begin on 5/2/19 so any advice would be much appreciated. I'm still open to changing my mind on which treatment option to choose.

@DT58HOF I'm very sorry to hear about your diagnosis but we have a lot of members here that have been in the same situation and come out the other side :) I will tag some members who might be able to advise you about your treatment option and share their advice with you.

@carbuilder‍ @cooperman‍ @Bootneck‍ @mikesalmons‍ @FARMER3752‍ @Sundaze18‍ @johnpaul1946‍ @David43‍ @hammy1946‍ @joeydunlop‍ @Trevor12‍ @vulcan‍ @alfspickup‍ @Philwood‍ @toddy1234‍ @rolymo‍ @exraymond‍ @JulianC‍ @tony57‍ @MyCancerLife‍ @Beejay‍ @SeanDD‍ 

@DT58HOF  Hi , My treatment for prostate cancer was Radiotherapy and Brachytherapy. My Brachytherapy ( High dose radiation direct to the area of cancer) was a two day stay in hospital. I then had 4.5 weeks of radiotherapy 5 days a week and that followed with a course of hormone treatment. My psa level before treatment was 8 at it's highest and since I finished my treatment It has been consistent since January 2018 at less than 0.01. No real side effects and living life to the full at 71. I have ED but that does not worry me or my wife, We would both agree to living with ED than being on the other side. Go with your intuition and talk to your consultant. Best wishes to you and hope whatever treatment you choose goes well for you.

I was 61 when I was diagnosed and my Consultant more or less said that the best and recommended option was removal, didn't really need much persuasion. Months of hospital visits vs 1-1/2 days in hospital and 6 weeks recovery. The only drawback as far as I can tell is loss of penile length which I suppose you don't get with radiation treatment. But they didn't tell me about that side effect at the time.

The hormone treatment shrunk my privates slightly but I'm quite happy with what it has left me with.

Following diagnosis most of us are left with the dilemma of which way to go.   A big factor in my decision was that I was told surgery would not be an option if radiation failed.   Whereas if surgery is not successful radiation is still possible.   Seems like a no brainer to me!