sdPete - 5/21/2025 07:41

A couple additions .... after having my prostate removed 3 years ago, at age 65.

IF you have radiation or seeds as initial treatment, but the cancer returns, the surgical option becomes unavailable later on as the radiated tissue is unable to heal well enough to recover after surgery. A person I know is in this situation, had seeds first, then did hormone treatments.

Subsequent PSA tests (mine are around zero) only mean the prostate specific antigen is not detected. A person could very well have another form of cancer elsewhere in the body with a "safe" PSA test.

The condition of the prostate gland upon removal is an indicator of future possibilities. Mine had a clear margin, meaning whatever was going on was still entirely within the prostate gland so no concern about spreading elsewhere. When the margin is deteriorated the cancer can be spreading elsewhere. Another acquaintance with this scenario, did targeted radiation for 2nd round of treatment. Moral of the story, if your PSA test moves up to 7 and you are "young", consider surgery sooner rather than later, before cancer has a chance to spread.

No concerns about recommending surgery from me, robotic procedure, fairly fast recovery, minimal long term implictions. Got a big box of pads to use when regaining bladder control, quit needing them after 1/2 box used. I don't believe surgery is completely ruled out after radiation, the surgeon that removed mine said that if I did radiation first he would not do surgery on me after and that I would have to go to Mayo and have it done by the Dr that trained him, because it is a much more difficult operation, he also said that is the only surgery his mentor did.