Narrowing it down...

We met with the radiation oncologist on Tuesday. A wonderful man who clearly knows what he is doing. We were tickled to learn that he had originally been a piano major at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music - until (as he said) they kicked him out for playing Pop Warner Football one summer instead of devoting himself to his art.

The appointment was at 10, but we arrived at 9:30 to make sure we were in the right place and had time for the paperwork. He met us at the front desk, and said he'd be with us in just a couple of minutes. I think that is the first time in my life I've been taken early by a doctor! He spent a good two hours with us going over all the current information on prostate cancer treatments, and did a very thorough exam.

He agreed that it would be good to have the biopsy sent out for a second opinion, so I will definitely do that. Still, I doubt there will be a change, and I need to decide how I want to proceed. The doctor recommended surgery to remove the prostate, as had the urologist. However, the reason for the recommendation is that we just don't have data yet out 15 years on the modern types of radiation treatment. The numbers from the past (which gave surgery a slight edge in mortality figures at 15 years) were based on treatments that had been done in the 1960s. Radiation technology has come a long way since then.

The person who is doing those types of studies is scheduled to speak at a convention in the next couple of months, and the doctor felt that they would probably be announcing the results of the current 15 year data at that time. I am very curious to see what it is going to be. The radiation oncologists experience was that in the very few cases where cancer recurs after treatment with radiation implants, it is not in the prostate. This means that the cancer had already spread before the treatment took place. I am confident that I am early enough in this discovery process that that has not happened for me.

Lots of friends have been very helpful with testimonials about treatment they or their friends have had. I have to look at the overall numbers, though. Quality of life is very important to me, and from what I've learned so far the risks of problems in that regard is far greater with surgery than with the radiation implants. That is the direction I am leaning, but I am still in the learning stage.