Good News for My Treatment

My previous post had good news (as good as it can be with a diagnosis of cancer): the cancer is limited to my prostate.  It hadn't spread.

I had to wait until yesterday to meet the radiation oncologist and get his recommendation regarding treatment.  That too was good news.

I first watched a video that explained the three primary treatments that are used in low to moderate prostate cancer: hormonal therapy, radiation seeds, and external beam radiation. 

In the clearly moderate risk category (where there is some evidence of cancer outside the prostate but not affecting lymph nodes or bone) they might employ all three treatments.

In the borderline low to moderate risk category they often use hormonal therapy and the radiation seeds.

Even though mine is considered low to moderate risk, all the factors together led the radiation oncologist to say he thinks we should treat it as low risk rather than moderate risk.  That means no hormonal therapy.  Just the radiation seeds should suffice.  Yea!!

The procedure itself is a one-time insertion of 70-80 or more seeds, performed in an outpatient surgical center.  A day or two of limited activity and I should be able to get on with life and work.  That's good news to me.  If I have to have a cancer diagnosis, I'm blessed to have one that is curable with the least amount of trauma and side effects.

As I watched the video, I realized that the 45-minute or so procedure is only part of the process, though.  There will be a couple of things done prior to the procedure and multiple visits for the next few years to follow up.  That was new information, and it surprised me a bit. But that would be so with any of the other procedures.  I'm thankful that I'll be getting a one-time radiation treatment instead of 8 weeks or so of radiation 5 days a week.

Thanks again to all who have been praying and those who have called or sent notes of support.  I appreciate all of you and thank the Lord for you.