From: IATROGENIC@webtv.net (From Bob)

When surgery is NOT a consideration, is EBRT, or Seed implants done
first, or does it not make a difference ???

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hi bob - simply put, radiation is radiation.  the body responds to the
same way.  it's the manner in which it is applied.   and it is adds to
the damage each time, so you are normally not radiated but once -
regardless of treatment.

here's a simple test.  take your hand and bend it backwards.  see the
skin?  now, take your thumb and finger and pinch it firmly and hold it
for a couple of seconds.  now, let go.  how long did it take for you
skin to straighten up.  that radiation damage from the sun.   now, do
the exact same thing on an area of the body where it has not been
exposed to sun light and see the difference.

some of the radiation is applied outside the body, such as EBRT.  some
of the radiation is applied from inside the body such as seeds.

bottom line - the goal is the kill the prostate cancer.

but you will have the possibility of side effects.  can be impotence,
incontinence, or colon problems.

as far as the problems of side effects after treatment or basically the
same.  it's just that surgery happens up front and gets better with time
and radiation takes it slowly over time as the body reacts to the
radiation.

i don't know why surgery is not an option, so i won't go there.

but i will say this.  i was originally going to have seeds done.  but
there was two points that the doctor said that bothered me.

one - cancer grows on the outside lobes of the prostate.  if you put the
seeds into the prostate, you will kill any cancer in the prostate, but
what about the cancer on near the outside of the prostate?  did you kill
it?

two - radiation is a concern in the fact that too much radiation can
cause cancer, such as too many chest x-rays.   but what about radiation
of the prostate.  if you were able to kill all the bad cancer cells,
what about the good cancers the were left?  who's to say that maybe
years later, they wouldn't go rouge and go cancerous.

that last point bothered me........ and i didn't have an answer....

~ curtis

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc