J-

I just read in one of the zillions of abstracts and studies that I come
across, that it is not considered a valid treatment for prostate
cancer.  It once was, though.  It sounds like your husband is getting
it more for treatment of the urinary problems than for prostate cancer.
So that could be valid.

I question 'releasing' prostate cancer cells into the bloodstream by
TURP or biopsy or brachy or whatever.  They say it doesn't.  I tend to
believe Dr. Barken's point of view, that all prostate cancer is
systemic.  In which case, what does it matter if there are a few cells
more or less in the blood and lymph?

If there are cells in the blood and lymph, what is going to kill them?
Nothing certain.  The systemic treatments at best hope to reduce the
tumor load.  Then the body's immune system can get the rest?  Go for
the greens, and all that.  It is very very tough that your husband has
had three (3 !!) different local treatments and no cure.  I'm so sorry,
its worse than our story, only because our story just started in
December.  I may be looking at yours later and going, "oh, man, if only
for 11 years."  Plus, not to mention you will probably get another 11
anyway.  There is definitely some control going on.

Well, I don't have much to say.  Mostly I'm writing because your
question didn't get a plethora of cogent, educated, and comprehensive
replies (or any at all).  I, the layman (or laylady), doubt that
whatever his situation is, that a TURP--after RT, seeds, and cyro--will
hurt anything.

My husband just had the 2nd visit with a radiologic oncologist.  He
found between 11-18 ccs of prostate tissue left behind after RP.  My
husband also failed three tries of two different chemo drugs.  This was
very very tough--allergic reactions--look and feel as if dying.
Fortunately, this is rare.  And we kept trying...  It is such a relief
to not be doing that any more.  Anyway, he is doing RT (Tomotherapy and
maybe seeds) to reduce the cancer load.  They found one tiny met in a
lymph node from the RT (in March), so we don't really have a question
about it still being contained.  The RP had some dramatic and obvious
side effects that you hopefully didn't, with RT.  Makes you wonder
some. But then and now, we are grateful that we got a good status
(staging).  It sucked, actually.  His Gleason went from 7 to 9 (they
are like earthquakes I think, exponential).  (Comparing biopsy to
surgical pathology, here.)  And from 2/10 cores with tiny fractions of
cancer to "extensive" cancer throughout.  I think the gratitude comes
from looking for a sliver lining--any silver lining--at all--with PCa.

We can't compare PSAs, because my husband went on ADT at the same time
he started chemo.  So his PSAs (thankfully, again) are undetectable.
The only PSA before ADT and after surgery was at 4 weeks, it was .1.
Perhaps comparable to your numbers after seeds.

Still, J, I think that TURP is probably right for you.  No matter what
treatment for the cancer that you choose next, you can't ignore the
value of a good pee.  As far as quality of life, that has to be up
there with the morning BM.  A blood test result does not compare to
these things, in real life.

Best wishes, forever,

Laurel

<snip>

Another guy (Ted) and myself were going through EBRT at the same time
Apr/May 2005 and following up a couple of months later with HDRB.
Oddly enough, we both also had BPH as well as PCa, so we both needed a
TURP.

Short version:
Ted has his TURP during EBRT and mine was scheduled to be done a long
time Post-HDRB.
Ted didn't front with me for the HDRB and the head nurse said he was
having problems with Scar Tissue and some "other irregularities",
making it impossible for the Uro to map out a clear Pattern for the
Implant Template Catheters.
I lost touch with Ted, but believe he had his HDRB some 3 mths later
and I cannot report on the outcome.
I'm still waiting for my TURP and have had partial blockage and
frequent Nocturia since July 2005 after leaving hospital with a Foley
Catheter.
So either way, it's not a garden of roses.


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