Ordering Dr. Walsh's book is a good start.  At your age surgery is
usually the path many take....IF there is a good chance it's contained.

You might want to post this on <alt.support.cancer.prostate>  There are
many more survivors there and can give you their thoughts on all the
forms of treatments,,and watchful waiting...which I would not recommend
at your age, don't even think about it.  

I was 59 and had a early stage (G-6) and went the surgery route.  A year
and a half later I'm doing just fine in all areas.  I run at least two
miles a day and walk another 3 or 4.  I'm now age 61.

Good luck
Dale J.

Walsh's book is a good place to start.  Usually, surgery would be
recommended for a man your age with a Gleason 6=3+3 tumor.  The chances
of a complete cure, with a good surgeon, are quite high, and the chances
of significant long term side effects are much lower for younger men.
Many urologists would recommend surgery whether or not they were doing
the surgery.

There are a couple of reasons for the recommendation of surgery as
opposed to radiation.   First, radiation done over 10 years ago was
often not effective because they didn't use high enough doses in order
to prevent damage to surrounding tissues.  Modern methods of radiation
are much more sophisticated, but they haven't been in use as long.  So
long term results for 15 or more years, which would be important to you,
are not in yet.  For ten years, the results seem very similar to
surgery.  The second reason is that although radiation pretty much fries
the prostate, it does leave some prostate tissue behind.  A man your age
could develop another tumor in that tissue, independent of the first
one, given enough time.  If the prostate is removed entirely, that can't
happen.

But radiation does have some proponents for younger men, and you may
want to explore it.  Walsh is a surgeon and while reading what he has to
say, remember that he may be biased in favor of surgery.  But he does
explain the basics pretty well.

If you decide against surgery, make sure you do it for good solid
reasons rather than being scared off by the words.  And remember that a
lot depends on age, so don't compare yourself to older men who had
different forms of treatment.  If you decide in favor or surgery, check
you urologist's qualifications.   He should be very experienced in nerve
sparing technique and he should be able to give you some data on how
patients comparable to you have done under his care.   The best surgeons
can preserve potency, for example, in well over half of men your age.
Serious long term incontinence should be very rare.

P.S.  Some urologists think that spending too much time on a bicycle
seat can produce impotence by restricting blood flow to the penis.
Whatever form of treatment you choose, your natural ability to have an
erection will be somewhat reduced, so there is no point in adding yet
another source of trouble.  You should make sure your seat is well
adjusted and you may want to point it more downward than you now have
it.  In addition, getting up off the seat every few minutes while riding
is advisable.  Also, just getting off the bike at regular intervals
should help.  You should never experience numb penis syndrome. Your
weight should be supported by your pelvis and there should be no more
pressure on soft tissue than there would be were you sitting in a chair.
 Some people find that the newer split seats work well in that respect,
but I find my older saddle works quite well.   Finally, you should
consider getting a shock absorbing seat post.

Bob,

Since my RRP (at age 45 in 2002) i continue to run, bike, xc ski, hike
etc. with no dimished capacity or skill (except for that dam aging
process!!). And my RRP included a nerve graft from my seral nerve, to
address the fact they could not spare any nerves. The nerve graft
resulted in some numbness in my left foot.

Regarding biking, i actually have increasd my biking mileage since my
RRP due to the injuries from running. Glad you can take on those young
bucks on the bike!!  Except for the down time following surgery you
should fare well. Infact your fitness will aid in your recovery.

My only caution is Patience. I was amzaed at how difficult it was for
me to walk 1/2 mile my first day home. But they strongly encourage
walking and i walked more than i had in ages - every day, at least 2
walks. Tried to keep extending their length and pace. It's not the
same as running or hammering on the pedals, but it's all you've got
for a while, so don't fight it. My doctor didn't permit me to start
real exercise until after 8 weeks.  IF you are having laproscopic done
- that could reduce the "down" time.

Wishing you peace, patience and a lofetime of not detectable PSA
scores after your treatment (and a quick return to spinning!)

Bill