Ira
Brous and Anne live in New York, Tompkins County. Ira was 67 when he was diagnosed
on June 7 2005 His Initial PSA was 11.0 ng/ml, his Gleason Score was 6 and he
was staged T2c. His treatment of choice was HDR Brachytherapy alone. Here is his
story:
My first ever PSA test in May '05 gave a reading of 11 ng/ml
and my doctor had me do a biopsy with results to me on June 7 '05 of cancer, contained
within one lobe of the prostate. On that date I got a 3 month dose of Lupron--a
hormone shot meant to put the cancer in remission and shrink my enlarged prostate.
To decide the treatment, I talked with about 20 men who had prostate cancer and
all except one had been treated, some with brachytherapy, others with surgery--primarily
open surgery.
I seriously considered HDR temporary seeding and robotic
surgery, never open surgery. After four consultations with urologists and oncologists,
lengthy discussions with others who had prostate cancer and had been treated,
lengthy study of Internet sites, and watching a robotic prostatectomy video, I
ultimately decided upon HDR temporary seeding.
A complicating factor for
me was that I had Chron's disease, discovered about one year prior to the diagnosis
of prostate cancer. Two oncologists asserted that I was a very poor candidate
for radiation because it would affect my Chron's. My treatment oncologist suggested
that robotic surgery was much more likely to affect my Chron's because the surgeon
would be going through my belly button and would have a good chance of hitting
the Chron's area.
The HDR Brachytherapy I received on September 14, 2005
in Michigan with Dr. Martinez was first-rate treatment. Although there were no
immediate aftereffects, 10 days after treatment I began vomiting and was completely
exhausted. (The radiation was indeed, working.) But one week, later I felt great
and since then have had no side effects; i.e., no urinary incontinence, no sexual
dysfunction, and no effect on my Chron's.
The HDR temporary seeding was
for me a monotherapy. I received no external beam radiation or any other treatment
following the one day treatment. I would highly recommend this approach to those
who have newly-diagnosed prostate cancer if they are eligible for it and I would
be glad to mentor those on this site.
I believe that I have learned a lot
in the past 6 months about prostate cancer and myself.
PSA
tested on Jan. 14, 2006 and it read 0.10 ng/ml. Appears that treatment worked
so far to kill the cancer. But testosterone read only 17, way below normal and
is preventing me from maintaining an erection for long and from ejaculating although
I do have orgasms.The doctor recommended that I cut back on Flomax and take Viagara
on a regular basis. Have begun to do these things.
My
concern is that I have some erectile dysfunction at this point and my treatment
of choice was supposed to have good odds for no problem in this regard. My doctor
says testosterone may be built over time and we have to wait to find out.
Anyone
have experience with this sort of situation?
My
latest PSA done in March '07 was <.06. My testosterone is building. March '07
reading was 116 (double November, '06) vs normal low testosterone of 240. At this
rate of increase I might be close to normal low by Sept.'07
So
E.D. problems are dissipating. But because I take Flomax for an enlarged prostate,
I do not produce much semen during orgasm.
My
testosterone build has adversely affected my emotional state. Now going back to
anger, and other negative behaviors. I need to constantly meditate, study and
meet with addictive groups like Alanon to maintain the emotional benefits of low
testosterone. And as a final note, my testosterone was zapped by my taking Luprin--a
hormone--not by my HDR treatment.
If
you are going to get radiation or surgery for prostate cancer, I recommend you
not get a hormone shot, although it had those emotional benefits for me.
My
PSA since the HDR brachytherapy has never been more than .05. My testosterone
level has been building since the luprin hormone shot and is only a little below
normal, but both tests scheduled to redo tomorrow.
Ira's
e-mail address is: ira@ithacabakery.com
