HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

External radiation starting

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 8/1/2011 12:32 PM (GMT -5)
Well, I meet with radiologist on Fri and decided best option for me is external radiation.  Seeds are not an option with the size of my prostate.

Wed. I will have the CT simulation done and my form made for positioning.  So next week I will start the treatments.  I will not know until then how many trips I will have to make.

So this is the start of the next phase of my journey.  With any luck this will take care of my problem.  Dr seems to think with only a 6 and no known tumor the treatments will be all I have to do.

Posted 8/1/2011 1:37 PM (GMT -5)
Good luck to you on that, Joko, hope it works for you, and that you have little or few side effects. Keep us posted.
Posted 8/1/2011 2:45 PM (GMT -5)
Joko,

I met a lot of guys who were doing Radiation as primary treatment while I was doing my adjuvant. They all seemed to do better than I did with the side effects and the like.

We will all be interested in the type of RT, sessions, dosage ("Grays" or Gs). Are they doing any sort of markers or Calypso markers?

My "experience" is in the thread linked in my signature.

At least it is during better weather - no snowstorms for traffic shocked

 

Posted 8/3/2011 9:41 PM (GMT 0)
I had my CT simulation today and tatoos for locators. Not sure how many trips, but will know on first treatment on 8/10.

This is a brand new facility with state of the art equipment. They will be using IMRT with CT location. I am told there are few or no side effects compared to the old radiation treatments. I am lucky to have this facility close to me.

If there are others in the Rome GA area, check out the new Harbin Clinic cancer treatment center.

Now that I have started, I also did a PSA today and it had dropped to 6.1.  The lowest it has been since Nov '10

Posted 8/3/2011 5:23 PM (GMT -5)
Good luck Joko as it turned out radiation was my choice of treatment. I had surgery but it was aborted due to spread so we went to radiation and ADT3 which you will not be doing that.
This phase will pass before you know it and you will be on the road to recovery.
Keep us posted

peace to you
Dale
Posted 8/3/2011 7:37 PM (GMT -5)
Joko,

Don't be surprised if you experience some fatigue about 60%-70% through your treatments. Good news is that it will go away within 4-6 weeks of your last one.

Joe
Posted 8/3/2011 8:39 PM (GMT -5)
>>I am told there are few or no side effects compared to the old radiation treatments.<<

you're going to have SEs but they usually are tolerable.  my doctors said i would have side effects but they said i would not get radiation burn but i got burned pretty good near the end.  good luck.

ed

Posted 8/7/2011 3:03 PM (GMT -5)
I was told that little side effects with this new kind. Both Dr. and Radiation Therapist said the machine is much better at shaping the radiation to the prostrate, so other areas are not treated. Therapist said to keep active and wont ever realize that you have fatigue, if there is any at all.

Other than the drive, I hope it goes as easy as they have said. First treatment is 8/10 afternoon, so here i go.
Posted 8/7/2011 4:56 PM (GMT -5)
Is the Linac (radiation machine) a Varian Rapid Arc? That's a newer, popular model...With this machine, the beam is moving in an arc, limiting exposure to healthy tissue and thus limiting side-effects. Because a CT scan checks your position moments before the beam is turned on and adjusts its path accordingly, the bladder and rectum can be avoided better than ever before...You might notice an increase in urinary urgency and frequency along with a little rectal irritation near the end but that's about it.

Was there any talk of adding a little HT to the treatment plan?
Posted 8/7/2011 5:38 PM (GMT -5)
Joko,

You are fortunate to have such great equiptment available to you. Best of luck and may your SE be few.
Posted 8/8/2011 10:21 AM (GMT -5)
Joko,

There are a few of us lurking about that had some form of external radiation as a primary treatment. Though, as a group, we don't seem to post here much. Don't worry about the SE's you'll be fine, if a bit tired of it all after eight weeks or so.....

Best
Posted 8/8/2011 11:30 AM (GMT -5)
Joko

I finished my radiation on March 2011 and had my first psa test in July 2011 which was 0.300. My urologist and my radiation doctor both said that is good. The radiation doctor that the chances were good that the psa score would come down at my next 3 month check up in Sept.2011.
How has your recovery been and has your psa score remained near 0.0?
God Bless
Deflated
Posted 8/8/2011 1:24 PM (GMT -5)
"Is the Linac (radiation machine) a Varian Rapid Arc?"  I will know what machine on Wed.  They just tell me that it is state of the art and not many exists right now.  This facility open in March 2011 and has all the latest technology or so they say.

 

Posted 8/11/2011 12:58 PM (GMT -5)
Well, I had my first treatment yesterday and everything went well. Just got a call canceling today as someone cut computer line and nothing works.

I forgot to ask what type machine it was. It does check your positioning on the prostrate before doing the treatment. I will have 42 treatments. Lots of trips there, but worth it if it takes care of my cancer.
Posted 8/11/2011 1:12 PM (GMT -5)
Best of luck - I hope you sail through this. Keep us posted.
Posted 8/11/2011 4:21 PM (GMT -5)
Joko,

Hope you do well with your treatments. My husband had 45 IMRT sessions, and did well. No fatigue, no urinary symptoms. He did have a burn across his backside which appeared right after treatments ended, and healed quickly.

Now he has some bowel issues, but then he had them beforehand to an extent. He has not sought treatment and they aren't worsening. He has a bit of mucus in his stool once in awhile and sometimes has what he calls 'loaded farts'. They didn't begin until a month or so after treatments ended. He says they are no big deal. No diarrea, though.

If he had been a Gleason 6 instead of 7, he'd have had brachy in all likelihood. As a 7, they told him he'd have to have a combination of brachy and IMRT and he figured he'd rather just do the IMRT. It hardly interfered with his daily work schedule, and that was important to him.

Hope that encourages you. It does seem as if the IMRT guys on here post the least, so I try to watch for questions about the experience.

Juliet
Posted 8/13/2011 3:46 PM (GMT -5)
My first treatment was 10th. On 11th I was getting ready to go and got a call that computer network was down and nothing could be loaded into the IMRT. So second treatment was Friday. I will have 42 done. Of course Friday everything was backed up and it took an hour instead of the 20 minutes on Wed. Not complaining, just grateful that this equipment is available.

I did talk with another man that was on his 39th. He has had no side effects except some occasional fatique.

I feel better that I am doing this now and not playing the waiting game on my PSA. I forgot to add ealier that my PSA had dropped from 9.1 to 6.4. This is the lowest it had been since Nov 2011.
Posted 8/13/2011 6:53 PM (GMT -5)
Joko,

Have you investigated HDR Brachytherapy? It is temporary radiation (nothing left inside) and a large prostate is usually not a problem. I had it with IMRT and have done well. Are you in Rome GA? I am in Cumming. I would be glad to refer you to my docs as they do a lot of HDR procedures to see if it will work for you.

Jack

Posted 8/15/2011 6:31 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Jack, I did ask about HDR Brachtherapy.  Dr said that the radiation should take care of it.  He did say that prostate was too big to put seeds where needed.

I live in Leesburg, AL.  about 40 miles to Rome.

If it looks like I need something beyond radiation, I will get ahold of you.

Tomorrow is Dr day.  Every Tuesday I will see my Dr after treatment.

John

Posted 8/15/2011 6:49 PM (GMT -5)
John,

Good luck as you near wrapping up your RT, hope that PSA keeps dropping away. Glad the side effects are minimal for you.

david in sc
Posted 8/17/2011 6:37 PM (GMT -5)
Not much to say right now, except every day is like the day before. Just routine. I will keep everyone informed if anything changes. 5 down and 37 more to go. Just like going to work again.
Posted 8/17/2011 7:08 PM (GMT -5)
Joko....good luck with your IMRT. I am on my 12th zapping and have no side effects yet but some loose stools and more frequent trips to the bathroom. Ive been told most side effects come after 2 weeks though......will wait and see.

So far after 35 days of Lupron and 2 weeks of rad. I have not had 1 hot flash or any side effect from Lupron. Good luck. I hear some never get any side effects at all.
Posted 8/17/2011 7:42 PM (GMT -5)
Ah, what memories this brings. Well, except for the water bomb and floating a lot.

One day at a time shocked

Hang in there guys!

Posted 8/17/2011 7:43 PM (GMT -5)

So far after 35 days of Lupron and 2 weeks of rad. I have not had 1 hot flash or any side effect from Lupron. Good luck. I hear some never get any side effects at all.

maybe you'll luck out smilewinkgrin .

ed

Posted 8/19/2011 6:26 PM (GMT -5)
It is great to hear encouragement from people on this forum. I just completed my first full week and 7 treatments. Going at the same time every day means that you meet and talk with the same people. Have meet some really nice people in the same boat as me. One gentleman has had about the same PSA during the same time frame. He will finish on Tuesday, so I will have a new person probably starting.

It is just amazing to me how many men are getting treated for PC.

Found out they actually have 3 IMRTs.  Two of them have the CT positioning.  I thought they just had 2.  There are men and women constantly coming and going.  The machine I am on is the newest of the three, but it is the same as the other CT positioning IMRT.

Post Edited (Joko) : 8/22/2011 5:47:53 PM (GMT-6)

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
12