HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Adjuvant Therapy Help!!???

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 9/12/2007 9:49 AM (GMT -5)
Ok..after two different expert medical opinions I am more confused than ever!  To summarize my father's situation, he had the Da Vinci surgery on August 31st.  Path report came back with a positive right margin and one lymph node involved.  He is now a T3A and needs adjuvant therapy.  (Bone Scan/CT Scan September 10th both negative)

Radiation Oncologist (Swedish Medical) wants to start HT right away (next week) and then radiation for the whole pelvic region in a couple of months once my father has healed from surgery.

Medical Oncologist (Virginia Mason) wants to wait until first PSA test (Oct 16th) then start HT therapy and hold off on Radiation or further treatment until the PSA rises.  We are getting a third opinion, but are so confused as what the best option is.  Any similar experiences or recommendations.  So confused!?!?!

Posted 9/12/2007 1:15 PM (GMT -5)
I am similar, have had all my treatments at VM, but didn't have a lymphnode involvement.  I waited until my first post surgical PSA test, two months after surgery to meet back with my surgeon and oncologist.  Even though it was .01, there was discussion about adjuvant therapy then.  When it came back .08 three months later, that's when I decided.  (Still below biochemical reoccurance.)   Have you discussed this with your surgeon, since he was in there - relatively speaking - and has been one who I have listened to closely?  They will start HT two months prior to radiation - weaken any cells before zapping them.  HT should surpress PSA, so I'm not sure why they would start HT and then wait until PSA rises.  Again, I would talk to your surgeon again for advice. 
Posted 9/12/2007 4:09 PM (GMT -5)
Doting,

I am confused by any suggestion of radiation at all with your Dad having been diagnosed with a positive node. Where there are positive nodes, the spread is already systemic..or at least the cells have escaped into the lymph system. get another opinion. He may do very well for a long time on medication and not have to endure effects of radiation. Good Luck. Thoughts and prayers...

P.S. Take a look on the LEF (Life Extension Foundation) site for something called Modified Citrus Pectin. With Paul's history of 2 hormone related cancers, his naturalpath suggested using it for a while..... Just pondering the idea.

Swim
Posted 9/13/2007 7:08 PM (GMT -5)

Swim-

The thoughts behind radiation are that he had one focally positive margin and only one lymph node involved.  Therefore, the Radiation Oncologist recommends radiation of the whole pelvic area to get rid of any remaining cancer in the area. 

The Oncologist believes that we don't know if the surgeon got all the cancer, because the lymph node cancer was contained and the margin was focally positive, therefore, he could have...or....on the flip side it could have spread, but since it is microscopic we don't know.  Not a whole lot of help.  I guess the question is that if there is any remaining cancer that is micrometastis, how do we know and what do we do?  I feel like it's a guessing game.  It's so scary and frustrating! 

Posted 9/13/2007 8:46 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Doting,

I understand how it is. When we just don't know, we make a plan and let the professionals do their job, then pray! Nearly everything that has been done to manage and repair our daughter's heart/lung defects has been trial and prayer! Yeah, it is a different set of emotions between a child and a spouse but, the routine is still the same....trial and prayer:>) Thankfully for Devanie, the Doc's were amazing and our prayers were answered.
I plan to do my share of prayer on behalf of your Dad and for all who hold him close during his time of trial. Hang in there Doting. Dad's in good hands ;>)

Swim
Posted 9/15/2007 7:20 PM (GMT -5)

Thanks Swim! We are leaning towards the HT and RT Therapy.  After speaking with a few friends that are physicians, they recommend doing the RT right away too, with the hopes of killing any cancer left in the area.  (Even if it is micrometastatic).  Hopefully, this will improve the odds of getting rid of the cancer and we will pray it has not spread anywhere else.  That is our prayer.  The HT will most likely begin in Oct following the first PSA, and then RT in December.  Please continue to pray for healing for my dad and a cure for this horrible disease.  All the best to you and yours!

Doting Daugther

Posted 5/28/2011 8:38 AM (GMT -5)
DD,

I would tend to agree with Virgina Mason's opinion from your post My best to your dad, you and your family.

david in sc
Posted 5/28/2011 8:47 AM (GMT -5)
Purg,

This thread was originated way back in 2007 by Doting Daughter.  It was bumped to the top by Adriabold's post about Adjuvant Therapy, which seems to belong in a different forum entirely.

 

Posted 5/28/2011 10:34 AM (GMT -5)
My Grampa is 91 years old and opted for watch and wait at the time of his d.x. at the age of 64. He has been on lupron since he was 65. weird huh. his p.s.a. never got over 2.9. except for a 1 year hormone break. Todd
Posted 5/28/2011 1:54 PM (GMT -5)
This thread is over 4 years old.....According to Daughter's most recent post, (a few days ago) her Dad had both HT and radiation and is doing fine..Check her profile for that thread...
Posted 5/28/2011 2:52 PM (GMT -5)
4 years old. No kidding kinda weird huh
Posted 5/28/2011 5:19 PM (GMT -5)
I remember these days well.
At the time of this post I had just completed radiation and had done quite a bit of research on adjuvant therapies. Of course it was a start of a great friendship that I have with a very wonderful person in Miss Doting. I think it was shortly after this post that I spoke to her father and let him know all I did at the time about this approach.

Sure wish Hawkfan75 was still posting more. His story is the perfect counter to AS discussion. His disease looked indolent but it was far from it after surgery. At last glance he was doing well.

I think the latest poster found this is our search engine and posted asking an unrelated adjuvant therapy question. Certainly an honest mistake.

Tony
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply