Anyone Get SBRT?
I am 67 years old with unfavorable intermediate prostate cancer. I have spoken to several experts with a top cancer center and the treatment plan is 4 weeks of ADT (with Orgovyx) and 5 treatments with radiation using the SBRT technique. I am having the gold fiducials and SpaceOAR placed next week. The following week is the planning CT and then the treatments start after that. I would LOVE to hear from anyone who has undergone SBRT to tell me about their experience. It is the fear of the unknown that will sometimes creep in and make me worry. If I hear from others it may help allay those fears and also prepare me for what lies ahead. Thank you .
We appreciate you reaching out. The fear of the unknown is common and you're not alone in that at all. Hopefully, other's that have experience with SBRT will chime in with their thoughts. Please keep us posted on how you're doing and let us know if you have questions. -Samuel, Team Member
How did your ADT and SBRT treatment go? Why did you choose this over surgery? I’m interested because I’m 66 years old, recently diagnosed, 4+3, intermediate unfavorable, no metastasis. I’m deciding between SBRT/ADT and surgery. I hope you’re doing well, best healing wishes to you, Dave. I am about 7 months out from the SBRT and ADT. My findings were pretty much identical to yours. The ADT was for 4 months taking the pill Orgovyx (once a day). I had the usual side-effects from the ADT - weight gain, muscle replaced by fat and hot flashes. The good part with the Orgovyx is that once you stop taking the pill the Testosterone levels come back much quicker than with Lupron. The downside - it can be very expensive. There is a grant program through an organization called HealthWell and I was able to qualify so that helped immensely. The SBRT was a total of one planning session and 5 treatments - every other day. First I had SpaceOAR placed. I did experience quite a bit of pain on urination after each treatment as well as urgency and frequency (sometimes getting up each hour) but Advil helped and I made it through the treatments. Fatigue (from both ADT and radiation) lasted several months. Change in bowel habits (diarrhea and/or constipation) lasted only about a week but I still have some change in BM but does not interfere with anything. Never any type of incontinence or leaking. All in all doing well. I take Rapiflo daily. PSA is ZERO. T still levels still coming up. I picked radiation mainly because it gives at least the same cure rate as surgery and I didn't want surgery. feel free to ask me any more questions. Good Luck!
Dave, I remember commenting to you yesterday, but I don’t think it was on surgery versus SBRT/ADT. I had surgery in 2013, (I was not aware of other successful treatments back then), but I had a recurrence in 2015 that was treated with radiation and Lupron.
I’m still debating 7!years later in my mind whether the surgery or the Lupron was worse. My Lupron shot was supposed to last 6 months, but the side effects lasted 10 months. All the best, and remember the important thing is to get rid of the prostate cancer. All the best. Len Smith Moderator
