Treatment for Prostate Cancer
I have just bee diagnosed with Prostate Cancer, PSA of 8.6 (was 10.8 but I was on Testorone gel). negative test for enlarged prostate, negative MRI, but biopsy came back with 8/12 core being positive for cancer.. Gleason 3+4=7.
I am now looking at treatment and tbh no clue.. I think I want to do surgery but I'm concerned about the side affect (especially the incontinence one)... any info on how bad it is (does it go after a while) would be really helpful.. apart from this no other health concerns and I'm an active 57 year old (golf, men biking, hiking, skiing)
I think the incontinence thing depends on how your doctor does the surgery. I had a urethral resection and I have a little control 10 days or so postop. It depends on how and where your doctor cuts it. I was already having lots of problems with leakage anyway. I'd try radiation first if I had it to do again.
Hearing that initial diagnosis is so frightening. You mentioned that you feel like you have no clue as to how to proceed. I think that's probably how everyone feels. One of the things we learned in our family is the importance of getting a second, and maybe even a third, opinion before pursuing any treatment plan. It sounds like you have a lot of questions - try to make a list of your questions and concerns and schedule some appointments to get answers and learn about options. So much information is available online and through Dr. Google, but not everything is reputable so caution is also important. Something else we learned was how critical is is to have a doctor who will spend time with you, whatever time it takes, to answer your questions and provide whatever resources you may need. We "interviewed" doctors and through that process found those who seemed right for us. Information is power. Learn what you can and that should help you with some of the big decisions you have to make. Best wishes to you as you continue to move forward.
