Care Partner Asks: What Happens After a Radical Prostatectomy?
My husband recently was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was told his was the fast-growing kind (4 on a scale of 5) and was an 8 on the scale of 6-10. He had a radical prostatectomy last week. The doctor said it looked like it was contained in the prostate. However, she said she sent it and a couple of lymph nodes to pathology. Should we expect him to have to undergo chemo or radiation? He is 61 and undergoing all this through VA.
Hello
. My cancer was contained in the prostate, so no further treatment was necessary. In your husband's case, everything will depend on the pathology results. In the years I've been a member of this community and a local support group, radiation seems to be the normal course of further treatment under the circumstances you describe. But, if necessary, that will be a discussion you and your husband have with his medical team. I hope the prostatectomy did the job. Regular followups will track any increase in your husband's PSA. Two years after my surgery, my PSA is nearly undetectable. I hope that's the case for your husband as well I had Robiotic prostatectomy 3 weeks ago dr said mine was contained in prostate So I go back in 4 weeks to get blood drawn to check my PSA dr said it should be 0 so that’s what I’m praying for everything went well with surgery I’m having leakage right now with my bladder which dr says is normal it should get better in about 2 months so I will keep you updated on my journey
I had the robiotic prostatectomy in 2013 and all appeared well. For most men the surgery removes the issue and life goes on as Will noted. In my own case it did come back and needed to be treated in 2018 - so far so good .
Best personal advice I can offer -- be very aware of the need for follow up post operative psa testing --- stay positive and try to put this behind you and your husband.
I know it is not easy but why worry about something that may never happen 😀 Dennis(ProstateCancer.net Team)
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