Radiotherapy about to start

By Roger

1 min read

About to start radiotherapy

It's been a year since I was first diagnosed with prostate cancer, and was immediately put on hormone treatment. This has been effective in reducing my PSA to below 1. This has given the doctors the opportunity to remove my right upper lobe of my lung, using the De Vinci robot. Cryoablation on a tumor on my kidney, and recently a total radical thyroidectomy, which had major complication and turned out to be the most difficult of operations.

Delaying treatment because of side-effects

I delayed radiotherapy for 6 weeks as I just did not have the strength physically and mentally to take on 4 weeks of treatment. It was the best thing I could have done, as I'm much stronger and ready to start treatment again. Once the radiotherapy is complete, it will be radioactive iodine treatment for the left over cancer from my thyroid. It's been a long tough journey, but fortunately my lung and kidney are now clear, and I'm on the home stretch. The only advice I can give, is listen to your body, sometimes it just needs a bit of a break.

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Pidwermi Member
Wow man, going through hell and back? My first question was, did you get exposed to Agent Orange? Have you heard of the PACT ACT? I’m served off the coast of Viet Nam on the Valley Forge LPH-8 while we supplied amphibious assault operations up the Cua Viet river on the DMZ. Anyone who served between 1965 and 1972 and was exposed to Agent Orange can apply for VA disability for a host of health issues. Even if you did not serve I wanted to make this comment here on a chance others who read your story might benefit from the knowledge about the PACT ACT. Check it out and pass it on! Walter (pidwermi)
Roger Member
Hi Walter, No I have not been exposed to Agent Orange. As the doctors don't have an answer yet to the cause of multiple primary cancers, exposure to some chemical or radiation is a possibility. Genetics may also be a cause. As scanning equipment develops, it seems the more the doctors look, the more they find. Currently Cambridge University in the UK are doing a study on the multiple primary cancers, so maybe it's not so unique, otherwise there would be no need to investigate. I hope you were not exposed to Agent Orange, and not too damaged from your experience.
Richard Faust Community Admin
Hi <inline-mention username="Roger" user-id="6123104"/>. First, let me say that it sounds great that you were able to get the PSA down and give yourself time to regroup and build strength before starting PCa treatment. Would I be correct that the other primary cancers were diagnosed before the prostate cancer? I ask because there is evidence that for men who have prostate cancer first, there is a slight, but statistically significant higher risk of a second primary cancer for those who do radiation therapy (see: <a href='https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2794737' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamanetworkopen/fullarticle/2794737</a>). As you noted, the exact cause of the multiple cancers remains an unknown and this article also notes it saying "The precise mechanism by which prostate cancer co-exists with another primary cancer is yet to be clearly defined:" <a href='https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28256480/' target='_blank' rel='noopener noreferrer ugc'>https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28256480/</a>. It certainly may be different causes for different people/cases. It sounds like your team is doing a good job of working together to take them down one by one. Please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing. Best, Richard (ProstateCancer.net Team)

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