There are pros and cons to each treatment. I wound up choosing da Vinci robotic surgery for several reasons. The first was that I am relatively young, in good shape, and I have no other medical issues, so the prospects for success were good. However, the surgery is long and complicated - typically about 3 hours. I chose a surgeon who has performed this procedure many times. If I was older and/or had other medical issues I may not have opted for surgery. Secondly, the post-surgery pathology will tell you exactly how serious the issue was. Thirdly, if I had opted for one of the radiation treatments, I would not be able to be treated again. In addition, prostate removal after radiation is typically not an option. My PSA level is at the limit of detectability and I don't have incontinence or ED issues.
I did talk to several urologists. One pushed radiation. At Moffitt, where I had the procedure performed, they offered several treatment options and presented the pros and cons but did not push one treatment option over the other. They did, however, make it clear that doing nothing was a bad choice. My own research confirmed everything they told me.
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Originally Posted by flyguy909
Bob47 is absolutely right. I was diagnosed at 58, urologist pushed surgery but I opted for radiation called Cyberknife after doing my own research. Very impressed with the procedure and the outcome as I am cancer free after 8 years. Another big plus is all the plumbing works. Three of my friends have had surgery... 2 had major complications. But that's too small a sample to derive anything.
With Cyberknife, a urologist implants 3 tiny gold seeds into your prostate using same technique as a standard biopsy. These are used by the robotic radiation machine for precise targeting. The oncologist uses MRI's and CT scans to develop a program to shoot many radiation beams into your prostate but at the same time avoiding as much collateral damage as possible. I layed on a table with my butt in a custom fitted cushion so I couldn't shift position while a big robotic arm went all around me shooting individual focused beam radiation shots. I did this 3 days for about 45 minutes a day.. and that was it.
You'll get many different answers as there are several options. I am happy with the path I chose.
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