Why the long wait for radiation treatment start?

Treatment scheduling can vary significantly between medical centers, and waiting periods like this are unfortunately not uncommon, especially when timing involves vacation schedules and coordination between multiple specialists. Many patients in this community have shared similar experiences with scheduling delays and different approaches to spacer gel use, which can depend on various factors including the specific treatment plan and facility protocols. Consider discussing your concerns about the timeline and spacer options directly with your oncology team, as they can provide the most accurate information about your specific situation and whether any adjustments might be possible.

Dear Ed — I can’t speak to spacer gel use as that was not part of my case when treated in early 2024. However, I can speak to Stage 1 and Gleason 4-3, and I can say that the delay you’ve had is likely not a concern. In fact, I wish I had delayed my treatment in favor of much more self-education, as I have come to learn that I may have been over diagnosed and overtreated, with the result of having 29 harmful “side” effects that have now plagued me for 2 years and 3 months without letup or lessening. For your self-education I strongly suggest two steps: 1. Read everything in every topic area of Outcomes4Me—you will find the stories and advice of patients who have already traveled the road that lies ahead for you. 2. Read everything you can find related to your specific cancer characteristics in professional urological and oncological medical journals. Why? Because in these articles doctors of necessity have to discuss ALL of the downsides of the treatments they recommend, something most of them don’t do when recommending procedures to individual patients. These articles are genuine eye-openers that may persuade you to a course of treatment far different from what your so-called “care” team urges upon you. Good luck.

Thanks Dave. My oncologist named 3 side effects - tiredness, urinary and bowel movement problems i was surprised he said nothing about Erectile dysfunction. Ill see him this week as I start radiation and ask him how extensive can these be and what can I do to lessen them

Hello, again, Ed — I forgot to mention possible effects of your age. If you take my advice to read articles in medical journals, you’ll learn that you (like me at nearly age 78), are considerably older than the average age at PCa diagnosis. What this means, in brief, is being susceptible to more deleterious side effects of treatment and also less likely to eventually overcome these side effects. So … if your docs say something like, “You may have incontinence but on average it clears up in 6 to 12 months,” that’s true of age 62 to 65, but possibly not at our age. Ditto for a number of other afflictions. I’ve found one way to fight this: regular, persistent, vigorous exercise—which is inexcusably ignored by most docs, patient literature, studies, and clinical trials. Exercise isn’t necessarily a cure, but it’s given me the physicality, energy, and stamina needed to battle the cancer that will definitely be a concern for the rest of my life.