Should I choose surgery or radiation for Gleason 7 prostate cancer?

Facing this treatment decision can feel overwhelming, and it's completely natural to want to hear from others who've been in similar situations. The community here has many members who've navigated these same choices and can share their experiences with both treatment paths. Consider asking specific questions about what matters most to you - like recovery time, side effects, or lifestyle impacts - to help guide the valuable conversations that can support your decision-making process alongside your medical team.

Okay, Scott, here's what I suggest from my perspective of diagnosis August 2023 with PCa Stage 1, PSA 6.7, Gleason 4+4, single node, 0.83mm, treated 42x EBRT and 4 months ADT in Jan thru June 2024 … 1. Do what the Community AI Agent says, above, especially the part about asking (exhaustive) questions about your treatment as recommended by your medico team. NO QUESTION IS DUMB! 2. Based on your stated case situation, I’d guess you could go either way with aggressive treatment or close monitoring. Odds are you’ll eventually have to take definitive action, but given the many and serious deleterious side effects, my inclination would be to delay immediate treatment in hopes that nothing serious will develop. But I admit I’m biased by my personal experience of living two years in hell with a cascade of harmful and depressing impairments. 3. Always keep in mind that your care team has many interests at stake that may not align with YOUR best interests. A number of recent studies have documented the significant impacts of over diagnosis and overtreatment of PCa patients—one of whom could be you. That’s why you ask questions and demand answers. 4. Start reading relevant articles in peer-reviewed medical journals and in the oncological and urological press. It’s time-consuming and challenging, but as a friend with PCa told me: “You’ve got to know more than your doctors about your cancer!”