•
Do I need to see a pathology report to tell me how contained it was?
• If I choose radiation, can I live with the
fact that PSA goes down over a number of years, with bounces along the way, and
never becomes undetectable?
• If the pathology is adverse and PSA does not
become undetectable, am I prepared to undergo adjuvant radiation with all the
potential side effects that entails? (Your doctor has hopefully run a nomogram
showing the probability of this happening)
• If the radiation doesn't work, am I prepared
to have a biopsy and possible focal brachy re-treatment?
• Which bothers me more - the potential for
incontinence and ED after surgery or the potential for retention and irritative
effects after radiation? (given the probabilities of those side effects)
• Do I understand the other possible side
effects of surgery? (e.g., infection, hernia, climacturia, penile shrinkage,
stress incontinence, etc.) Am I prepared to take on penile rehab?
• Do I understand the other possible side
effects of radiation? (e.g., fatigue, proctitis, hemorrhoids, frequency,
urgency, burning while peeing, ED).
• Am I prepared to undergo radiation therapy and
its side effects?
• Am I prepared to undergo surgery and its
recovery?
I suggest adding something like:
ReplyDeleteo How would I compare the expertise, experience, and commitment to his or her patients of the surgeon or radiation oncologists available to me? Choosing a knowledgeable, skillful, careful, honest, and committed doctor can be the most important choice of all.
o Run from any doctor who says his treatment has no side effects and very high success rates. His greatest expertise may be BS.
Here's some advice about choosing the right doctor:
Deletehttps://pcnrv.blogspot.com/2017/12/finding-right-doctor.html