phillygwm Posted 1 hour ago Report Posted 1 hour ago 22 hours ago, URS2USE said: I had heard about this procedure called IRE...the brand name is called "Nanoknife"... where they insert needles into the prostate and send electrical currents through the actual cancer cells destroying the membrane of the cancer cell itself. It is still in the trial stage with only 121 participants so far, so my Blue Cross Blue Shield will not cover the estimated $35,000 cost. Money not being a real obstacle for me, i actually spoke to one of only a handful of Doctors that perform IRE here in the United States...Dr. Brent Sharpe at Georgia Urology...and he was very frank about the procedure. It is only 25-85% effective at this time and may require a 2nd treatment. Even 85% is lower than radiation or surgical options, which (last I looked) were ~93%. When I was deciding, I wanted the best survival rate, first and foremost. I was willing to sacrifice 1-2% if it meant preserving function but if it had been a statistically significant difference, I would have gone with surgery. One of the things that surprised me for a number of years after my treatment was the "Sword of Damocles": Every check-up was stressful. I'm sure it's no different than any other life altering diagnosis including HIV (especially back in the day.) My radiation oncologist warned me that my PSA would bounce around for 2-3 years. Noted. Then my PSA spiked higher than it had ever been and I lost my sh*t anyway. Ultimately, it was nothing but every movement in your numbers induces stress or relief. 22 hours ago, URS2USE said: I love to sound, but sounding is NOT recommended after any of the three procedures, especially prostate removal. Funny you mention this. As I mentioned, I had urethral strictures, which is a risk with radiation. I woke up one day (several years after treatment) and couldn't piss. Wound up in the ER where they cath'd me. Forcing that in was the most intense pain ever. On a follow-up visit, the urologist attempted to cystoscope me. I couldn't tolerate it. They then tried narrower sounds to "widen the road", so to speak. Still no dice. They had to do it under anesthesia. Peripheral radiation damage is probably why recreational sounding isn't recommended. Of course, I suspect docs would try to discourage it, regardless of cancer status. Quote
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