After affects of surgery and treatment

My dad was just diagnosed with cancer and he's devastated by the incontinence/impotence possibilities after surgery (he thinks he's going with that robotic surgery). I realize that there is some surgical option for the incontinence but is there ANYTHING he can do about the impotence? I realize that his life and well being come first, but he is concerned about his quality of life as related to these functions. My mom said that prescription drugs probably wouldn't work. Are there any post surgical options for this condition? Thanks in advance.

Tell your dad his first priority is LIFE. One day at a time. Best wishes to your family.

On 1/27/2009 Omphalos wrote:

Tell your dad his first priority is LIFE. One day at a time. Best wishes to your family.

He knows this as do I and the rest of my family. One step at a time (I'm just projecting into the future and so is he; it's driving him insane). Thanks for your good wishes; they are deeply appreciated during this difficult time.

It is important that you visit www.yananow.net where you will find other men who have been through what your Dad is going through. Many of these men will correspond with you and answer your questions. These are the guys that have actual experience.

George

There are several treatment options that have shown excellent recovery with no side effects of Erectile dysfunction or incontinence. Some possibilities that you might want to explore is HIFU both Sonablate HIFU or Ablatherm HIFU, cyberknife radiation treatment, proton beam therapy at Linda Loma. One of the most important considerations is to know how good your surgeon is in doing the treatment. The www.yananow.net site has a listing of some of the top surgeons in each of the various treatment fields. Even Laproscopic radical prostatectomy can have excellent outcomes if you have an excellent surgeon.

Georgealbert and Doctv, thanks so much for your response. I will check out that other site.

I sympathize with your father's anxiety about these potential aftereffects. I have been dealing with the same concerns for more than 7 years. I have not had surgery but it has been hanging over my head. My PSA is 12 or higher but repeated biopsies find no cancer.

My advice is to be sure to find the best surgeon in the USA. Your local urologist is not the person to entrust with this issue. Be sure that he has done hundreds, if not thousands of these operations. It requires the utmost skill and that only comes from vast experience. Consider places like Johns Hopkins in Baltimore or the Mayo Clinic or the Cleveland Clinic. These are places with the experience and therefore the cutting edge skills. It was Johns Hopkins where they learned the techniques of "nerve sparing"  that avoids impotence, and which everyone now tries to use.

In addition to the other web sites which have been suggested to you, I would also recommend one which is unusual but in my experience very helpful. It is the Yahoo Group called "Prostate Cancer And  Gay Men" . I'm sure the very name will set your father's teeth on edge, but there is no group of men more concerned with the issue of impotence/incontinence then this one. The biggest advantage of this group is that they are not embarrassed or awkward or shy about discussing the nitty-gritty of this issue or their experience in dealing with it. There is even a lot of wisdom there as to the impact on, and the role of, the caretakers like your mother and yourself. They are very welcoming to non-gays and there have been a number of wives and daughters who have sought advice there, although if your father does not find it repulsive it might be best if he asked his questions for himself as I did.

Best of luck to your father and your family, and remember your father's well being is worth every penny of the cost to travel to a medical center of excellence to have his surgery.

That's good advice!  I had psa readings of 6 then 12 then 18 then back to 12 over 6 years.  Had three biopsies and an MRI with negative results. Was told I had prostatitis.  A year ago I had another biopsy and low grade cancer cells were found in one of the samples.  Surgeon told me it was not unusual in a man of my age (66) and to come back in a year.  I returned in December with a psa reading of 27.  Had radical prostatectomy (robotic) in January.  Surgeon found quite a lot of cancer (Gleason 8) contained within the prostate. There was no prostatitis. I suspect the cancer had been there all along but the biopsies and MRI were unable to pick it up.

I've heard the Brits are developing a urine test to detect the presence of aggressive prostate cancer.