As I write these words today I have prostate cancer. T3 N1 to be precise.
I have an appointment next Tuesday at 12:00PM for a biopsy on a second site , a lymph node in my left groin, to see whether it is associated with the primary - which is prostate.
So, at this stage, I don’t know how this is going to turn out.
My urologist has said that surgery is probably not an option as the cancer has begun to spread already (that’s what N1 means)
Treatment is certainly going to involve hormone therapy - I know this because I was given a prescription at my last consultation with the urologist and I have two packets of pills sitting on the shelf in my wardrobe.
I don’t like them already.
I’ve done some research, in addition to what the urologist told me, and I don’t like them at all.
Although I haven’t started taking them yet.
When I do start they will immediately slow the growth of the cancer (that’s the plan anyway) and, as I have yet to have a biopsy on a secondary site - that’s right - next Tuesday, I’m not to start taking them until Tuesday afternoon.
Bit disconcerting that.
What it means is that right now my cancer is growing and spreading unabated and untreated.
My urologist wants this to happen so he can get the clearest and most definitive result from next Tuesday’s biopsy.
But then, and straight away, I am to start taking the medication.
The drug I will be taking is Bicalutamide 50mg twice a day.
More on that later.
After next Tuesday I will be on the agenda at a meeting which my urologist has once a week with a group of specialists: oncologists, surgeons, other urologists etc.
One of the results of this meeting will be a treatment plan for my cancer, which will be presented to me at my next consultation with the urologist.
Of course I will go along with whatever they say.
Like I’m going to say no!
The other likely treatment is several weeks of radiotherapy, and by all accounts that’s no walk in the park either.
So, all in all, pretty unimpressed right now.