# Ongoing Prostate Cancer Treatment **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 14, 2025, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625 "2025-06-14T13:54:20Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 8:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/121 "2025-07-16T20:34:49Z")
Yeah. Whatever you do or don’t do and whatever eventually does or doesn’t happen, you won’t be able to say for sure how good that decision was in terms of results. You can certainly say at least a few tbings about how carefully considered it was. My comment on cancer in general: > Every case is an experiment with an _n_ of 1 and no control group. It’s a shame that’s true, but it applies to a lot of life. Understanding up front that certainty simply isn’t available is part of a successful psychological adaptation. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/122 "2025-07-16T20:41:36Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Thanks, I initially didn’t know what “MSK” stood for. Me neither. I figured it couldn’t be MST3K. 👽 ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/123 "2025-07-16T23:12:36Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > 10 min procedure to put Fiducial Markers in the prostate and add a spacer between the prostate and rectum. My surgeon did that for me, and it does take 10 minutes, and I could drive home, sitting on my butt, afterwards. > [@What\_Exit](#): > > Over a 2 week period go in every other weekday for a total of 5 radiation treatments. Did they say how focused the radiation would be? ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/124 "2025-07-16T23:25:33Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > Did they say how focused the radiation would be? Not really, but the special MRI should be guiding it to the exact spots apparently. So very I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [July 16, 2025, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/125 "2025-07-16T23:58:10Z")
Excellent. I rejected more general radiation therapy because it seemed too broad. I don’t think Cyber Knife (or an equivalent) was an option for me. Good luck. I hope you’re in as good shape six years out as I am. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 12:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/126 "2025-07-17T00:26:38Z")
Thank you ---
**Author:** ![needscoffee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/needscoffee/32/1076_2.png) [@needscoffee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/needscoffee)\ **Post date:** [July 17, 2025, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/127 "2025-07-17T04:56:01Z")
> [@wolfpup](#): > > Thanks, I initially didn’t know what “MSK” stood for. ISWYDT ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/128 "2025-07-31T12:27:57Z")
3 appointments set up in August. Including the spacer. I think the step after that is the trip to NYC to get the special MRI up in NYC for designing the treatment. About 2 weeks later can begin treatment local. So getting closer. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/129 "2025-07-31T14:56:24Z")
Things are moving fast! I hope that’s a relief and not nerve wracking. Best of luck. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [July 31, 2025, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/130 "2025-07-31T14:57:09Z")
A relief, I just need to schedule around a short 4 day vacation in September. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 4:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/131 "2025-08-19T16:04:47Z")
Tomorrow is minor surgery to get a spacer put in. This is in prep for the radiation treatments. Apparently the spacer stays in for life. I won’t be able to drive myself home, so my wife is taking me. ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/132 "2025-08-19T16:35:06Z")
Good luck, hope it is quick and complication-free. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 4:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/133 "2025-08-19T16:51:05Z")
Yes, definitely this! (Hmmm… 🤔 no emoji specific to prostate treatment…) ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/134 "2025-08-19T18:58:46Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > I won’t be able to drive myself home, so my wife is taking me. I’m glad to see you’re moving with alacrity, and that everyone’s being realistic and careful about what to do/not to do. I’m thinking of my FiL who tried to drive himself to the hospital with a broken hand a few years back 🙄 If you haven’t left already, do make sure to lay in some tasty comfort foods to spoil yourself with! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/135 "2025-08-19T22:22:26Z")
All the above. I see smart people working smartly to deliver the best possible result. Good luck. Chance always puts its thumb on the scale. May its touch be light and only favorable. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2025, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/136 "2025-08-19T22:40:58Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Apparently the spacer stays in for life. No, the body absorbs the gel over time (generally after 3 months from insertion) and it’s excreted through the kidneys and out in the urine. I found that process completely unnoticeable. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 12:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/137 "2025-08-20T00:33:24Z")
Oh cool. Thanks for that, no one else explained that. ---
**Author:** ![What\_Exit](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/what_exit/32/10652_2.png) [@What\_Exit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/What_Exit)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/138 "2025-08-20T18:57:37Z")
Well, I’m back. As a certain Hobbit once said. It seems like everything went well as expected. No counting down from 10 for the anesthesia. I have some discomfort in the groin region of course. On more hurdle next Friday before I’m ready for the 5 sessions of radiation to hopefully cure the cancer. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/139 "2025-08-20T19:16:32Z")
Marching right along towards success I’ll say. Good to get another step behind you. ---
**Author:** ![ParallelLines](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/parallellines/32/3575_2.png) [@ParallelLines](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ParallelLines)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2025, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625/140 "2025-08-20T20:24:17Z")
> [@What\_Exit](#): > > Well, I’m back. > > As a certain Hobbit once said. Did you check the silver? 😉 Sub-pet peeve: I dislike the terminology of “curing the cancer”. We’re trying to kill or otherwise disable the cancerous cells - they’re a part of you like the rest. Curing implies a separate origin, rather than a failure of our own cellular mechanism (not that some cancers DON’T have a separate initiating factor) - but new and/or different cancers can always arise. Again, I’m certain YOU know all that, but the terminology always worries me, because if something is “cured” it’s not something to worry about in the future to far too many people who don’t research such things, or don’t listen to the doctors. Anyway, more for anyone reading along or blowing in briefly from the wilds of the web, a PSA as it were. Rest, take appropriate measures for the pain, and maybe eat an entire bowl of quality fresh-popped popcorn with your chosen accent flavor(s)! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625.md?page=6) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ongoing-prostate-cancer-treatment/1019625.md?page=8)