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gbgscw New User
Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Southern California
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Posted: Wed Dec 19, 2007 9:34 pm Post subject: HIFU treatment for radiation failure |
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I am considering going to Germany for a Turp & HIFU treatment of my prostate for recurring disease many years after EBRT. The only other option offered to me by US doctors is hormone therapy, which does not kill the cancer, only slows it down. I am a young, active 64 year old, so that is not a very good option in my mind. My current psa is 5.6, CT & bone scans negative, biopsy scheduled the end of Dec '07. The urologist who will perform the procedure is Dr. Douglas Chinn from Arcadia, Calif. He has many years' experience with cryo and about 4 years and 75 procedures with HIFU. He started out using the Sonablate 500, then recently switched to the Ablatherm, traveling to Germany for the treatments.
If anyone has had any experience with Dr. Chinn or HIFU by any other doctor, please share. _________________ 2nd timer |
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Replicant Moderator

Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 744
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Posted: Thu Dec 20, 2007 11:36 am Post subject: I know a layperson who has researched this |
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There's a guy on the WebMD prostate cancer support board named John who is very knowledgeable and level-headed. He has been looking into HIFU.
I suggest posting a note on that discussion board to his attention. Since there are lots of Johns out there (that sounds funny, doesn't it?) he goes by "John, aka az4peaks".
There has been at least one patient or friend of a patient who went through HIFU on that board, but I don't know if they regularly monitor WebMD.
Here's the link to that board:
http://boards.webmd.com/webx?50@@.5987f465
There's also a guy on that board, stxdave, who went through radiation as his primary treatment and years later, his PSA went up. After careful evaluation at MD Anderson (or maybe it was Johns Hopkins?) , he had a salvage prostatectomy done. Salvage prostatectomies are relatively rare because the side effects can be unbelievably bad--but Dave has done very well. Of course, he went to a world-renowned center of excellence.
Good luck. I sense a fighting spirit in you! |
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gbgscw New User
Joined: 08 Aug 2007 Posts: 4 Location: Southern California
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Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:41 pm Post subject: Re: HIFU treatment for radiation failure |
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Thank you Replicant,
I am willing to do whatever it takes to fight this thing. However, my fight just took a back seat to my brother's situation: Just diagnosed with advanced prostate cancer, psa 94, Gleason5+4, all cores 100% involved. CT scan shows lymph node involvement and multiple leasions on the liver. there is also a considerable amount of blood in the urine. The doctor cleaned out and scoped the bladder, which appears normal. Tomorrow to the hospital to try to locate the source of the bleeding. Next week liver biopsy & bone scan. We need to decide on a treatment and get it under way quickly! The message ihere is: IF YOU HAVE A FAMILY HISTORY OF PROSTATE CANCER, ESPECIALLY IF IT IS A SIBLING, HAVE YOURSELF CHECKED ANNUALLY!!!
My own situation is: psa 4.1, down from 5.6 ten weeks ago, hopefully indicating locally confined recurrance. I will know more next week when the results of my biopsy are in. Still planning on HIFU in Germany in Feb. _________________ 2nd timer |
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