Cancerous Prostate

Question:

Such an inspiring, illuminating, infectiously pioneering post Mike…and a perspective so upbeat I could even plump for HIFU myself! The surgeon I met with was interested but – because of lack of mature data – neutral.. he offered up the idea to me none the less – as you say they etch the faces of the die and then invite us to throw. Apparently here in W.Sussex, we get a team of Frenchmen (!) who come over and do HIFU for us.  My own window of opportunity for RP is diminishing apparently so it’s possible that I’ll go for surgery before too long…but not yet sure.  I do hope this is an unqualified success for you and of course, like everyone else, will be keenly interested in any feedback you might post up…

Response:

NOTE please: I’ve transmuted (hopefully) to HIFUMike in reply to Steve Kramer’s point -too many ‘Mikes’. (Steve, one previous post as MikeG.) Having lurked around for a time – - I am not entirely surprised at the wonderfully supportive posts sent in reply to my own. Even so, I am most grateful and deeply touched. Thank you. Must be the best bunch of medical malcontents anywhere on the planet! In acknowledgement and reply: Hi C Palmer: Many thanks. I think everybody here will understand when I say I’ve now rather got used to taking it up the arse, so I don’t mind a bit if somebody wants to give it on the chin! I truly welcome your frankness – knowledge in this game is the difference between a blind gambler, and a player. You are right, it will be interesting – not least for me! – because of my numbers. I think I mentioned I will be the first ever at this stage to have the pleasure of surround-sound audio up the rear as a possible cure – at least here. It’s all about the team, CP.  To stay in the image groove, some awful administrators at the hospital need a kick up the posterior. But the guys at the sharp end, the HIFU team, I am quite sure are among the best. I think I may have an unfair advantage over you in being this positive. The results of their trials have yet to be published. From debriefings with members of the team after TRUSs and talking to my specialists I get a distinct impression of quietly bubbling confidence in their process and abilities. I think they may be using the Sonablate in a different way, and much superior to Ablatherm. In other words CP this may be an early arrival of your prediction, one of the multiple variations of HIFU< you forecast.  Here I’m going to blind

gamble on my sensors: I get the feeling their results when published may be exceptional – with very high percentages of low or negligible subsequent PSA readings – i.e. only rare recurrences of tumours. I’ll go for it – even if they’re only the second best ever! Your comment on factoring in the low testosterone levels of old geezers  is very interesting. I really will ask about it.  Might it mean I could come off the Casodex, please? (And get rid of those painful nipples!). As to the possibility that they  "