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Re: Am waiting 6 months for the right surgeon - should I wait?
Thanks John - Am looking to use Dr Peter Heathcote of Brisbane, Australia who has 1,400 conventional surgery removals and 70 robotic. A bit under your recommended 100 though.
Re: Am waiting 6 months for the right surgeon - should I wait?
Bruce,
I don't believe I am in disagreement with the comments you are receiving in this string of messages. But I do feel that some qualification is in order.
I would say that the general consensus is that if you go with an inferior surgeon, due to haste, your likelihood of having post surgery problems are significant. And more likely than any loss of outcome that you might incur by waiting six months for a top quality surgeon.
On the other hand, there is some risk in waiting, of course. Though it looks quite small from what you have indicated about your specifics. You don't want the cancer to progress over 6 months from a "curable" cancer to one that you may have to "manage" over many years. It doesn't look likely in your case, but it sure is possible. You might look at the Dana Jennings blog in the New York Times, who had a cancer that turned out surprisingly nasty even though it looked more like yours prior to the surgery. And one does not know if he might have had a simple, good outcome if he had had surgery 6 months earlier.
http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/11/11/the-good-cancer/
I don't say all this to get you worrying, but rather to pass along information that I think is merited. Perhaps there is a third option for you, one where you travel farther but get a top quality surgeon sooner? None of this prostate cancer stuff is simple, and we all wish you the very best.
Re: Am waiting 6 months for the right surgeon - should I wait?
Without tons of detail on your case, I would also say wait for the best surgeon you can find.
I was diagnosed (via biopsy) 12/08 and had surgery 6/09. This was felt by all I spoke with to be a reasonable period of time. I was gleason 6 (3+3), considerd T1c.
Good luck and feel free to email with other questions.
Doing well after lapro, more on me here: http://www.yananow.net/Mentors/PaulM2.htm
