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I have had similar experiences. I'm a few months younger than you. I had my EBRT 3 1/2 years ago and for the past couple of years I've had some minor bleeding in my urine, a bit of a pink flush in the first flow. After a cystoscopy (not at all painful just a bit of discomfort) it became pretty clear that the EBRT had produced side effects in that my urethra through the prostate had become rather narrow (the whole prostate being now very small). I was prescribed finasteride to try to open up the tube. After five months it hadn't and so I stopped. I assume that friction caused the detachment of superficial blood cells from a radiation damaged urethra.
Then, a month ago, after a few weeks of passing a little more blood than usual, including some clots that I could feel going through they were so large, I had something of a crisis. One night I couldn't pee at all and rushed to casualty to get the problem sorted. Eventually in fits and starts I did empty out. It was the colour of port (so old blood, they told me) and some big clots were cleared. The medics noticed I had a minor urinary tract infection and put me on antibiotics. Strangely, within an hour of taking the first pills, the strongly coloured urine ended and I was back to normal. Coincidence? I don't know. I felt further investigation was needed though and asked for a cystoscopy which I shall have on 7/11/11. Meantime I am again showing some blood and the occasional small clot.
George, I'm told that older men passing blood is commonplace, but what you describe and what I've described isn't normal and does need investigation. There is always the risk of bladder cancer, which in my late brother's case occurred, I believe, as a direct result of his EBRT. So it does happen perhaps very rarely. But it is very important to see what is happening in the urinary tract when we have these events, in case the worst has happened and we need to stop another cancer in its tracks.
It may be something quite simple and easily zapped with a laser to cauterise a leaking blood vessel. I don't know. But I'm absolutely sure that I want to know where my major bleeding came from and where my minor bleeding comes from and to prevent a recurrence of my bad night a month back.
Thank you David, You have been very helpful.
For the last 6yrs I have belonged to a Medical group which consists various types of doctors. I have my primary health Dr., a Dr. that treats my lyme disease and my urologist. Sometimes I don't know weather this is good or bad. The only good thing I can see is that all of my doctors are linked together via computer and each one knows how I am being treated..medications etc.
There are two other urologists in the group but I have not seen them.
The bad thing is the only Dr. I have kept for the last 6yrs is my primary doctor. All the others just seem to come and go especially the good ones. This is my third urologist. He is very young and has been there for two years. He is sort of cocky and knows everything (maybe he does). But if it ever came down to him saying I need an operation I think I would have to go elseware outside the group for it.
What gets me is that if I had not done that exercise last week and had acted like a normal 691/2 year old person maybe this would not have happened for sometime. But, maybe it is just as well that it did because this is just something to come "down the road"
Thanks again
George
Having just had a cystoscopy, I thought I'd report on this because some matters of general interest arise.
The first is that I have a couple of nodules on the front wall of my prostate, for which I have to have a TURBT to investigate them and take samples. These nodules, if they prove to be cancerous, are concerning because the location is not contiguous with the prostate. Had I not pressed for a cystoscopy I would be ignorant of this further risk to my health. How much of a risk, I shall find out after a much bigger tube is inserted up my urethra (thankfully under anaesthetic!) to enable scrapings of the nodules to be taken.
The second interesting point comes out of my consultant's report on the cystoscopy. He describes "necrotic prostate tissue over the median lobe". This is three and a half years after EBRT. I had thought that irrariated (cancerous) and consequently dead tissue was absorbed by the body and excreted from the system. Apparently that is not so.
There's a third interesting point. The CT scan did not show up the two nodules, so although non-invasive and comforting in terms of "showing no abnormality" as the report put it, it has limited value when the evidence of symptoms suggesting an underlying problem is available.
I wonder if the "necrotic prostate tissue over the median lobe" is the material on the fringes of the focussed radiation. The cells which copped the main blast will have gone, absorbed by your system as you say: the healthy cells will still be there - sometimes generating abit of PSA and/or even getting a bit of infection.
Between these two, surely there must be some cells that were damaged but not killed by the radiation? Is it not these damaged cells that make surgery after radiation so difficult? I've never seen any scientific study on this subject but it would make sense to me if that were the case. Perhaps you'd like to ask your radiologist and let us know?
God luck with your next procedure - may all your nodules be benign polyps or simply atypical cells.
Just had a TURBT under general anaesthetic - and it is NOT pleasant having such a big tube containing the various tools stuffed up one's urethra. Consultant says if the nodules were cancer then its a new one on him - he simply doesn't know what he cut out! We have to wait 2-3 weeks for a definite answer following lab analysis. Anyway, apart from taking samples he cut out what was there, tidied up the necrotic bits and cauterised the nodule sites, so I'm a bit tender but getting back to normal. Will update my story in YANA Experiences when I have the lab results and a definite answer on what the nodules were.
