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John, I was 58 and had 3.2 PSA. I looked into Hifu as there's a top facility for that procedure a few miles from my home. I opted to have it removed instead. I wanted the odds in my favour.
Re: To hifu or not (Proton Beam Therapy as a possible less invasive alternative)
John,
I just wanted to follow-up on my last post with another less invasive treatment option to explore other than HIFU. I am talking about proton beam radiation therapy. I've only begun to research this option myself, so please do not take this as a recommendation. My area of research as far as treatment options are concerned has largely focused on surgery and HIFU. It's just that you give me the impression that you are looking for a less invasive option and, in my early research on the subject, proton beam therapy looks promising.
So far in my research I like what I have read about the minimal side effects, but at the same time, I have concerns about a lack of long-term comparative clinical studies and data. When a relatively new procedure that is a MAJOR investment for a hospital is heavily promoted ahead of reliable long-term data, IMO, there is good reason to be concerned. Still, I think it is worth researching further, which I personally will be doing because I have many questions about it yet to be unanswered. You can, of course, Google the subject where you will find a lot of information on its pros and cons, and you can find out even more about it on this very site (both in the Experiences section and on the Forum). For the Experiences section, simply go to the homepage and type "proton beam therapy" into the search box. From there you can click on any one of approximately 128 stories from YANA members. To find information on the Forum, simply use the index that I mentioned in my last post. Once again, good luck and best wishes!
I’m strictly a beginner (so don’t rely on my thoughts, I’m only trying to learn about all this prostate stuff).
If I understand your situation correctly, you are considering having treatment even though you have not had a biopsy?
Is an MRI-s considered so conclusive that a biopsy is no longer suggested? (Or is it simply that you haven’t got a biopsy yet, and are thinking ahead)?
Also wondering about your PSA, (as PSA varies by up to 33%). In my recent experience my PSA of 4.2, tested 2 months later came out to 2.9.
Sorry if my questions are naïve, all the best to you!
