I'm 4 Weeks into Proton Radiation for Prostate Cancer Recurrance

Mark is halfway through his radiation treatment for recurrent prostate cancer. He shares his experience, how he feels, and what to expect for the second half. He discusses the decision to have radiation after a recurrence, the process leading up to it, and the difference between proton radiation and photon radiation. Mark emphasizes the importance of taking care of oneself before and during treatment, including exercise and diet. He also addresses common side effects and the cost of treatment. He appreciates the positive feedback he has received and addresses some negative comments as well.
Takeaways
◾️ Radiation treatment is a common option for recurrent prostate cancer after surgery.
◾️ Proton radiation is a more advanced type of radiation that minimizes damage to surrounding tissues.
◾️ Taking care of oneself through exercise and a healthy diet can contribute to a better treatment experience.
◾️ Common side effects of radiation treatment include bladder irritation and increased frequency of urination.
◾️ Positive feedback and support from others can be encouraging during the treatment journey.
Chapters
00:00 Introduction: Halfway Through Radiation Treatment
02:40 Background: Recurrence and Decision for Radiation
07:18 Proton Radiation vs. Photon Radiation
10:08 Taking Care of Yourself During Treatment
16:21 Preparing for Radiation Sessions
24:19 Positive Feedback and Addressing Negative Comments

[@paulgood648]

68 year old, Gleason 8 with extension to pelvic lymph nodes…HDR brachytherapy and 25 fractions of IMRT…Lupron and Abiraterone for the next 1 1/2 years…doc says he thinks I’ve got a 70% chance for a complete cure…really want to believe that, but wish I could do it with the degree of positivity that you have! Struggle mostly with the uncertainty…but here I am and I don’t intend to quit!

[@ChengBe]

Love your positive attitudes and your smiles

[@MoorDragon]

I hear ya with regards to the costs. My treatment from surgery to radiation to meds is well over $300K by now. It’s insane. But I have BCBS FEP which has paid for it all.

[@DarkNight-fi6tv]

Great video Mark, to your point, science qualifies “best guess” when addressing outcomes combined with statistics. Your approach to a positive attitude and keeping your body fit all add to the overall success. I’m coming up on 5yrs post op, G7 (3+4), clear margins and a consistent PSA

[@henrydufour9688]

I just finished my photon radiation and am now on adt in Thailand. It was not fun, but I am happy with my doctors. 3 months after treatment, I feel good. I've had side effects from my adt treatment, but I'm powering through. Thank you for sharing your experience.

[@thomasbrady63]

Good luck.

[@neildavidson7768]

Mark great videos, am from UK and just finished 20 fractions of EBRT. 53yrs old had prostatectomy Apr 23. Psa Jan 24 went to 0.20. Radiation to prostate bed last month. 4 weeks after am feeling very fatigue, next psa test July 21st with follow up on 30th. Have my own little channel like you called Neil davidson Tenerife talking like you about your journey. Great videos mate keep them up

[@koof1776]

53, wth? Are you diabetic and or overweight?

[@davidheaver2854]

Hi Mark. Having my first of 20 radiotherapy sessions next Wednesday. Been on ADT for 6 months. Gleason 4+3. Useful to hear your journey. UK based so all free on our lovely NHS. Take care. David.

[@theobauer4845]

Hi. Good luck. Why wasn‘t surgery a option for you?

[@davidheaver2854]

The oncologist did not go there as an option and, indeed, the first thing he said was that we were not talking about surgery, which was fine by me. Hopefully the therapy regime plays out nicely and I'll be rid of it.

[@RhondaMcL1]

As far as I know, we only have 2 proton units in the UK, they’re both in England 😢

[@rodoltapia3608]

Good for you Mark, I’ve seen you since the beginning, a year ago I had surgery, all negstive til now, good luck bro!

[@psremington]

Mark, I am so happy to hear that you are getting through this process with so few side effects. My radiation was a breeze. But I suffered a lot of emotional side effects from the orgovyx. Depression and uncontrollable crying. That said, I think it’s a much superior medication to Lupron.

[@prostatecancerexperience]

It's interesting how reactions from different men can be so drastically different. I am wondering what triggers the emotional outbursts. You are not alone in that side effect. I have been lucky enough to have escaped that somehow.

[@timkbt]

I had my second opinion and I very glad I did. I’m transferring my treatment now. They had me meet with the head of the department. They are going to do a pcma scan to find out where the cancer is plus a genetic test. They want to find what will be the best treatment for me that is the most effective and has the least side effects. When I had beam radiation done for eight weeks back in 2018 I didn’t feel the effects of the radiation until week five. I’ll know in three weeks where I stand regarding where I stand now.

[@ricknowak4582]

Another great video Mark. I learned so much from you. I didn't start my protein radiation yet.

[@jimcollins9999]

Doing great Mark! A positive mind wins in the end. Happy Birthday 👍

[@StoneyIsland69th]

Great information, thanks Mark.

[@davidsimone9633]

You think this is great information. This guy Mark has been treating his prostate cancer for what seems like a lifetime. What type of treatment and cure is this guy looking for . It’s seems to be a never ending treatment for what could be at best a yearlong treatment and cure with seed implantation and low dose radiation. Instead of praising this guy how about questioning his ability to actually find a cure for his disease. The cure is out there.

[@gunterk256]

Mark, thank you for being so candid and supportive. I am 0:05 0:05 rapidly heading in the same direction. RP in 2013. PSA undetectable until 2021, then slow rise to 0.48. Several PSMA Pet scans showed one oligometastasis in the pubic bone. One round of ADT brought the PSA down to 0.02. Now 6 months later is up to 1.5. Exercising regularly, being positive. Though now the barenuckle fight goes to round 2. Best wishes for your treatment. 🫶

[@enniscollado202]

Thanks for sharing.

[@mweave]

Thanks, enjoying the video as always. I’m about two weeks behind you in my treatment. I asked about the balloon in the rectum. My radiologist had never seen that technique and couldn’t imagine why you would want to enlarge the rectum as that could only make it more vulnerable to the beam. I understand how the balloon provides some protection, but by being there it perhaps pushes part of the rectum more into the line of the beam so it’s a bit of a trade-off perhaps. I’m not an expert of course, ask your radiologist, but they seem to be multiple viewpoints on the balloon.

[@KO-rc7xt]

Mark your positive approach is inspiring. Wish you the best sounds like you’re in a good spot. One thing I hear you say is how great your surgeon was. Were the positive margins not able to have been removed?

[@dawng540]

Thank you for sharing the Details. We just chose IMRT radiation as initial treatment for 3+4 which starts next week with markers. Was thinking about photon but our insurance has been very difficult to deal with. I guarantee they wouldn’t have approved Proton. 😢

[@regoghorbani8028]

Hi Mark. Thank you very much for putting so much time, effort and emotions into producing these amazing videos. It’s both insightful and encouraging. I have a question for you please. Do you mind if I ask how much your PSA at the time of your prostatectomy was?? Thank you very much in advance.

[@koof1776]

Excellent video~

[@garzafamily1800]

Hi, thank you for your videos they are very inciteful. When you first discovered at 51 what were your PSA results?

[@colemant6845]

Mark... glad your treatment is going smoothly. Your Cost information on the Hormone Treatments was Shocking to say the least.... since I will start the same drugs after my 2nd PSMA next Thur. I am on Medicare ... but an "Advantage Plan". Not sure what the Drug coverage will be under my Medicare plan. Thanks for the great information!

[@prostatecancerexperience]

Coleman, it’s best to have a medical oncologist prescribe Orgovyx. They have ways to get insurance to approve it.

[@rshappy123]

Hey Mark, I would like to thank you for you story, its helped me through tough times. I may have to have radiation, and i am looking to get the proton therapy. I am fortunate to have a top notch Institute. ( South Florida Proton Therapy Institute. right down the street from where I live, and my insurance covers the entire length of the procedures. Unfortunately they don't use the rectal balloon but use the space oar. If this was IMRT that would be one thing but since it proton my organs should be safe. What's you opinion on that. I do realize your not an MD.. thanks

[@FredWalker-e5i]

Why are they targeting the prostate bed? Did the PSMA scan show something there or is that just where the best chance of it being is at this point?

[@pidjones]

Going in Wednesday for radical robotic surgery. My doctor has done over 2500 of them. I know some of the guys that run the cyclotron that you are using. Good folks. My surgery will be done just a few miles from you.

[@Uncle.Pipo.]

pid - day 1 & 2 suck but day 3+ you start feeling better. you have to walk a lot, that’s the key to improving. you won’t eat/drink much but that’s normal. only bad issue I had was my overnight was on a chair & urine flowed into my kidneys/bladder. put the bag in box on the ground near your bed. I didn’t use pain meds at home, I vaped THC (weed) but if you are taking pain meds, remember to take a stool softener in the AM & PM. Mark has a ton of great vids you can use as reference materials. good luck, you will back to normal in no time 👊

[@pidjones]

Surgery yesterday. Learned that by getting so dehydrated drinking nothing after midnight, the nurses will turn your arms to hamburger looking for veins for all the IVs. Abdominal block just wearing off, but it isn't too painful. Gas migrated to my right shoulder (my good one) but is slowly easing. Passing gas but no poop get. Drinking a lot and taking the softener. In at 9 am and home by 5:30 pm. My surgeon has now done over 3000 of them.

[@pidjones]

Pretty much just doing the time until cath comes out in two days.All going well!

[@koof1776]

SBRT: why 4-weeks, most patients have 10-days to 2-weeks?

[@MrLeo92335]

Hello mark ,im a subscriber i just got surgery 3 months ago and my psa is .11 should i worry that is not cero?

[@thomasbrady63]

ADT in Thailand. That must be difficult with all the beautiful women there or maybe not . Maybe they help out .

[@kennethmoore7774]

what's a spaceoar

[@warrenmaralit2461]

Hi Mark, thank you for this video. May I ask if you have your PSA taken after 4 weeks of radiation and what is the result? thank you.

[@prostatecancerexperience]

Warren, four weeks is too soon after radiation. Normally, the first test is three months after radiation.

[@warrenmaralit2461]

​@@prostatecancerexperience thank you for prompt response Godbless.

[@ricknowak4582]

I have so many things to ask you Mark but I don't want to be making all these comments. But one more okay. I thought I saw a video you made years ago about proton radiation for a recurrence after prostectomy. Is that true? So this would be your third recurrence? If that's correct I didn't think you could double down on radiation if you already had it once before. Also, you never had to give yourself an enema before treatment did you? And did they ever say you had gas? One video I saw that The dude kept having gas and they had to go in somehow physically to release it. Ugh!

[@prostatecancerexperience]

Rick, in 2023 I had five sessions of proton radiation on one of my ribs. There was a false positive on a PSMA test showing something in the rib. With that out of the way, we in 2024 began the actual prostate bed radiation. So, it’s really the second treatment for prostate cancer. Regarding gas, that can depend on diet and other factors. My next video will address what to eat while on radiation treatment, to minimize gas. Gas isn’t ideal during treatment as it can bloat internet organs.

[@ricknowak4582]

Thanks for the reply Mark. Now I remember your story on that short radiation treatment session.

[@AnwarHussain-cf1du]

Thanks Mark

[@alanaldpal950]

Good to see that you are dealing with this with a great attitude. (As you did before). Was there any discussion or consideration with your doctors about NOT doing hormone therapy with you Proton Beam therapy. Three months ago, I completed 20 sessions (40 doses) of Proton Beam therapy at Loma Linda University in SoCal and my doctor was fine with not doing hormone therapy as well. I presume you are having the “ballon treatment” during each session of radiation? Did you have a Space OAR procedure before starting radiation ?

[@alanaldpal950]

Just finished watching the video and see you did cover the balloon. (Did you join the brotherhood of the balloon?).

[@ricknowak4582]

$4,000 per month for ... Medication. No wonder they want to prescribe this.

[@prostatecancerexperience]

Crazy, huh? That's the Pharma business in the USA.