Dad diagnosed with prostate cancer

[nickypeaches]

My father was recently diagnosed with prostate cancer. He is 66 yrs. old. His gleason score was a 6 and they graded it a T2C. Do you know what stage that would be? My father said the urologist said it is in both lobes of the prostate. The urologist suggested 2 options, one was the radiation seeds(brachytherapy)and the other was removal of the prostate, my father has chosen to do the seeds. He has an appointment with the radiation oncologist and then to the cardiologist to have a stress test, to make sure his heart is okay, he had a heart attack in 2000 with 2 stents put in. With his gleason score and grading, is it possible the cancer has spread beyond the prostate? No one has mentioned a bone scan or ct scan? I am trying to gain as much knowledge and information I can about this disease and the treatments. I am so worried for him. I worry too about the side effects. What is the survival rate for someone like my dad? thank you in advance.

[Ash Tewari, MD, M.Ch.]

With his Gleason score  and clinical staging of T2C , the cancer is most probably confined to the prostate gland.

Either brachytherapy or surgery is a reasonable option for him. Each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The side effects  of brachytherpy are urinary irritative symptoms like frequency, urgency sometimes retention, proctitis or inflammation of the rectum and impotence.

The complications of surgery are similar, i.e incontinence and impotence. However surgery has been shown to offer a better survival advantage than radiation.(1)

Low to intermediate  risk tumors like this have a 50% -85% 5-year PSA failure-free survival.

This answer is not intended and does not substitute for medical advice- the information is for patient education only.

1.Albertsen PC, Hanley JA, Penson DF, Barrows G, Fine J. 13-year outcomes following treatment for clinically localized prostate cancer in a population based cohort.J Urol. 2007 Mar;177(3):932-6.

[nickypeaches]

Sorry I left that out!
It was a 5.7 psa
gleason score 6 and a T2C grade

[Ash Tewari, MD, M.Ch.]

I need to know his Serum PSA level to answer your question better.