[PHI Redacted] was diagnosed as having prostate cancer (PSA=4.2 and a gleason of 4 plus 3).

Having received [PHI Redacted] diagnosis, [PHI Redacted] conducted a rigorous analysis of options by reviewing the publications given to [PHI Redacted] by the urologist who had originally diagnosed cancer, speaking with indivisuals who either had had seeds, surgery to remove their prostates or IMRT treatments. [PHI Redacted] was dismayed to find that all provided varying degrees of side effects. Surgery clearly provided the greatest with a one in two chance of impotence and a one in six chance of incontenance. Even under the best of circumstances, surgery further provided risks in terms of the potential blood loss while in surgery and the potential for problems associated with wearing diapers for a number days after surgery.

IMRT treatments, as reported by my friends, required that they travel to a treatment center for forty plus times for treatment. Surgery was also a requirement for this option for the purpose of placing markers. Those that I spoke to who had selected this option all stated that they had experienced some degree of weariness throughout their time in treatment.

For those selecting seeds, I was told that surgery was also required for the purpose of placing seeds within the body. It was also explained that the risk here was the fact that there existed a potential for any number of seeds that could migrate, in time, throughout other areas of the body.

With this information, [PHI Redacted] researched the proton therapy option and subsequently selected it on the basis both of its minimal physical impact throughout the treatment period and after its completion. An additional consideration were the success rates reported among those that had had treatments throughout the sixteen years within the institution that [PHI Redacted] selected for treatments.

[PHI Redacted] recent PSA was reported as being .41. [PHI Redacted]