Learn about Alan’s experience of treatment, how he managed any side effects and the impact it had on his life.
I have had two rounds of IRE - I was still able to ejaculate after the first round (though with much reduced volume) but because the second round treated a larger area I found that I was no longer able to ejaculate. My orgasms are completely dry, which takes a week or two to get used to, but, once you do, they are still very pleasurable.
I was diagnosed at age 54, I was about to retire, and I had a number of plans to go travelling and long distance trail walking. My biggest concern when I was offered surgery or radiotherapy was that I would be left with some form of incontinence or impotence (a not uncommon occurrence). That possibility did not sit well with my retirement plans, especially as I am still in a loving and active sexual relationship. When we found the IRE treatment (which I had to take via a private clinic in Germany) it promised no life changing side effects and I have found that to be true (apart from learning to enjoy dry orgasms). I am fully continent and still enjoy a healthy sex life. That was really important to me.
Yes
Because I did have to do it again. IRE is repeatable if needed (because it treats the cancer NOT the whole prostate) and I had a localised reoccurrence in 2022 which was caught very early in a follow-up MRI scan and successfully treated with a second round of IRE.
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