My father recently went through prostate cancer radiation treatment, and here is our experience. The doctor did not say that unless it is treated, he will die. He did emphasize that with the modern day treatments, the risks and side effects are much lower than that of non-treatment. The radiation treatment was non-invasive, except for the placement of 3 markers inside the prostate to guide the radiation beams. My father did have stronger-than-normal side effects, however after 3 months the side effects have gone. We were actually amazed that cancer treatment was so easy. It is now a waiting game to see whether the cancer has been completely eliminated, but the peace of mind from having had the treatment is worth a lot.

On the other hand, a family friend had prostate cancer many years before, when the radiation treatment was not available, and he had to go through surgery. The surgery caused strong side effects, and also turned out to be not successful, as the cancer spread to his bones after 10 years, for which he is now receiving further treatment. In this case, where the loss of quality of life was high, it's not as easy of a choice.