HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Hormone Therapy

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 10/13/2009 11:34 PM (GMT 0)
 I've just found out that my psa has doubled into a dangerous zone. I had radical surgery little more than three years ago. The doctor has stated that I won't live five years unless I start hormone therapy treatments. I am, frankly, very scared of the side effects. Does anyone have knowledge of this treatment?
Posted 10/13/2009 11:38 PM (GMT 0)
You should find out about salvage radiation, if your PSA is reasonably low.
Posted 10/14/2009 12:15 AM (GMT 0)
Can tell you more than you want to hear, did ADT3 hormone therapies and other(s), been 7.7 yrs. since I was given the sentence, luckily at this juncture I am still doing well and my original stats were quite bad, had total urinary blockage too in 2002 (bpsa 46.6 gleasons 7,8,9's, 12/12 biopsies all 70-95% range). Send me an email I will give you my phone number if you are that interested. My name thingy herein has info for my email.
Posted 10/14/2009 1:41 AM (GMT 0)

Hi Tiredwanderer,

I don't have the experience that Zufus has and I have been on Lupron hormone therapy for only 5 months.  Shots I get are designed to last for 4 mos.  First shot Apr. 21, second Aug. 21.  Next due Dec. 21.  So far, so good.  My PSA went down to 0.5 from 3.9 after the first shot.  Felt a lot of fatigue at first, but that is gone.  Now I just get hot flashes, which are little more than a nuisance. 

I am on a bone supplement from Theralogix in Rockville, Md, since Lupron can cause osteoporosis.  I do light weight lifting to stave off muscle loss, another side effect, and to help with bone loss.  So far, I have not noticed any loss, but it is early in my treatment.  I have not had the mood changes that others have experienced with hormone therapy.

I am probably one of the lucky ones - responding well to the hormone therapy with minimal side effects.

Bottom line is that it is keeping my PSA in check and I'm still kicking.  See my signature for a little more info about my journey.

Good luck with whatever decision you make concerning hormone therapy.

Gene in Md

Posted 10/14/2009 5:07 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to all who responded. I am still not sure if the hormone therapy is worth doing. The side effects and possiblity that the treatments won't work, or only work for a short time are things that bother me. Of course having the cancer spread to my bones and spine are not things I look forward to.
darn, I hate this disease........
Posted 10/14/2009 5:26 PM (GMT 0)
tired,

how old are you anyway? don't see it posted. you should never give up hope, there is research going on all the time for advance prostate cancer, new trials being developed..

If your doctor feels that HT is your only hope, having ruled out other treatment possibilities, why wouldn't you want to give it a chance?

If my PC takes me out, it won't be because I quit fighting and trying. That is why I am fighting my way through salvage radiation right now, pissed that surgery failed its main objective. And if the radiation fails later, I guess I will off to the HT path myself. Won't like that either, but not going to die from this thing without trying every possoble source of hope and cure.

Perhaps you could post your stats, make it easier for the rest of us to partially understand your journey and unique situation

Keep the faith and the f ight, brother

David in SC
Posted 10/17/2009 5:01 AM (GMT 0)
Hi TW,

I have been on the Lupron since May of 2008. So far the side effects have been tolerable. Seems that the hot flashes are less frequent these days but just as intense. I hve some mild nausea usually a week or two after the shot but it does not last more than a day or so. I work out regulary and the last bone density was higher than average for a man my age and I have not had any issue with what I dread most... man boobs. No libido and loss of body hair on legs, chest and arms. (although there has been some regrowth on my legs) I am coming up on two years on HT and my uro has suggested a third. I am taking a wait and see approach. In short one can adjust to the HT. However, I am curious why you would not look at salvage radiation. Is there some other issue? Either way best of luck to you.

Don

Posted 10/17/2009 1:42 PM (GMT 0)
I joke about side effects but much less than anticipated....some hot flashes or sweatsin middle of night50 mg of Casodex daily and quarterly shots of Zolodex for past 13 months.....no ill effects of shots....some enlargement of breasts but no tenderness....a bit more emotional...not depression but sort of overly sensitive to sad movies, tv shows etc.....

good energey levels, no interference with weight loss program and PSAs virtual zero for past year....davinci surgery scheduled at sloan kettering in two days..


some literature says average effectivness of hormones is 2 years....my home townurologist has patients who are dormant or perhaps arrested for 8 to 10 years...other doctors dont put much stock in the whole hormone therapy and consider it a form of watchful waiting.....some literature on benefits of intermittant hormones but then again some concerns that as with other drugs the deprivation then creates a more aggressive tumor growth.....bottom line is learn all you can and talk to knowledgeable doctors particularly urologists rather than listening to us amateurs on the blog....having said that this is a wonderful site for support an guidance on where to go for information....one thing I have done is ask physicians I know point blank what they would do if they had my kind of prostate cancer...the answers are revealing and so is their choice of institutions...
good luck

mbshines


AGE 62
DX 7/08
psa HAD GONE FROM 1.7 TO 4.3 IN THREE YEARS...DIGITAL AND ULTRA SOUND EXAM SHOWED NO ENLARGEMENT.
BIOPSY SHOWED 2 OF 12 CORES POSITIVE.
TWO TUMORS SHOWED GLEASON 4+3 AND 3+4
NO INDICATION OF ESCAPE FROM CAPSULE OR METASTASIS
STARTED CONSULTATIONS AT SLOAN KETTERING 8/09
DR GUILLONNEAU SAID NO SURGERY UNLESS MASSIVE WEIGHT LOSS.
AT DX 333 LBS, SLEEP APNEA, AND HIGH BP
BARIATRIC SURGERY RECOMMENDED.
LAP BAND SURGERY IN EL PASO, TX 1/23/09
10/1/09 276 LBS, TRIGLYC AND CHOL NORMAL, NO SIGNS OF SLEEP APNEA, ONE BP RX REMOVED AND OTHERS CUT DOSAGE IN HALF;

STARTED QUARTERLY ZOLODEX BY TAOS,NM UROLOGIST, WHO TRAINED AT MSKCC, INJECTIONS AND CASODEX 50MG DAILY 9/08
Posted 10/17/2009 2:30 PM (GMT 0)
I was on ADT3 for two years and I to would say the side effects were tolerable. At first I thought impotence would be hard to handle but once the libido is gone it doesn't really matter. Fatigue was my worst enemy until I forced myself to exercise more than I did. I was able to overcome all the side effects. To me if you are going to be on HT it is vital that you stay active because if you don't depression can set in. I say go for it, fire every bullet you can at this enemy. The battle can be won. Keep us posted and if you don't mind share more of your history in regards to the disease.

peace and love
Dale
Posted 10/17/2009 3:20 PM (GMT 0)
My neighbor has been on Lupron for 12 years and my cousin on it for 10 years. Both are very active and there seems to be no affect on what they want to do. Everyone reacts differently so there is little downside in trying it for a few months and a lot of upside.
The effectiveness depends on the volume of hormone dependent PC cells to hormone independent cells. If most of your cells are hormone dependent you can live a long time on HT.
JT
Posted 10/19/2009 12:16 AM (GMT 0)
  Dump the uro-doc if you are seeing them any time you are a failed (recurrent PCa patient), you are outside his limited 'expertedness'.  You should be under the guidance of an Oncologist and better still a PCa-Onco-doc would be in your better interests. It is amazing what some Uro-docs don't know(some of us would be amazed at what they say...as even some of us know the correct answer on some PCa things that are basic), as Dr. Strum has pointed out in his books about this very thing, and if you have seen a number of them then you would also know fact from fiction in the real world. You might have a great uro-doc, to what do you have to compare or as your referencing methodology i.e. how do you actually know? (you also might not) . I hope you do have the best and a righteous doc, but don't be shy about finding out what the score actually is, it could make a difference in your life in many ways. I will stop there.

 

✚ New Topic ✚ Reply