Cancer back after 13 years remission

Hi Mozard250, I wish your father and all the family a good result from SRT. Surely PSA=0.36 is very low in comparison with my doctors standards, and it is just under the 0.40 cutoff PSA normally used in big institutions (JH, etc). You may be concerned with this type of treatment but the procedure is simple and well tolerated in a healthy man like your father. The dosage will rule the outcome of success in both, cure and minimized side effects. The best usually is dependent on the type of equipment delivering the treatment. The latest and modern ones are the best. Every case is different but giving you an example; I had SRT (Variant-3D IMRT) four years ago for a total dosage of 68Gy in 37 fractions (every day except Sundays). The daily sections were easy to take and become a kind of a routine. One hour in advance I would drink lots of water to fill the bladder (it helps in minimizing the side effects), then I would drive to the clinic (50km far from my house). There, I would dress a light gown and lay face up on the machine’s stretcher while the beam head would move around me stopping here and there. All actions and movements were controlled by the staff in their computer screens live, in a separate room. It would take approximately 10 to 15 minutes (1 to 3 minutes under radiation). I never felt fatigue (played golf on weekends) or nausea. I had a sensation of burning pain on my fifths’ week of treatment when urinating and the stool became much liquefied with traces of blood (proctitis), although no skin burning marks. These side effects were treated with separate medicines during the three month post treatment, but apart from the partial loss of rectum sensation at discharge (stool is now more consistent), all physical symptoms have gone and I never experienced incontinence, up to now. The PSA showing the success went down from 3.80 before treatment, to 0.05 in 13 months. Your dad will do well too, and become a centenary Wishing you the best Baptista

Hi grumpy Thanks for the clip on the “Better Man”   my wife likes it and I will put it down in my list of New Year’s resolutions. Your PSA rise to 0.09 is still within the remission level. Those tests scheduled for January will give youpeace of mind. Just as informative, at your age a surge in PSA could be as well due to other things either then recurrence of cancer. Such as; a hard stool shortly before drawing blood or a urinary infection (common with older men).   Whishing you the best, Baptista

Baptista,

I think you are confused about things that effect PSA post surgery. Neither dirtmover or grumpy have prostates any more. Nothing like sex or a hard stool or urinary track infection would effect their PSA. Their prostates are gone. I had sex the morning before my last test and I was still undetectable. Regardless, when you don't have a prostate these things don't effect your PSA.