New Member - Time to join

Hello everyone. I have been reading this forum for a month. Thank you to all who share their knowledge and experience. It is so helpful to those of us starting this journey.
After my husband's surgery in Jan., the surgeon told him he was "surgically cleared." As you can see by his PSA numbers below, that was not the case. We were shocked when his post-surgery PSA doubled within three months. He was told that he needed radiation of the prostate bed. We went to Dana Farber for a second opinion, and they convinced him to add in HRT for six months. We thought we had a plan. Then when he went to the doctor's to set up the Casodex and Lupron, he informed my husband of a trial study he could be in that would add chemo to the mix. By then our heads were spinning.
So this is the plan. Radiation 37 (?) sessions, Firmagon shot (to be followed by Casodex and Lupron), and Cabazetaxel. We will get all of the info on the dose and time frame of the chemo this week.
Has anyone done all three treatments together? It's weird that he feels so good and this week he will be bombarded by all of these chemicals and radiation. It's very frightening. The docs make you afraid to skip anything because one treatment might get what another one misses (or so they say). My husband has also agreed to exercise and change his diet. I've been doing a lot of reading about nutrition for people with prostate cancer (guess I'll have to cook!).
I would appreciate any feedback. I will update as the treatments progress.
My husband is 65 and I am 63.
Again, thanks to everyone, and best wishes to all in this "club."

Kathy

Welcome to the place we don't want to be but this is a great place to ask questions.

At G8 it's not uncommon to throw every treatment possible at the PC. RT and HT combo is a normal plan at this stage. If it's escaped surgery, it's time to be very agressive.

Hang in there, lots of guys at this stage have done well and kept the beast at bay for a very long time.

Ask any questions and do keep us updated on your progress.
Andrew

Hi Kathy, sorry that your husband has to deal with secondary treatment. I am in southern CT and had SRT and radiation treatment at Dana Farber. They recommended 2-3 years of HT (Lupron) 2 years ago. I ended up doing one year of ADT 3. My radiation went very well and I was impressed with how much care they took in making sure that I would avoid any side effects. Regarding chemo, it is very unusual to start it so early. When I had my recurrence 2 years ago I corresponded with a man, in New London CT, that was a G9. He had chemo with HT and SRT after reading a study that indicated that it showed promise in treating high risk men. At the time he had an undetectable PSA. He was very happy with his choice of treatment at the time. Best of luck. BB

Hello BB. It's nice to hear from someone who also went to Dana Farber. Ray will be having his radiation in RI. The doctor at DF knows the RI doc and said he felt comfortable with Ray doing it in RI. The chemo was not recommended at DF. There is a clinical study here to see if doing all three treatments in conjunction improve the results. Happy that you are doing well now. I am also interested in nutrition and supplements to help build up Ray's immune system. We're looking into green, essiac tea, pomegranate, tumeric, and plant based foods. If you have any suggestions, please let me know.

Hello David. I feel like I know you from reading many of your posts. You deserve a lot of credit for going to the Clemson game and spreading the word. I plan to watch the video later. I just wish the day had been more comfortable for you. People like you who push on are very inspiring. I wish you the best.

Kathy

Welcome RIwife,

It sounds like you've got a great team approach to hit it hard and hit it fast. It took us a while to find the right approach. Our new Dr (Lam) has mentioned a round of chemo for us in the near future. He also strongly suggest Pom-T supplement..one tablet containing Broccoli, Curcumin, Pomegranate and Green Tea extracts. Pricey because of shipping from UK or Canada, but very convenient and clinical study results look promising.
This is a great place to share and vent and learn. Keep us informed about how you're doing and all the best from
the both of us.

Mswampuscat

Hi Mswampuscat,

Thank you for responding. I am happy that your husband is doing well. This forum has helped Ray and me to get informed. I only wish we had found it before his surgery. I question some things that have happened, but we are looking forward. Thank you for the info about the Pom T supplement. I am going to check that out. I like that your doctor recommends it.

Best to you and your husband,

Kathy

Kathy, I just want to add my welcome to HW as well. You are doing all the right things, getting educated and getting support. What you learn and experience now, will be of great value to others. Many can share knowledge, but here they share both knowledge and experience(s), which takes it to a much higher level. It is OK to question the treatment of your husband, you both need to feel comfortable with the decisions made. Looking forward to, and praying for, some positive progress reports!

Hello Adjust,

Thank you for your welcome. I agree that members' experiences are invaluable. I have learned so much about PC from this forum. Hopefully, we will have positive progress reports to share. Because he is in a clinical trial that adds chemo to the mix, we may have some new info as time progresses. There is so much going on in the world of PC treatments.

Thanks for your prayers and well wishes. We'll be doing the same for you and everyone else on HW.

Kathy