Jerry L. said...
Jim,
I forget...have you had any radiation or other therapy other than Lupron?
No Jerry. I still have my prostate and elected not to deal with the extra side effects or surgery or radiation since there would still have to be treatments later on for the 5 bone mets.
In theory the Lupron stops the cancerous prostate from gneratign secondary sites, though I know some men elect to do it 2-step and rid the body of the prostate, or zap it.
My medical oncologist advised to treat the bone mets now would light me up like Chernobyl. Hence the 24-month Lupron sentence.
Right now only sets of 4-month Lupron and since March 28,2013 and monthly Xgeva since I became Medicare eligible in August.
I am awaiting a Nov 12 PSA test to decide whether to explore with the medical oncologist at UF & Shands addition T-reduction treatments such as Avodart or Casodex. As long as PSA keeps declining, he is of school that wants to keep the PCa guessing about
future treatments without tipping our hand and letting the PCa have more time to circumvent them.
Have not measured the prostate since Lupron though theoretically it and the mets are shrinking thanks to the Lupron.
I did have a CTC circulating tumor cell tests that assuming no errors on Quests part, shows no new tumors in course of forming. That was ordered by my second opinion urologist/surgeon when I complained that the wording even on the bone scans was too vague and CYA "improvement".
Due to same complaint, my radiation oncologist ordered MRI's of spine and pelvis. The MRI to spine downgraded my diagnosis to mild bone metsastasis sicne the T7 & T8 that shined brightest on bone scans turned out to be a benign herniated disc with spinal compression that i never knew I had sicne I have no pain. I still have lesions at T4 & T9.
Opposite result on the pelvic MRI wher ethe bone scan showed a slight glow spot on right sacroiliac that appeared to be relatively minor just not symmetric witht the left sacroiliac, but MRI result showed classic PCa metastatic to bone in sacral area.
Original bone scan metioned right ribs but either the second bone scan nor the MRI metnioned them.
We are not presently doing the high powered C-11 F-18 etc that would likely show more small mets since the remedy would remain Lupron.
No more regularly scheduled scans unless pain symptoms develop. though PSA has not been a great indicator in my case, best metric we have while on Lupron.
LupronJim