Anyone else on HT Vacation

Just wondering if anyone else is at this exact stage.

I failed surgery and salvage radiation. I responded well to HT and after a year on that crap, I am off it for now.

Question: how often do you have to do the PSA and other blood tests?

Dr. Lam right now has me doing the tests every 2 months (I see him next month and will revisit that). I would like to do it less often as I do not do well going through these tests (anxiety for a week before getting the results!)

Mel

Mel,

I am now on a HT vacation after three years of Eligard/Lupron, Casodex and Jalyn. My uro is keeping me on a tight leash due to my risk level. Thus I see him avery three months and have a blood draw for PSA and T. I also see my med-onc and rad-onc annually. They get all the info from my uro. My Jalyn continues indefinately.

My uro's practice is very bullish on introducing Provenge as early as possible for high risk patients, thus they watch us more closely than the G6s. I understand that so long as my PSA is undetectable, I will probably not have any scans. Going into all this my uro said we would meet and test PSA quarterly for at least five years. I am now just over 3&1/2 years now since treatment began.

Beachgirl:

I'm shocked at your hubby's stats!

Biopsy: G6

He does surgery and Pathology is G5+3.

That must have been a huge shock.

Glad the HT is working out.

Mel

If your PSA remains undetectable after treatment, including ADT, then it's not a vacation when HT is stopped. it's simply no longer needed..In my case, I stayed undetectable for 6 months after stopping HT..But then the monster returned..No more "vacations" for me. I'll be on ADT for the duration....Keep as much pressure on the beast as possible...

Mel,

I to am a patient of Dr. Lam and I am on my second 3adt vacation. The first one lasted 7 months. My response to ADT has been very good both times getting to <0.01. This time around he has me taking Metformin and Celebrex to help extend the vacation.

I had 12 months of ADT3 in conjunction with SRT after failed surgery. I have been off HT for almost 3 years. PSA test every month for the first year and then every 3 months thereafter.

Mel,

My husband is on his second round of HT.
First was Lupron, so his blood work was every 3 monthes. He was off for 9 monthes and now back on and taking Degarilex which is given every 28 days so he has monthly Blood work.
We must say he hasn't had the side effects on Degarailex so far.
Lupron was tolerable but had all of the SE, and he is on his 4th month.
His Oncol. is doing intermitten HT.

BOOGEE

Do all of you also get your T checked at the same time?

Yes my husbands T and free T are always checked. His T is 29 and free (direct) is 1.1.

BOOGEE

My father has been in the OFF phase for 2 years. His T level sloooowly climbed to 220 over the period of two years, never returning to normal (normal range being 300-1000ng/dl). From what I have read, this is not so unusual in older men.