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PSA at 1.77 after prostatectomy

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Posted 7/2/2015 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Thank you for your assessment. I am looking forward to learning about what his views and suggestions will be.

Any idea how fast this undetectable cancer might grow?
Posted 7/2/2015 1:15 AM (GMT 0)
Well, I don't expect it will grow at all now that you've had a hormone shot.
Posted 7/2/2015 4:03 AM (GMT 0)
The Bicalutamide 50gm is in tablet form to be taken for one month only as a "flare up" controller. In two weeks time, I will get my 3 months Zoladex shot. My urologist says if I choose not to get radiation, this treatment will continue and he will consider giving me "holiday" breaks.

Can either of these two medicine be taken with Cialis or Viagra?
Posted 7/2/2015 2:10 PM (GMT 0)
Chaks,

As I have stated my husbands DX is almost identical as yours. At this point have you considered a medical Oncol. for your therapy's/ and or clinical trials? My husband will be in a trial at Stanford which is a Pet Scan highly sensitive to perhaps find if the tumor has spread to bones or soft tissue. We also considered radiation, but was in a trial in 2011 also at Stanford and his met. was found to his T-11 spine.
He has been on intermitten HT since but now has a rising PSA ., so decided to try this trial to see if any new mets. are discovered.

BOOGEE
Posted 7/2/2015 4:54 PM (GMT 0)
Yes- although you won't have the desire for sex, the physical mechanism can still work. The only thing to be wary of is other meds that lower blood pressure.
Posted 7/2/2015 7:39 PM (GMT 0)
Hi Chaks,

My husband has starting back on degarilex and has an appt. Fri. for his second monthly injection. Will know if it is working once again.

BOOGEE
Posted 7/3/2015 12:28 AM (GMT 0)
Allen I guess the bedroom story would be the same should one decide to go for the radiation of the prostate bed, happens to be cured and is then taken off HT? Is there any hope for a natural recovery over time?
Posted 7/3/2015 12:42 AM (GMT 0)
Booge:

I will ask the radiation oncologist about the PET Scan when I see him next month. Today I was talking to a Radiologist and asked him about the differences between a CT and PET Scan. He said the PET Scan will show more but what it shows is not definitive. When they read the image it is difficult to determine what these extra things displayed are in terms if diagnosis. He said he will choose a CT as a modality to work with any time. I cannot confirm that his opinion is gospel truth. I will find out whether there are clinical trials I can investigate.
Posted 7/3/2015 5:35 AM (GMT 0)
Chalks,

What happened in 2011 with that 3.48 PSA? Were you sent for any further medical intervention?

Just wondering?
.
Posted 7/3/2015 5:51 AM (GMT 0)
No I was not sent for any intervention.
Posted 7/3/2015 6:02 AM (GMT 0)
Chaks-

Yes, many men recover erectile function after salvage radiation with hormone therapy- no guarantees, of course. I think daily ED meds may be protective, even if you don't feel like doing anything with it while you're on hormone therapy. The odds are improved if your erectile function is better at the start. You ought to read Peter DisAbelard's penile training program while on salvage radiation with ADT (he posted it a couple of months ago)- truly inspirational!

- Allen
Posted 8/20/2015 1:25 AM (GMT 0)
Today I got my PSA results five weeks after starting HT. The number went down from 1.77 to 0.25 within this short period of time. Is it common for the number to come down so fast?
Posted 8/20/2015 1:53 AM (GMT 0)
Chaks,

I am in similar situation.....2 months post op....PSA 0.45 .....I did have positive margins, same Gleason as you. I saw my original Urologist today, first post op visit, I had the DaVinci at City of Hope, but live outside the US. She said start Radiation immediately and I am scheduled to see RO tomorrow. The Drs in the US were not as aggressive and told me wait a month and check PSA again, so I am going to listen tomorrow then decide.

Age at detection 58
PSA at detection 9
Biopsy 3/2015, 4 of 10 cores positive, Gleason: 3+4
Bone scan negative,
DaVinci 6/26/15
Pathology: 41.5 g, %involved by tumor 20%, no seminal vesicles involvement, Apical margins involved Gleason same 3+4
PSA 7 weeks post op 0.275
Posted 8/20/2015 3:09 AM (GMT 0)
I don't know if it's generally accepted but Meyers says the faster it drops, the better. Yours seems pretty encouraging to me based on just one sample comparison (my brother). But I'm just a regular guy.
Posted 8/26/2015 7:03 AM (GMT 0)
Today I met with my radiation oncologist. He has recommended radiating the whole pelvis because of the slightly enlarged left iliac lymph nodes. The nodes increased by 1 cm between January and June this year ( from 9cm to 10cm). He does not promise that the pelvis is where the disease is. Putting it simply he says he does not know where the cancer is and is not promising a cure. He says the chances of the radiation cure is 30 to 40%.. I could be radiated in the pelvis for nothing if the cancer is hiding somewhere. Tough decision ahead! Is it true that cancer cells can by pass the lymph nodes closest to the prostate and go direct to the iliac lymph nodes leaving no evidence of escape? At surgery nothing was seen in the lymph nodes closest to the prostate. My only 50/50 chance for cure is to be radiated, otherwise I will have to live with hormone therapy.
Posted 8/26/2015 7:22 AM (GMT 0)

Chaks said...
Is it true that cancer cells can bypass the lymph nodes closest to the prostate and go direct to the iliac lymph nodes leaving no evidence of escape?

Yes the ****ers can pop up and lodge anywhere, and even a few cells can start a new met anywhere. That's why they have to radiate the entire pelvic area and not just the nodes that are apparently affected. I hope your RO plans to use image guidance to keep toxicity low.
Posted 8/28/2015 12:27 AM (GMT 0)
At the time of my surgery, my PSA was almost 50, 49.8 maybe. Anyway...my first PSA test still had number but slowly went down. Then the re resuerection but that is another story. Not quite time to panic.
Posted 2/21/2016 10:44 PM (GMT 0)
I completed my salvage radiation a month ago. When I started, I was already on HW for 4 months. Two weeks before the radiation, my PSA was 0.04. One month after my 6.5 weeks salvage radiation (February 15) my PSA is at 0.01. The whole pelvis, prostate bed and Iliac lymph nodes were radiated. I am still on HW. My RO mentioned during consultation that I should continue with HW for the next 2 years after salvage radiation. After 2 years, he suggested that he will start HW breaks. If the PSA rises he will bring the HW back but only when the PSA rises to a big number. I think he said 10. I will verify that with him again. What this means to me is that it might be a while before I know whether the salvage radiation worked or not.
I am just wondering whether someone here has followed a similar path in their treatment? By the way I did not have major side effects. The only thing that was irritated were my hemorrhoids. The reason I decided to go for radiation was because I wanted to make use of all option available. I did not want to fight half the battle with HW only just in case salvage radiation was the answer. If salvage radiation does not do it, I will not have any regrets because I would have done my best.
Posted 2/23/2016 5:06 PM (GMT 0)
Chaks, I am in the UK and like yourself have a PSA of 1.2 three months after Robotic RP. 1st PSA reading after RP was 1.2 after 4 weeks, still 1.2 after 6 weeks, 1.1 after 8 weeks and today 1.2 after 3 months. I am worried sick as already on chemo for a rare form of Leukemia. Pleased to see that you are responding well to further treatment and wish you a good outcome.

I am 64 years old, Gleason 9, negative margins, negative lymph nodes (8 taken) and bone scan clear. Not looking forward to Radiation/Hormone treatment if that is the next step.

Regards,

Andrew
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