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MAYBE PET SCAN

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Posted 1/5/2019 4:43 PM (GMT 0)
Just had my latest blood test and the doctor wants to do pet scan and then talk about Lupron.... I have another blood test set for April and visit to discuss.... Any advice....
Posted 1/5/2019 5:43 PM (GMT 0)
Your psa is too low for a PET scan, even the newest kinds using Gallium or other tracers with PSMA, such as they are testing at NIH in Bethesda or in other major university hospitals. Generally need at least 0.5 psa to see something. I am in a similar situation and had the PET scan at 0.5 psa and it did not show anything. A medical oncologist can advise you however in my case, my MO said no treatment needed until around psa 4. So I believe you have lots of time left and with slow rises, you might not get there for quite a while. I also was Gleason 4+3

Hope this helps

Teddy
Posted 1/5/2019 8:24 PM (GMT 0)
I agree that a PET scan at such a low PSA level may not show anything if the cancerous loci are wide spread. However, if the cancer is in one node only, would it show? Just a thought!
Moreover, a PET scan at this stage may serve as a baseline, although I hate to waste money and resources when a test is not really useful.
Anyway, this issue is worthy of a further discussion with the doctor...
Posted 1/7/2019 10:25 PM (GMT 0)
Hi teddy9,
Was just wondering how you are doing. Sorry to see your jump to .9. Happy new year and best of luck.
Happy new year everyone
Posted 1/7/2019 10:28 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks ak. I was expecting 0.8, so slightly disappointed and surprised, however no change in continued active surveillance

Teddy
Posted 1/7/2019 10:35 PM (GMT 0)
I think .8 and .9 are the same. The trick is in the DT. I take your case teddy9 as a guide for myself. I learned a lot at this stage of the game from your case. I still can’t get into the NIH because of the wait time I guess and when I get frustrated I remember what you have told me that there is no rush and what your doctor told you at MSK. My DT is less than you and the fact that my MO at also MSK wanted to put me on ADT made me very nervous. the research supports I GUESS both sides of the arguments but I just read a research that suggests delaying ADT made no difference that starting it earlier in terms of survival.
Posted 1/8/2019 3:37 AM (GMT 0)
AK
In my case I want to delay ADT for as long as possible, since the amount of time it remains effective is limited. But one cannot know in advance how long that will be. At the extreme end, there is a fellow in my local support group that has been on ADT for 27 years, and now is 91 years old. Only now has he started with a low dose of chemotherapy. Amazing. I am hoping that I can find a suitable treatment that delays ADT if possible, however my MO advises that ADT is not so bad relative to other treatments such as chemo. We will see. hang in there - and also I read that MSK is doing the same trials or similar ones on the PSMA PET scans -so why not submit to that one? Close and perhaps you qualify.

Good luck
Teddy
Posted 1/9/2019 2:01 AM (GMT 0)
Define doctor for us...gp...uro...and then some...no it is not a stupid question...the guy with the low dose of chemotherapy does not have the same doctor as you...Right???
Posted 1/9/2019 1:39 PM (GMT 0)
VA Oncologist
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