Brachytherapy... no psa test at 18 months ?

 

My husband had brachytherapy in April of 2006 and

this morning he went to his radiation oncologist for

his 18 month check up.  I have been a little anxious

because sometimes there is a bounce in psa at this

point. However, when my husband came home, he

told me that his radiation oncologist did a digital rectal exam and told him that his prostate was flat, but that he

was not going to do a PSA and leave it for his urologist

to do.  My husband doesn't see his urologist again until April.  So his 18 month PSA is being skipped

and his next one will be at two years. 

Has anyone else who had brachytherapy skipped their

18 month psa test? 

Sure would appreciate hearing from someone.

Husband 68 at diagnosis, PSA 7.2 

Gleason score 7

eight out of twelve cores positive

seven 3+3 and one 3+4

25 IMRT and Seed Implant April 2006

psa at one year 0.5

Wiggyann   

 

Hi Don,

Thanks so much for responding. You know, I wondered today if maybe his regular GP would order him a psa test. I don't know if my husband would ask him to. He never wants to
cause any problems and just goes along with whatever the doctors say. My husband is not the demanding type. I do wish he would be a little more assertive though. He did ask his regular doctor once when he was scheduling him for some blood tests if he would do a psa and he did. I was sort of disappointed. I had just assumed he would have a psa test today and I had been waiting for this 18 month follow up.

Thanks a lot for your help Don. Hope your psa test in March
is all zeros.

Wiggyann

WiggyAnn

Request the test - my husband has a PSA done when he sees the Urologist and a PSA done when he sees the Oncologist.  He sees them, alternatively, and each doctor orders the test before his appointment so he is never without (a) monitoring and (b) care.

Get the test - for your peace of mind and his.  He needs to learn to "rock the boat" a little and advocate for his health care.  Unfortunately some doctors are so busy some patients fall through the cracks unintentionally - don't let your husband be one of them.

Tell him this - the doctor that did my husband's biopsy told him he didn't see the need - he was too young to be a prostate cancer candidate.  If he had listened to him his cancer would have gone undetected - take no chances - get the test.  I don't know what it costs for a PSA test there, but even if you have to pay for it, for peace of mind it would be worth it in my opinion.

JustJulie

Wow - I would rather err on the side of caution under these circumstances.  I guess we're really blessed that the Urologist and the Oncologist are truly practicing "shared care" as each doctor is in contact with the other as they rotate visits every few months - and they're not even in the same city.

Hugs to you, sometimes wives carry just as big a burden on this journey.

Wiggy, I would definitely get the PSA test. My husband had external radiation and seeds and then lupron for a year...He had the first psa test six months later, and then another six months....some how we missed the 18 month and then had it another year later....It started to rise, and then began rising very fast.
We sort of had the same problem....the oncologist and the surgeon and the urologist....although they were in the same practice..(Sloan Kettering), I feel that he did fall through the cracks....My husband didnt want to push for the PSA tests....he thought somehow if the doctors didnt follow him closely it meant he didnt need it... Anyway, to make a long story short...I would definitely push for the PSA on schedule. It might have saved my husband from the salvage surgery that he had later...Now I am still pushing him to get a psa test again. It has been over six months.. Diane