So we've been laying low for awhile... just waiting for the post Lupron check up.... in the meantime we finally convinced Dad to go see an oncologist... which we did this week.
Here is what we found out.
His PSA test now shows it is .03 (previously after surgery it was 5.3 (aprox) and then two weeks later 6.7 (aprox). One Lupron shot brought it down to .03 --- so wohoo for that!! Does that put him in the zero club???
The oncologist was concerned about his bone scan which was done right after diagnosis. She said after she read the "report" she couldn't understand why two doctors would be trying to look for ways to say the spots on the bone WEREN'T cancer. She said she wouldn't have been looking for ways to refute the scan. We told her a follow up Xray was done to review those areas and came back clean. She didn't sound convinced.
She suggested a second bone scan (which we've now found out would be denied by medicare because you can only have 1 every 2 years)?????
I asked the oncologist if she had seen the actual images from or if she was simply looking at the report itself. She confirmed she had not reviewed his images and would do so later that day (she just recieved them the day of the appointment). I'm hoping once she looks at them she will be in agreement with the urologist to think the spots were not cancer but just arthritis.
Anyhow, I am now concerned about her concern of the bone scan. She said regardless at this point she would continue to treat with Lupron, even if he had mets in the bone. She said had she met with him PRIOR to his DaVinci surgery she would have suggested a different path, likely Lupron, Surgery, Radiation, Lupron.
Her final thoughts:
Get a 2nd bone scan
Get a dexa scan
Continue to see his urologist since it is 2 miles from his home and her treatment would be the same.
Any thoughts...?
Also, anyone else on medicare had problems getting a second bone scan done?