Alf gets even better news

Annual check-up today with a (different) doc at the RT department - he said that the guy who was in charge of my case has moved to a different hospital to specialise in cancers affecting children.

Amazingly it is now more than 5 (FIVE!!!!) years since my SRT finished

So first good news is that I am still in the zero club with undetecable. (<0.01) He showed me the graphc of my PSA history on his computer screen and it was bascially a blank page!!

Second good news is that doc says that they would now be okay with me only having annual check ups (which means I'd see the uro once every 2 years and the RT once every two years!)
He even suggested that while i'd obviously have to come in to get blood taken they could even consider not arranging a consultation and just telling me the resutls over the phone. I said that was all very well if it was good news, but slightly more difficult if they had to tell me that my PSA had gone up. And then he told me something else - a third bit of good news.

He said that there is now an increasing chance that I will NEVER get another recurrence.
Now, this is not quite the same as I have been being told prior to this. In the past the docs at RT and uros both suggested that while the chances were good that the PCa would not come back it was always a possibility, and they could not predict with 100% certainty that the next test result might show an increase.
This doc (who is a specialist urological oncologist and one of the senior guys at a really top specialist cancer hospital) concludes that the PCa that produced PSA after my surgery must ALL have been in the area that was targetted by the SRT as, had there been any other secondaries in the lymph system or elsewhere, then they would by now have revealed themselves by producing PSA.

For the time being I am still going to have face to face appointments rather than telephone ones. (That is in part because they take place in Dutch not English and I am much happier in general talking to Dutch people face to face that over the phone,)

So. I think this moves me to another level of the zero club: one I didn't know existed.

The champagne is in the fridge!

Alf

PS The only bad news was non medical - they have cut down a row of trees next to the hospital.

what wonderful news! These are the stories i love reading, and should give all those in similar circumstances hope!!!

Congrats Alf and have a drink on me!

Excellent news. Congratulations!

Congratulations!!!

great news Alf. just got my lab slip in the mail. I see the doc for my 5-year post treatment PSA next week. hope to join you!

if my doctor guarantees me my cancer wont return i'm firing him

ed

Alf, that's GREAT news. Congratz. Thanks for sharing. Stay strong!

Three cheers, Alf....... \0/\0/\0/

Right on, Alf! As another t3b, your success makes me doubly happy! I face my second PSA check Tuesday 9/1 after ART and RP and am hoping to stay in the zero club.

Well done, and I'm toasting you right now!

Jim

Alf that is fantastic news! Congrats