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Decrease in PSA while undergoing chemo... why did I see a bigger decrease this time than last time?

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Prostate Cancer
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Posted 10/5/2018 8:06 PM (GMT 0)
I'm undergoing Taxotere, accompanied by Lupron. My original PSA (See Below) was 97. A uro gave me Casodex even before the Biopsy. I've seen good drops in my PSA (again, see below) at each 3-week check... My blood is tested the day or a couple of days before each infusion.

The 9/17 check (before 5th infusion) only showed a 0.25 drop, from 6.86 to 6.61. I was expecting the slope to continue to be quite flat. Then the 10/4 check (before 6th infusion) shows a drop of 1.4, from 6.61 to 5.21.

Is that abnormal, based on the experience you've collected?

I've had a number of people (including an Integrative MD)tell me to keep me blood glucose numbers low, because Cancer eats sugar, and I've followed a pretty strict diet since Dx, EXCEPT for going on vacation during the period that shows the slight drop. I've returned to the stricter diet since then, and it coincides with an increased drop. Can anyone attempt to confirm or deny a correlation?

Thx,
Paul

PS-I'll update the numbers in my profile shortly...
Posted 10/5/2018 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
If I understand your situation, and question, I’ll take a stab at it, but understand I’m no expert.
There has been a lot of conversation, and debate, about diet and PSA. To my knowledge there is no proof that PC can be reduced by diet. Some members here have had success, with the most prominent being Cashless Clay. But there is no proof, so no way to know.

If I had to guess, I’d say maybe it’s the cumulative effect of the Taxotere, maybe that second treatment, or additional time, gave the taxotere a chance to do its work.
Posted 10/5/2018 11:25 PM (GMT 0)
I think that Pratoman's hypothesis is as good as any. More importantly, it's a nice result, all things considered.
The idea that 'sugar feeds cancer', is oversimplified. I was going to use another word, but decided against it...
Posted 10/5/2018 11:27 PM (GMT 0)
sugar feeds all cells...no sugar...no cells
Posted 10/5/2018 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
Decrease in PSA while undergoing chemo

YAY!!!
Posted 10/6/2018 1:33 AM (GMT 0)
When you are given two therapies simultaneously, (Lupron, Taxotere) it's difficult to tell which one is doing the heavy lifting..The drop from 97 to 5 is the combined effort of both drugs working together..
Posted 10/7/2018 1:17 PM (GMT 0)
Okay, Thx guys...
Posted 10/15/2018 8:43 PM (GMT 0)

During chemotherapy, as the treatments continued, there was one treatment that showed only a slight decrease in PSA. I felt a little worried ...

I will never forget my oncologist's wisdom at that time. He said, "This is the time at which the TAXOTERE has to do its hardest, toughest job of all --- going after those stubborn, residual, pesky cancer cells that remain. Don't be discouraged. Stay determined. Let the chemotherapy do its work, and stay on track with your treatments."

Over time, I watched each infusion create a drop in PSA scores, as my chemotherapy treatments continued.

I will never forget how much I needed to hear my doctor's words of encouragement, right at that moment in time.

Sent with my best,
CYCLONE ~ Iowa State University
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