6 Month PSA test G9

Hello to all. It's been awhile but I've been around . I went to my RO the other day and she suggested PSA testing now every 6 months. I was Dx 4yrs ago June 3rd. Treatment was 18 months Ht+IMRT+Docetaxel. I've been on a 3 month testing schedule for the past 3 years.
I'm just looking for thoughts about going to 6 months.
Hope all are well at this crazy time. Oh, my PSA is at.07 at this time.

Mark

Good result. Continued good luck!

Hi Mark good to see you and glad things are going well. If it were me, with a G9, I’d prefer every 3 months maybe every four. But we are all different in our approach. It’s all what you are comfortable with, I’m sure the RO has good reason to suggest 6 month testing, so that’s a good thing

Id go for a year and then you would really know something...but that is what you would expect from me right...there is plenty out there to kill ya...out side of Pca..life .is short what evah ya do...as eyes roll...and numbers toll...good to hear from ya and keep moving...up down...touch the ground...in da 100 acre woods

Not sure that you gain much from 3 month testing with a 0.07 PSA after RT and 3+ years other than more tests to get anxious about. In fact, knowing what is going on below say 0.20 does not result in an action on anyone’s part so what do you do with that information?

You have made it quite a while with some pretty small numbers so the risk of it going crazy in 6 months is probably low so your RO is just trying to save you some anxiety. I would respect that and jump on the chance to cut back on testing for peace of mind.

Hello Artist Mark,

Great to hear your update. You're doing well, following treatments. That's welcome news for others just getting diagnosed and reading here for the first time.

When I go to Mayo Clinic, anything under 0.10 is undetectable on their scale. It's a great description of where you are today!

I feel you need to stay consistent with testing, to maintain the progress you have made. Every six months, for certain ---- more often, if it gives you peace of mind, and gives your doctor enough data points to follow any trends, over time.

A couple of times, a fluctuation, then a trend, helped my doctor plan a couple of new treatments I needed along the way. Fluctuations also led to a needed change in my ADT shot.

So --- get a PSA testing schedule that is reasonable for you and your doctor and stay consistent with that.

My labs also help my doctor keep track of my iron levels, adequate testosterone suppression needed to keep my PSA on track, and so forth.

I agree with our comrade Wings of Eagles --- I made my medical ONCOLOGIST the quarterback of my medical team.

He has written the playbook me, in terms of future plans & finding ways to maintain my health goals.

That was an important day for me ---- getting connected with an insightful & experienced oncologist.

Everyone here needs that standout quarterback on their medical team --- and mine is my oncologist.

Thankful to hear your report, Artist Mark. PSA --- undetectable! Yeah! Great news!

With my best,
Cyclone - # Iowa State University

I may be sicker than six months ago but it sure was nice feeling healthy for a while.

Good luck Mark.

Greetings Mark!!....been sometime since we`ve talked ....so good to hear your continued wellness!!.....Im kinda hanging with Logo on this ....life is short....at 72 i hate looking for trouble , still.....im at the 6 month schedule ,so who knows ....good luck on your decision and wishes for continued good health !!....Youve come a loooong way ....hang in there .....David

Reading through the replies and hearing different opinions is exactly why this forum is so helpful. Creating a dialog gives much food for thought. Every case is different and we all need to make our own decisions about treatment.
I can understand each opinion. My thought was sure,let's go with 6 months. But if I put all my info about how I got here, there are many reasons to continue 3 months. If I look at my numbers, I am not the usual G9 guy ( whatever that is). My initial PSA at dx was only 3.4 and the number of cores 8-12 mostly G9. One could reason that PSA was not a factor in my dx. In fact I had to insist on a biopsy. Taking everything into consideration, I would reason that I should be watching trends instead of a specific number.
So, after taking all the responses into consideration, I think I will stick with 3 month testing, as that should show trending better.
Having High risk, low PSA Pc makes decisions more difficult as I've found that Dr's tend to lump all Pc together.
It's great to hear from everyone.

Battle on!

The Artistic One - Mark

Hey there, Artist Mark. It looks like you're doing the ultrasensitive PSA tests. I'm not very current on that, but it is interesting. I've never had that done. After radiation and ADT, when my T recovered we expected some significant level of PSA to develop. Some are able to have an "undetectable" PSA from their irradiated prostate, but it isn't always the case. My PSA check is just the standard type.

My latest PSA interval has been extended to 6 months for the first time in 7 years. (Still undetectable since resuming ADT.)

Due to my relatively low PSA at diagnosis, all of my cores being G9, and the type and amount of G9, and cT3a stage, I've always been skeptical of how valid my PSA number is anyway. After coming off of ADT in spring 2016, it was kind of wandering upwards (quickly as T rose, then slower), leveling off, rising, and frankly making me crazy. My oncologist was pretty unconcerned despite many studies I found, some I've shared here, where G9 cases are fairly rare and not well understood, usually only tangentially addressed as a minor observation due to relative rarity.

The only real followup plan I had after primary treatment was to go back on ADT when we decided the PSA indicated we should. So, as one skeptical of my PSA's utility, I decided to go back on ADT anyway. This is a moderately controversial choice, and I haven't said much here about it (too much sturm and drang that I'm not interested in debating). Intermittent ADT is a shaky concept for a G9, especially those of us with low-PSA producing versions. Anyway, now that I've decided to be on "lifelong ADT" as an aggressive move, there aren't many other options until it becomes "castrate resistant" someday.

The best part of this is that prostate cancer has faded into the background of my life, not something that occupies much of my mind anymore. (I rarely visit here, but glad to see some familiar names when I do.) I'm having 6 month PSA checks now so I don't even need to plan for it much. I haven't seen my oncologist in a year and a half, and won't unless and until my PSA trends up. My GP orders the PSA checks.

Hoping all the best for you!

Good call Mark. Information is key.