Increased testosterone after 4 months on ADT and Abiraterone

Hello Eric and Stephanie ~

I have been thinking of you both.

I would be interested to know what a testosterone RE-TEST might show.

As you know, testosterone provides additional "fuel for the fire" & you want to keep it suppressed to the greatest level possible.

I will share a chapter from my story that is pertinent here ...

I started on ADT injections (LUPRON) upon diagnosis.

My oncologist noticed "spikes and flares" in my testosterone. These spikes and flares can result in spikes & flares in PSA levels.

We next switched to FIRMAGON. It didn't suppress testosterone as hoped ...
sigh ...

From there, moving forward ...

Third time was the "charm" ~ after trying ZOLADEX injections ~ another form of ADT.

It was NOT an issue switching to other forms of ADT.

For my case, we discovered the form of ADT that fully suppressed the testosterone levels and ZOLADEX has done so ~ consistently ~ ever since ~ for years.

My testosterone levels are assessed by the lab every two months, along with PSA levels.

I'm thankful my oncologist was so diligent in pursuing this.

You might continue tracking TESTOSTERONE levels, and if your medical team feels it's registering too high, you can request a different form of ADT.

For your reference, my levels register at the lowest levels of the test ~ less than 7 ~ the lowest level of the testosterone lab test.

I was still in my 40s when diagnosed, with a PSA that was initially skyrocketing over 100. My oncologist explained that we needed to find the form of ADT that lowered my testosterone to the level possible.

My original urologist neglected to track testosterone when I was first diagnosed. That was a significant "missed step" in my treatment plan in those first few months, and a key oversight.

He is no longer a part of my medical team, because he stated he refused to try anything besides LUPRON injections.

That was short-sighted on his part.

On that very day, I made an impactful decision.

I transferred all of my care over to the oncology department, which opened many new options ~ including the search for the form of ADT that eliminated the spikes and flares in my testosterone levels & therefore helped control the spikes in my PSA levels.

I remain grateful to my oncologist who believed something better could be found, in terms of testosterone suppression.

Anyone on ADT should ALWAYS ask that TESTOSTERONE levels be tracked.

That's the reason many of us here are on ADT ~ to suppress testosterone ~ to help deprive prostate cancer cells of bonus "fuel!"

I hope something within this chapter of my treatment story shines a light on your question & might lead to follow-up questions with your medical team.

For many years after diagnosis, my testosterone and PSA levels were checked every month. That is what my case called for ~ and I am still here today.

Sending my encouragement and support to you both ~

CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University