Hormone therapy treatment

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 13:13

Hi, I am recently diagnosed (6 months back) with prostate cancer, Gleason score 7(4+3) and undergoing hormone therapy treatment (injunctions in every 3 months) . The MRI and Pet scan findings points to cancer in prostate + mild presence (2 spots) in public bone and vertebra(metastases) and no where else in the body (either present or spread). Bone Scan has also confirmed the same. My highest PSA level before starting the treatment was 39 ng/ml. Upon starting the treatment, now it is 0.2ng/ml (within 6 months period of time upon starting the treatment it has come down). Doctors have advised to continue with the hormone therapy treatment.

But I am concerned about side effects of hormone therapy treatment. Is there any safe PSA level to confirm things are under control for future. Normally whether hormone therapy is a life long treatment. I would like to know your opinions from your experience in dealing with such situations. Thank you.

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 15:18

I think a couple of us answered this for you on your other thread. If your PSA dropped down to below 0.1 and stayed there for a couple of years, you might be suitable for IHT but with the proviso of very frequent PSA tests and regular scans to ensure the cancer was not active. The trick with hormone holidays is to anticipate when it might get active and start the treatment again before it properly gets going.

It seems you want to focus on stopping the treatment rather than anything else, which is unusual in a man diagnosed with bone mets. Are you finding the side effects particularly difficult?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 22:45

Understood; thank you Lyn.

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 23:56

Which side effects are you finding most difficult? Some can be offset by other treatments sometimes.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 29 Jul 2016 at 09:35

Hi,

To add to what's been said above; PSA alone is a very unreliable measure, partly because it can be influenced by other factors, partly because too much depends on machine calibration (change test centres, and you may get a different result!).

The upshot of this is that you'll never get a 'safe level'; but the main significance of PSA isn't the level itself - but is it falling / rising; the fact it changes is an amber light meaning a closer look is needed. No more than that.

It's perfectly natural for us to be concerned about these scores; we all want something that will reliably tell us how we're doing, and where we're going. But sadly, PSA cannot do this.

The side effects of the hormone treatment can be irritating, frustrating, depressing - often all three and more - but some of these can be mitigated, so it's always worth discussing the issues with the nurse, or the consultant .... or here!

I'm just over halfway through a three-year course, so I can convince myself I'm gradually coming up after an 18 month dive!

Edited by member 30 Jul 2016 at 09:30 | Reason: Not specified

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