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PSA question....

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User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 19:52

I've been reading through some old posts noticed that other people's initial PSA levels were incredibly high compared to my dad's at diagnosis which was 49.2.

His first PSA score post hormone treatment was 5 and the second one was 19 so the docs have suggested abbi (as per my previous posts with questions about abbi). I'm just wondering,considering how aggressive his cancer is (5+4, Gleason 9 and recent bout of spinal cord compression), whether is good or irrelevant having such a relatively low PSA score?

We have pre-assessment for abbi tomorrow 😬

Thanks

Bee

User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 21:43

Even if PSA level is compared with those with similar G score, T rating, mets level and stage of treatment there is still the unknown of which of the 27 prostate cancer types each has. Each type has its own level of PSA produced at each stage of aggressiveness. Thus don't read too much into it.

Ray

User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 22:28

It's not the number that is indicative, it's the fact that your dad's PSA rose from 5 to 19 even though he was on hormones. A rise like this while on hormones means that either a) the hormones have not got him down to castrate level or b) the cancer has learned to survive without testosterone. As he is being moved onto abbi, it is reasonable to assume that he is in the b) category. Abbi and enzalutimide are both good options at this point.

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

User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 22:56

Bb79,

You don't say here or in your profile when the 2 PSA tests were done and relative to HT starting. HT in the majority of cases drops PSA quite quickly to a low figure although cancer may at some future point progress notwithstanding. It is most unfortunate that in Dad's case the form of HT given to him appears not to have worked and a different treatment is being tried.

Barry

User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 22:56

LynEyre my dad is on morphine from the spinal compression incident. Do you think the abbi would work?

User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 23:01

LynEyre my dad is on morphine from the spinal compression incident. Do you think the abbi would work?

User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 23:04

Hi Barry, first PSA was in August (diagnosis) 2nd in November (first after HT) and then last week with the rise....

User

Posted 05 Feb 2017 at 23:51

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

LynEyre my dad is on morphine from the spinal compression incident. Do you think the abbi would work?

Your doctors think it might work - that's what matters because they have his full details. And if it doesn't work, or only works for a short time, they may offer other options and/or dad might change his mind about the chemo.

You make it sound like abbi is a suggestion that dad might or might not accept - have the medics explained the implications of him saying no to the abbi?

Edited by member 06 Feb 2017 at 09:12 | Reason: Not specified

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

User

Posted 06 Feb 2017 at 08:16

He's in a bit of denial. My limited understanding is that the cancer will keep spreading but beyond that I don't know anything further. It's a different onco we see each time and the latest one was a lovely guy but had a thick Italian accent and it was a difficult conversation to follow. He has a scan of his pelvis today too, again not sure why - just gets a letter in the post inviting him....

I've had a stressful sleep ias I kept dreaming that I had gotten all of his appointments muddled up and we missed them all 😖😖😖

User

Posted 06 Feb 2017 at 09:46

Ah BeeBee what a pickle you are in what with dad being in denial too.

So make a separate note of each appointment on one piece of paper and keep it in view. Hopefully the next nightmare will be cut short if your subconscious kicks in and reminds you you've made a note.

I used to keep paper and pencil beside the bed years ago when I had a stressful job because I would think of things in the middle of the night. Just knowing I could right them down to remind me later would help settle me

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 06 Feb 2017 at 10:13

Thank you Johsan. I genuinely felt relieved when I woke knowing it was all a dream as we have 3 appointments over 2 days and it's difficult doing it around work/kids etc.

We'll get there in the end....

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