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End of radiotherapy - what happens next?

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User
Posted 09 Jul 2017 at 18:50
Hi everyone just looking for some advice please. My Dad has just finished four weeks of radiotherapy (he is a T3b N0 M0) for PC also in seminal vesicles and is seeing the consultant tomorrow. However we've heard that he won't be scanned again but instead, success of the radiotherapy will be determined by a PSA test (he was level 19 back in Feb). Is this other people's experience? I want him scanned as I thought the PSA isn't always reliable? If it was outside the prostate can it be cured/controlled? Thanks in advance of any replies :o) xxx
User
Posted 09 Jul 2017 at 20:43

Hi Caroline,

Radiotherapy does not work like surgery where the cancer is removed with the Prostate so a considerable drop as evidenced by PSA and where doubtful a scan may be given With RT the major damage to cancer cells is to their DNA so they cannot divide and proliferate over time and they die. RT can work for up to about 2 years. So early PSA and scans after RT do not give an accurate indication of how successful the RT has been in the short term. The situation is further complicated where HT accompanies and continues after RT because it usually causes a rapid drop in PSA which can be for a short time or for a number of years.

Sometimes it is possible to treat a few areas of cancer outside the prostate directly which may work short or long term but generally it means such spread is treated by HT systemically or sometimes as the situation dictates by chemo or other treatments. Unfortunately, cancer can become a problem again after many years and because of this men are monitored by regular PSA test at intervals determined by the consultant, Scans may form part of the monitoring or be done if it seems something suspicious is happening.

Barry
User
Posted 10 Jul 2017 at 09:01

penp,i was dx same as you in 2014,when i was having rt i asked if they target the seminal vesicles and they said yes,i was on ht for 2yrs 4mths,i finished ht a year ago check ups every 6 mths psa undetectable at the moment hope that helps a bit.

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User
Posted 09 Jul 2017 at 20:43

Hi Caroline,

Radiotherapy does not work like surgery where the cancer is removed with the Prostate so a considerable drop as evidenced by PSA and where doubtful a scan may be given With RT the major damage to cancer cells is to their DNA so they cannot divide and proliferate over time and they die. RT can work for up to about 2 years. So early PSA and scans after RT do not give an accurate indication of how successful the RT has been in the short term. The situation is further complicated where HT accompanies and continues after RT because it usually causes a rapid drop in PSA which can be for a short time or for a number of years.

Sometimes it is possible to treat a few areas of cancer outside the prostate directly which may work short or long term but generally it means such spread is treated by HT systemically or sometimes as the situation dictates by chemo or other treatments. Unfortunately, cancer can become a problem again after many years and because of this men are monitored by regular PSA test at intervals determined by the consultant, Scans may form part of the monitoring or be done if it seems something suspicious is happening.

Barry
User
Posted 10 Jul 2017 at 09:01

penp,i was dx same as you in 2014,when i was having rt i asked if they target the seminal vesicles and they said yes,i was on ht for 2yrs 4mths,i finished ht a year ago check ups every 6 mths psa undetectable at the moment hope that helps a bit.

 
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