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Up again!!

User
Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 12:36

Hi All just had another consultation with Oncologist over phone.

PSA in July 0.747 in October 0.747 stabilised happy as Larry!!

Yesterday PSA 1.05 up again!! Oncologist says not to worry (ha ) still on bictalamide to be seen again in 3 months.  Anyone else having rises in PSA after RP and radiation (33 doses) feeling like there is no end to this "waiting room". 4 years since RP 3 years since radiation, what's next? Feeling down!!

User
Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 13:19
It's alright the medics saying not to worry but if you were my dad, I would be wanting a new plan of action asap - you clearly have active cancer somewhere. Did you have the PET scan last Summer and, if so, did it show anything? Can you remember what kind of tracer was used ... choline, FACBC or Gallium 68 perhaps?

If the PET scan last year was clear, I think I would be asking at the next appointment for a new scan, possibly using a different tracer. I would also expect the bicalutimide to be changed to an injectable hormone - these work quite differently to bicalutimide. On bical, your testosterone is 'disguised' so that the prostate cancer cells can't find it and feed on it - the injectable hormone therapies stop your body from producing testosterone at all. The trouble with bical is that prostate cancer can learn to find the testosterone and / or the bical 'feeds' the cancer. My guess is that at some point soon, your oncologist will either stop the bical but not replace it with anything to see whether you get an anti-androgen withdrawal response (for some men, stopping the bical makes the PSA fall and controls the cancer for a few months) or will stop the bical and put you on Prostap or similar.

If they do another scan and something shows up like a bone met or lymph node, they may be able to treat that met but if the scan shows lots of mets, that is not possible and they may talk to you about trying chemo to help the HT work more effectively - or about having two hormone treatments together to hit it hard.

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

User
Posted 21 Jan 2022 at 14:54
Hi Lyn thanks for response,Pet scan was carried out on 2July 21 and stated

no evidence of PSMA activity, letter also said PSA 0.747, visible haematuria, CT urogram showed no upper tract lesion.

Also had CT Urinary tract with contrast in September 21 which came back clear.

Don't know what to make of it all but as I am seen every 3 months, I have faith in Oncologist.

Best Wishes

Barry

 
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