Reassure needed

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User

Posted 10 Feb 2022 at 15:50

Hi not been on here for a while as everything has been steady, but things are starting to move again. Husband’s PSA was .3 in March 2021 it rose to .5 in November 2021 today we had the results of his February 2022 blood test and it had risen to .9

The consultant has suggested a act scan and bone scan in the next couple of earths with another consultation in 6 weeks time.

i know we’re have plenty of options available but looking for reassurance.

He had chemo which finished in September 2018 and had been on Prostap 3 since.

Any advice help would be greatly appreciated

karen

User

Posted 10 Feb 2022 at 22:30

Next steps really depends on what the scan shows. If they spot one or two small mets, you could be offered a short course of targeted radiotherapy to zap just the mets. If there are a number of mets, the onco might suggest repeating the chemo or a treatment like enzalutimide, abiraterone or apalutimide could be added to the existing hormone therapy.

With such a low PSA, it might be that the scan shows nothing and the onco advises doing nothing different for the time being, or bicalutimide tablets are added just to give the HT a boost.

Has his testosterone been measured? That can be really useful when working out why the PSA is rising - I.e. has the cancer become hormone independent or is the HT just not working as well as it could.

Edited by member 12 Feb 2022 at 20:31 | Reason: Not specified

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

User

Posted 12 Feb 2022 at 16:49

Thanks Lynne the consultant did say she wasn’t expecting to see anything on scans but doing them as haven’t had any done for 4 years. She did also mention adding another hormone and she isn’t unduly worried.

User

Posted 13 Feb 2022 at 07:17

Ask about Radio therapy to the prostate too. Some evidence that this beneficial even if it's not curative.

User

Posted 13 Feb 2022 at 10:52

Hi, This subject is outside my experience but I'd think that at his age they should be throwing the book at it. As said above, radiotherapy could be considered. I think I'd be pushing the age point for more treatment and his fitness if he's in good condition. All the best, Peter

User

Posted 13 Feb 2022 at 13:54

EBRT to the prostate wouldn't help at this stage. Stampede & other international studies indicate that it can extend life for men newly diagnosed with advanced PCa that only have a small number of mets in the pelvic area but has no effect on men with multiple or distant mets and men with mets to soft organs. If EBRT was considered to be suitable, it would be done at or around the same time as the chemo, not 4 years later.

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

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