PSA advice appreciated.

Love this Andy! What a great way to put it cancer cells screaming as they die! Thanks for this 😀

Chris thanks for the reply. Yes makes sense with the slower PSA changes with RT. Thanks again.

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the best wishes. Do you mind if I ask the timeframes around your treatment and rising PSA? How soon after RT did your PSA increase? 

Sorry to hear yours is on the rise and hopefully the scan shows no new mets sites. I’d be interested to know the outcome. Fingers crossed for you. 

Thought I would update on the PSA. Inbetween chemo session 2 and 3 my PSA increased from 0.76 to 1.5. The day of my bloods I had my 4th Prostap injection. I’d also had a 2 week chemo break meaning a 5 week interval between 2nd and 3rd cycles due to now fully resolved neutropenia. 

My Oncologist has arranged a CT next week and repeat PSA x 2 spaced 10 days apart. His feelings were that the rise is alarming which has obviously worried me. I countered this with all the mitigating factors above which may have spiked the PSA without any new spread? He agreed there may be no spread and chemo may still be effective but that if there is spread he will switch to RT and finish the chemo early. 

So am in that period of waiting on tests check response to treatment to date and to determine the treatment plan going forwards. I think other than the initial diagnosis these are the most challenging periods to be in. It’s the unknown. Anyway on the ups I played tennis for an hour today in the sun! 

Sorry to hear that. An I right in thinking no new spread outside the prostate although uptake within it? I do hope no new spread and hope a change in medication will put the brakes back on and lower the PSA. Would be interesting to hear what medication you’re changed to? 

I had a CT with contrast last week to check on my rising PSA and a bone scan due next week. See the Oncologist on Friday where I’ll be told if my last two PSA results continue to rise or have reduced following my 3rd chemo session. Managing to just put this all in the background and not ruminate on it all. 

Have found myself now giving the stock answer of ‘I’m fine nothing new to report’ to friends and family other than my wife when they enquire and avoid mentioning all the imaging suspecting spread. Helps not having to deal and manage others emotions.

I think there is perhaps a selfish element required in protecting ourselves when we’re feeling positive and not wanting to have others transfer their subconscious or inadvertent negativity onto us. Not their fault but it happens.

Will update again shortly.  

Hi Darren,

My clinical oncologist showed me my PET scans (they would be fascinating if it was not cancer and was not me) and it seems that most of my prostate is relatively clear - big but here - but the uptake is outside, near the wall of my rectum. Either there is enough PC left in my prostate or the growth next door is sufficient to raise my PSA. When I had my radiotherapy my oncologist said that I received less radiation there than the prostate to minimize the risk of damage. I am now waiting for a colonoscopy and to see my medical oncologist to learn what my new medication regime will be. For now, I must continue with Zoladex for at least the full three years. I will check in again here once I know more.

My stock answer to friends and family when inquiring about my PC is 'You know, good days, bad days'.

My very best wishes to you and I hope that you receive some encouraging news soon.

Really good to hear that there is no distant spread. Hopefully the 2nd gen hormone therapy will keep it all at bay for many years to come and you remain asymptomatic. Wishing you all the very best.