Hi guys,
So just wanted to update you on my journey and thank everyone for their advice to me and each other.
Recap:
Age 52
Diagnosed PCa Sept 23 PSA 3.17
GLEASON 3+4. Offered RT or surgery and opted for surgery
Surgery 2nd Nov 2023
1st appointment Jan 2024. PSA 0.10. Histology showed positive margin at bladder neck and seminal vesicle invasion and extrascapular. Stayed 3+4 but upgraded to PT3b.
Was advised to wait and see how PSA behaves.
PSA surgery plus 9 weeks 0.10
PSA surgery plus 13 weeks 0.15
PSA surgery plus 20 weeks 0.22
Asked for urgent meeting and was offered 2.options. 1) wait and allow PSA rise to around 10 and then do onto HT
2) Do SRT with around 50% chance of cure. Reason only 50% is that if cells have moved outside of bed area and oncologist said would advise waiting to 0.8 or 1 before doing a PSMA Pet scan....why allow cancer cells to double and form a bundle big enough to see and risk spreading was my thought process)
Opted for SRT and started 20 fractions (52.5 GR total) on 21st May
PSA checked 21st May which was surgery plus 29 weeks 0.25 (so only increased 0.03 in 9 weeks which was a significant slow down in rate of climb)
So had last session on 18th June. To be fair was lucky to have had so significant side effects. Maybe a little tired at the last week and week after.
Have to get PSA checked on 13th Aug which is 8 weeks from.last treatment date. I am hoping my PSA has dropped to undetectable or very low. They advised it may take a few 3 month readings to fully bottom out.
After that who knows.
For those that read my story,.I also had an MRI on 30th May just to double check a tiny marker on my hip bone from.last year and they want to just rule out it isn't a cancer spot. The hospital has had the sesukts from 31st May but after 3 calls the surgeon hasn't looked at them yet and I'm not phoning again to his secretary as I feel like a beggar. I think the treatment and staff are fantastic in the NHS but admin and communication is poor and I have had to push hard the whole journey myself to keep things moving.
Anyway here is hoping for good news. It has been 15.months from I first got an PSA test and you think of little else to be honest.
Best of luck to you all and I'll let you.know my news in August