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User
Posted 28 May 2014 at 13:06

Hi

I stopped using this forum last year following a minor disagreement. But as there is a nice new forum and I have positive story to tell I thought I should tell it.

I was diagnosed in Nov 2012 with a PSA of 13.8, a hard prostate and various symptoms like nocturia, urgency and slow flow. I had the usual Biopsy & MRI. I was staged at T2c / T3a G3+4 with the cancer close to the apex. I chose LRP (by an experienced and I think very skilled surgeon) over RT and that happened in January 2013 with PSA then 18. Six weeks later some recovery of continence, back at work full time but a PSA of 0.25  With no prostate the only significant source of PSA in the body, the normally unreliable PSA test becomes diagnostic for cancer  and with a elimination half life of 2-3 days PSA should drop to undetectable within 4 weeks if all the PSA producing tissue has been removed.

The surgeon told me that my margins were clear and confirmed a pathological staging of T2c G3+4, no nodes involved & clear vesicles so he was doubtful about the possibility of "escape" but he did authorize a HSPSA test and asked if I would like to take part in Radicals.  The test came back as 0.35 and led to a referral to a fantastic oncologist at the same hospital.

The upshot was that the oncologist recommended RT to the prostate bed, and enrolled me on the ADT duration branch of the radicals trial.

I got 2 years (vs 6 months) ADT started last May with Zoladex and then Prostap-3 (I prefered Zoladex, hurts going in but then nothing, For me prostap injection is painless but I have a sore arm for a week afterwards). My PSA dropped back to 0.25 in June 12.

I started RT 33days 66Gy in early July and had a PSA in Sept before the RT had finished (1st radicals test) PSA down to 0.02, then in October (the post Rt one) down to <0.01 - undetectable, 

Since then (2 more tests, one every 4 months) it has stayed at <0.01 undetectable.

Early days but the good news is that there is hope after failed RP

Best wishes to all of you, sufferers and supporters, fighting this damn disease.

Batholith   

Edited by member 28 May 2014 at 13:54  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 28 May 2014 at 14:13
Good to hear from you Batholith and am glad to hear thing's are progressing well.Take care.
User
Posted 28 May 2014 at 16:28
Excellent news and welcome back!
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 29 May 2014 at 11:21
Hi Batholith,

Good to know your PSA is so low following further treatment. A friend of mine had RP but this did not get all the cancer and he subsequently had HT and RT and for several years now his PSA is undetectable. So in some cases the combined treatments can give better results - to what extent will become more quantifiable over time.

Barry
User
Posted 29 May 2014 at 11:29
Yes, excellent news undetectable PSA long may it continue and as time goes on the tests will become less frequent. As a matter of interest I note that you had Prostap in your arm and that gave rise to a sore arm for quite a while. I have it it the stomach with no such pain, more fatty tisue😄

Well done,

Life is for living

Barry (alias Barrington )

User
Posted 29 May 2014 at 14:02
Hi Batholith

That's great news and a encouragement to all those going down a similar route, I am about to get my results In a few weeks time, as I had the RT after RP as my PSA showed 0.42 and climbing after RP, keep us posted, and good luck for the future.

Roy

User
Posted 29 May 2014 at 17:24
Delighted that you came back nd even more delighted to hear your good news.

It so good to have a wide range of the illness represented here so that new people can find someone with similar stats. We all know that isn't a means of assuring that's how your own cancer will be dealt with or progress but it is a uaeful resource.

Good to have news like this, thank you.

Best wishes

Allison

User
Posted 29 May 2014 at 18:12
Well done on your recovery. This is a big encouragement to others in the same boat.
Stay Calm And Carry On.
User
Posted 03 Jun 2014 at 10:49

Thanks for all the encouraging comments and the welcome back.

Best wishes

Batholith

User
Posted 03 Jun 2014 at 13:37
Welcome back Andrew, great to hear from you even better to hear your good news. Long may this continue.

Take care

Veronica

User
Posted 03 Jun 2014 at 13:38
Welcome back and with such good news. In a difficult week on here to have a good news story is always welcome. I too have prostap in the stomach and have no pain so maybe it was the site that caused problems. Hope the results continue and look forward to your always thoughtful posts now you are back.
 
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