PSA Remains About 2 at Six Weeks After RP

sblome
sblome Member Posts: 10
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
Hi All:

I had da Vinci RP on August 29. Thanks again to those who responded to my original post of 7/6/07.

Things have taken a disheartening turn since my last post. Almost six weeks out from RP, my PSA remains at around 2. It should be at or very near zero by now.

As background, I'm 48 and in good health. My path report: tumor is a T3, Gleason 7 on almost all of one side, nothing on the other side (nerve on this side was spared), cancer did extend outside of prostate, there was one positive margin, no involvement of seminal vesicles or lymph nodes, PSA was about 10 going into the surgery. No presurgical evidence of metastastic disease.

Has anyone else had experience with a PSA that never went to zero after RP?

Of course this almost certainly means active cancer is present somewhere (according to my uro, all benign prostate tissue was removed, which I understand in rare cases can give a false positive PSA after surgery).

My wife and I are trying to absorb this new reality and decide what to do next. My onco has supported the idea of trying to get aggressive treatment through a clinical trial, possibly involving Taxotere.

I have upcoming appointments with my uro and also my radiation doc.

- Does anyone have comments a PSA remaining after RP?

- Info on effectiveness of standard salvage radiation treatment?

- Thoughts or experience joining a clinical trial?

- Experience with Taxotere?

- Ideas on incontinence, which is continuing for me?

One bright spot is that although I can't yet achieve an erection, I discovered I can have orgasms through manual stimulation. The orgasms are not as strong as before, but are pleasurable. It might help some newbies to know you may be able to have a form of sex well before erections return.

Yours, sblome

Comments

  • frankswife
    frankswife Member Posts: 2
    My husband had a rp in July of 2005 he is a T3B,N1, Stage 4. His psa after his 6 weeks was 3 after surgery, he just had his 50th birthday, after his psa tripled within 6 months he had 33 treatments of radiation, but the swelling from the radiation caused incont. he had seminal vessel and 1 lymph node with the cancer also it went through his nerves. Everyone is different in the 2 yrs and 4 months I have done research and asked the same questions. The most important we found out for us is the quality of life not quanity. The sex is the same for him but the urol.and cancer doctor rx a pump and a ring this helped a little but urine still comes out instead of the sperm. He found out that a support group has helped him out mentaly but the phyical part will not change for him. I wish you all the best of luck but please be WELL informed of the choices you make. I tell my husband that just holding me is fine but to him sex was very important to him.
  • shipjim
    shipjim Member Posts: 137 Member
    PSA
    My PSA went to 0 and has stayed there over 2.5 yrs. I check it each Quarter. As to orgasm, yea manual works, I have not had anything resembling an erection and am disappointed in that.
  • Skybolt
    Skybolt Member Posts: 1
    shipjim said:

    PSA
    My PSA went to 0 and has stayed there over 2.5 yrs. I check it each Quarter. As to orgasm, yea manual works, I have not had anything resembling an erection and am disappointed in that.

    Difficult Erection
    Listen, I'm probably going to suggest things that you have already tried, but here goes anyway. I'm coming up on my 1 year anniversary since my RP last fall. I'm having good results with Cialus, Viagra, and Levitra. I prefer the Levitra as it doesn't seem to induce the blinding headaches that I sometimes get with the other two drugs. This along with a cock ring procured at your standard "adult entertainment center" help me along quite well. The single most important element is having the right sexual partner. In my case I reunited with someone very important in my past. She is what has made all the difference in my life and my performance in that area in particular.
  • shipjim
    shipjim Member Posts: 137 Member
    follow up
    Please keep us posted on your progress, it's always frustrating to talk to people here then never know what happened or if our info was of any help. jj
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