Interesting Journey

califvader
califvader Member Posts: 108
in Prostate Cancer #1
i haven't posted for awhile because i have been getting tests done. just return home from the oncologist. to bring you up to speed i had a r/p in 2003 at54 yrs. since then psa has been rising slowly. post op. psa was .01 and in 7 and a half years risen to 5.1. i got the results back from a bone scan and MRI pelvic scan. bone scan was negative. MRI was done with and without contrast fluid. MRI was negative. i also had a cell search circulating blood test for cancer cells. results=negative. so i am scratching my head wondering why my psa is slowly rising. the onocogist said this is not uncommom. she is now refering me to a radiologist oncologist to see what his advice will be for my next step. oncologist had no answer for me.

Comments

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,701 Member
    #2
    Typical of micro-metastasis
    Callif
    Your case is typical of micro-metastasis. Gleason score 6, slow growth, negative scans and asymptomatic. I think that instead of a radical treatment, hormonal control could give you quality of life for many years. The side effects of any treatment are unpredictable, however with HT you could choose an intermittent protocol which would give you a return to normal life, and still go for RT later if wanted.

    I wish you finds a concrete decision for your case.
    VGama
  • califvader
    califvader Member Posts: 108
    #3
    VascodaGama said:

    Typical of micro-metastasis
    Callif
    Your case is typical of micro-metastasis. Gleason score 6, slow growth, negative scans and asymptomatic. I think that instead of a radical treatment, hormonal control could give you quality of life for many years. The side effects of any treatment are unpredictable, however with HT you could choose an intermittent protocol which would give you a return to normal life, and still go for RT later if wanted.

    I wish you finds a concrete decision for your case.
    VGama

    you guys never cease to amaze me on your knowledge of prostate cancer. esp. you, Vasco and Kongo. i learn more from you guys than the doctors tell me sometimes. you guys bring things to my attention that am not aware of. i will bring this micro issue up with the rad/onoclog. so, there is a possiblity that there is another tumor growing in my body somewhere.
  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,701 Member
    #4
    califvader said:

    you guys never cease to amaze me on your knowledge of prostate cancer. esp. you, Vasco and Kongo. i learn more from you guys than the doctors tell me sometimes. you guys bring things to my attention that am not aware of. i will bring this micro issue up with the rad/onoclog. so, there is a possiblity that there is another tumor growing in my body somewhere.

    You can't shoot arrows in the dark
    Callif
    Micro-mets are cancer cells that do not make voluminous tumours of sizes that can be seen /cached in scans (CT, MRI, etc.). They are thought to lie dispersed at the prostatic fossa but not very distant. Some doctors (JH and MSKCC) do not recommend radiation for micro-mets because of a lack of definite “targets”. Surely, many doctors will recommend salvage radiation therapy as the protocol in treating recurrence after surgery. However, success rate is low in cases of PSA> 1 or less.
    RT is like treating by “guessing” but we always hope that the tumours lay on the line of the firing rays. (“you can't shoot arrows in the dark, and expect to hit your target” by Willtowin)
    Hormonal treatment is proper for systemic cases and applied in pair with RT have shown better results in terms of cancer progression. The theory stands that HT weakens the cells and RT kills them.

    Hope all goes OK with you.
    VGama
  • califvader
    califvader Member Posts: 108
    #5
    VascodaGama said:

    You can't shoot arrows in the dark
    Callif
    Micro-mets are cancer cells that do not make voluminous tumours of sizes that can be seen /cached in scans (CT, MRI, etc.). They are thought to lie dispersed at the prostatic fossa but not very distant. Some doctors (JH and MSKCC) do not recommend radiation for micro-mets because of a lack of definite “targets”. Surely, many doctors will recommend salvage radiation therapy as the protocol in treating recurrence after surgery. However, success rate is low in cases of PSA> 1 or less.
    RT is like treating by “guessing” but we always hope that the tumours lay on the line of the firing rays. (“you can't shoot arrows in the dark, and expect to hit your target” by Willtowin)
    Hormonal treatment is proper for systemic cases and applied in pair with RT have shown better results in terms of cancer progression. The theory stands that HT weakens the cells and RT kills them.

    Hope all goes OK with you.
    VGama

    thanks.

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