PSA velocity in Top Gear – I’ve to cut short Drugs’ Vacations

tarhoosier said:

Correct, the Feraheme 3T MRI showed nothing in soft tissues. F-18 which is dramatically better than Tc bone scan showed the left ileum and a spinal spot. The treatment was 40 fractions, total 72 gy, and I do not know if there was differential dose to the locations. Side effects were predictable and minimal.

In my case Myers is reluctant to advise bisphosphonates due to the side effects and I agree. I have a neighbor who has been on long term Fosamax and now has had dramatic splintering fractures with catastrophic consequences for her. Also ONJ issues are a concern, thus no bone treatment. Bone density test is scheduled in November. I also take daily D3 and strontium orally. This is my newest experiment.

I did ADT 2 and then ADT 1 when T went to ng, psa was <0.01 and DHT was also at bottom of scale, thus no need for other interventions.

This thread needs a new heading of its own as we go on about treatments. Vasco has lost his own thread, I am sorry to say that I have participated

VascodaGama said:

Against the Odds

 

I was surprised with my latest PSA result. It come at PSA= 0.73 ng/ml (T=344 ng/ml)

This is the second time I am surprised by a lower than expected result. The previous test done two months ago was PSA= 0.71 and it corresponded to a slowing curve after the aggressive rising of previous results. You can see from my above posts how unpredictable the results have become. The rising curve is now flattened and I hope that the next required “action” is far from being on the “scene”.  
Could my initial wish of a 5 year ADT vacation be still possible?

On a tip from Mrs PJD I found and contacted a radiologist-oncologist in Coimbra Hospital University. He became interested in follow my case. We have discussed on my progressive diagnosis and he agreed with the idea of a C11 PET/MRI testing or the F18-FACBC PET which both are done at their facilities. I did not know that these tests were available in several hospitals in Portugal (Lisbon Coimbra and Porto in the north). They do not do the USPIO test.

I am happy for the result but intrigued and in defiance of its veracity (typical of a freak patient). The laboratory assured me that there were no errors. I will wait until the next test when all the lipids are to be checked too. 

 

Best to all.

VG 

 

VG

It's nice to read good news once and awhile. Hope you have continued success. My PSA is also rising at a slower rate. Currently at 0.26. No new treatments at this time. We just have to keep going and hope for the best.

Jim

FYI good news ...
http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/ja403609x?prevSearch=prostate+cancer&amp;searchHistoryKey=

VascodaGama said:

Average PSADT at 10 months

Just to imform "ya" about my latest PSA of 0.88 ng/ml (Sep 17). This confirms previous slower increases, now with an average PSADT of 10 months.

Thanks to all for the many opinions and concerns.

Rakendra, you are welcome to my place at this little conner of the Europe, I promiss to find you a bed for still the 10$ a night, thought the bed may be a little harder.

VG  

   Always glad to read good news about you.

VascoDG, you're the consummate survivor. Believe this.  My DH and I had an interesting discussion with our oncologist up here in Canada. He is very well informed and keeps up with everything. He is also open-minded and encourages patients to work with naturopaths and diets, so that they can, as he puts it, "do your job better."

We asked him why, at 7 months on ADT2, my DH's PSA was at .36 and not lower and should we be on a triple blockade. He felt that there was really no advantage statistically to adding Proscar or Avodart. He also said that he had seen many people get hung up on these numbers when they mean very little. He gave an example of three patients...one whose PSA went to undetectable in four months, one that took a longer time to do so and one who stuck at 1.0. The one who went to undetectable began to rise quite significantly a short time after, the one that took a long time falling stayed fallen for two years and the one at 1.0 seems stuck there. He said that in his experience, the important thing was how long it stayed low - low being anything under 1.0.  I realize this isn't too relevant to your situation.

I'm not sure if other oncologists have made this observation, or whether they see a definite positve pattern in those who reach the lower levels faster. He was not referring to those who couldn't get their PSA low. I realize the difference between .36 and .036 is huge in terms of pp.

Re Artemisinen. My DH was on it. It was being sold in his naturopath's office. However, when I advised the naturopath in an email that he was taking it, he wrote back that he shouldn't be. That he should come off it right away (plus, it was no longer in his store). As soon as we meet with him, I will ask what he saw to make him change his mind.

Here is what he wrote: I do not recommend artemesinin at all, but if you have added it for some reason, it should not be used on an ongoing basis but rather cycled on and off…. I have seen some nasty side effects to artemesinin, and no benefit in prostate cancer at all.  I would urge it be discontinued.

I responded with "Why?" and he came back with this: Don't mind at all…. I know of the in vitro evidence for artemesinin…. other than in liver cancer (HCC) there is not really any good human evidence. I also have experience with over 8500 patients before in which I have used artemesinin - doesn't work.

I will ask how he knew it didn't work.

Edited to add. We are setting up an appt with Dr. Scholz or Lee.

MLN