Asking for advise for father.

sunblade
sunblade Member Posts: 8
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
I have just gone through radiation therapy and am waiting for another week to see if my PSA went back down. Had an RRP back in 2000 and psa went up to .3. In the meantime my father who is 87 and receiving lupron injections every four months and has had his PSA level at <.1 for the last two years, has taken a turn for the worse. He still has his prostate and is not a canidate for surgery because of his advanced age. He is in assisted living but will be going into a nursing home shortly. He is incontinant and has parkinsons desease. His dementia has accelerated very fast. He has no quality of life anymore. I know that if I ask a doctor I will not get an honest answer because of his oath. What I'd like to know is what will happen if I stop taking him for his lupron? With his psa so low why should he have to endure the hour wait in the waiting room and the digital exam and shots? What would happen if he goes off the lupron? Don't tell me to ask a doctor, what I'd like to know is if anyone else is or was in this same position? What was the outcome? Thanks.

Comments

  • 2ndBase
    2ndBase Member Posts: 220
    #2
    I have terminal prostate cancer and am 53 years old. I went through Lupron and tha max radiation. My dad also had prostate cancer and had radiation and is now 88 and is dying with alzihmers. There is no way he is a canidate for any treatment for cancer and I suspect that your father is the same. The cancer will be slow at that age and his life would be better without treatment. Any doctor would agree.
  • Benji48
    Benji48 Member Posts: 117
    #3
    Hi,
    I essentially agree with Mark. We have a man in our support group in his 80's who has seen his PSA rise over several months to a current level of near 60 without any symptoms at all!It would seem to be a reasonable approach, given the situation (80+ years, psa<0.1) to discontinue treatment at this stage.After all, it could be restarted at a later date if necessary.
    God Bless, Benji

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