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PSA drops a little after SRT - too soon to celebrate?

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Posted 3/4/2011 7:31 AM (GMT -5)
My PSA dropped to 0.1 three weeks after finishing SRT.   The last check prior to SRT was 0.2.  Is this just analytical error or can I celebrate a little?  I found a lot of info on PSA kinetics after primary RT but not a thing for SRT.  I suppose the only difference would be a lower range of PSAs.  I will get a recheck in three weeks when I go back to the doc.

Carlos

Posted 3/4/2011 8:22 AM (GMT -5)
Carlos, you cut the PSA in half in only 3 weeks so that and the downward trend are your friends. Think I waited 6-8 weeks for my SRT PSA and did not do as well as you. Celebrate later, just feel positive at this point.

Michael

Posted 3/4/2011 8:25 AM (GMT -5)
Carlos,

I celebrate every piece of news that I percieve to be positive. Who knows what it will do in the future, but don't fret now. I know I have a long way to go with this stuff and that there will be some days of not so good news.

I just finished radiation eight weeks ago and am on HT and my first reading was <0.1. I am not going to fantasize that it will always be there, but for now it looks like things are working and I am in the lead.....last fall the PCa was in the lead.

We see some people having cures and many having very long remissions. I view my situation that an absolute cure is not to be expected, but a very long effective management is in order. Every low reading supports that. I am expecting to get the Radiation Flare at about 18 months unless it is masked by the HT.

In your case I would think that with no prostate there isn't much to give you a flare, so you should be getting a clear assessment of how things are going. Remember that radiation takes a longer time to kill the cells as it mainly damages them and hopefully weakens them enough to prevent division.

Best wishes for the next reading
Posted 3/4/2011 11:33 AM (GMT -5)
Carlos, a drop is a drop, a good starting point. The one thing I learned in the world of SRT, and 4 doctors have confirmed this opinion, is that unlike RT as a primary treatment, with SRT, there is no bounce up, and there should never be a rise at any point. Mine went down twice, which was encouraging, then made a 50% jump, then my lastest shocker, a 2000% increase, this was all within 15 months of ending SRT. It has now been officially declared a failed attempt.

On your number, I would stay positive, nice drop, and hopefully over the next 2 readings, you will see further drops. I wish you all the best.

David
Posted 3/4/2011 1:23 PM (GMT -5)

Hi Carlos. According to my Oncologist, a 50% drop in PSA, so soon after completion of SRT, is a good sign that the radiation has found it's intended target. I had a similar result after my SRT and the result thus far has been good. Hopefully your PSA will go down further in the month to follow. Best of luck to you.

Mag

Posted 3/4/2011 1:46 PM (GMT -5)
Thanks very much for the replies.  It looks like PSA after SRT really isn't any different than after sugery.  Even if it goes into remission there isn't any way of knowing if it will stay in remission.  After my first post surgery PSA my uro told me to plan on getting tested the rest of my life.  I guess he wasn't kidding.

Mag, you and I are about the same age.  While none of us want to have to deal with a recurrence, it seems that by the mid seventies, the need to do something becomes a lot less urgent than for the young guys like Tony, Alf, Gordy, Galileo and many orthers on the forum. 

Posted 3/4/2011 3:19 PM (GMT -5)
Young guy??? LOL

Thanks, but at 67 and with no hope or expectation of cure, or even of remission, I feel as though I'm pretty close to the end of the line. So being chronologically younger than you doesn't do it for me.
Posted 3/4/2011 3:31 PM (GMT -5)
Sorry Gordy.  Just got you mixed up with one of the other younger guys.  My memory is bad enough as it is now, hate to think what it would be like with prolonged HT.  My wife calls it CRS (can't remember ****).

Carlos

 

Posted 3/4/2011 3:35 PM (GMT -5)
Carlos- No need to apologize - I am younger than you.

There's another malady which goes along with CRS, called CRAFT (can't remember a *****g thing).
Posted 3/4/2011 9:24 PM (GMT -5)
Carlos,
A drop in such a short time after SRT is good news. My understanding from those who had SRT, it will take a while before it reaches its nadir. The trend is in the right direction.
Posted 3/5/2011 7:20 AM (GMT -5)
Ed, thanks for the reply.  I noticed in your profile that you had both nerve bundles removed.  The nerve bundles may have been my problem as my surgeon spared both of them.  Consequently my nerve bundles were one of the four radiation target areas.  Hopefully we nailed it.

Thanks, Carlos

Posted 3/5/2011 12:14 PM (GMT -5)
Carlos,
I have a feeling that removing the nerve bundles for those with high Gleason may be helpful. I asked this question a while back and the responses were that it didn't make a difference. I still believe that I did the right thing. I can live with trimix as long as the cancer stays away. Good luck.
Posted 3/5/2011 12:45 PM (GMT -5)
In our situation, anytime the PSA goes down, you celebrate....! Cheers! turn yeah
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