Just finishing. Started six-month course of Lupron + Casodex (androgen deprivation) back on December 1. In the middle, mid-Feb to mid-April, had 40 sessions of radiation to prostate bed + pelvic lymph nodes. Follow up PSA test scheduled in July. That test might not prove anything definitely about
the efficacy of radiation because the hormones may mask the PSA. My radiation oncologist says if PSA "undetectable" in July, probably need to wait to end of this year (without hormones) to be sure if the radiation worked or not. In other words, July can bring ambiguous "good news" at best, or bad news. Happy to be saying good bye to hormones, at least for a while. Best wishes.
Newspaper Lover
Age 68
DaVinci surgery 11/09. Clean margins, clean seminal vessels.
Rising PSA noted 06/11
Gleason 8
Time to recurrrence 18 months
Three month doubling time (summer 2011).
PSA rose from .07 on 06/11 to .17 on 11/11.
MRIs and bone scans negative so far.
Started Lupron/Casodex 12/11
Began IMRT 02/20/12.
Finished IMRT 04/16/12
Follow up PSA scheduled in July, 2012.