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Posted 8/22/2015 8:27 PM (GMT -5)
Am in my 22 SRT treatment out of 37 total.
Was wondering if they can see any progress as you go along with treatments or if you just have to wait to finish and have a PSA test later.
Dr never says how things are going, just wondering if anyone else has had this question.

Thanks.....Woody
Posted 8/22/2015 9:39 PM (GMT -5)
It takes a long time for RT to have any effect. Generally they won't even test until 3 or so months post treatment. Even then it can take a year or two to hit nidar (lowest PSA).

The only thing the RO can say at this point is how well the radiation is being delivered and how bad your SEs are.

It's a long slow process.
Hang in there,
Andrew
Posted 8/22/2015 9:41 PM (GMT -5)
It's a waiting game, I'm afraid. PSA may actually go up with radiation as PC cells destruct. You have to wait 3 months after to start tracking PSA.
Posted 8/23/2015 2:20 AM (GMT -5)
In my case Woody, 3 weeks after completion of SRT my PSA was down from .16 to .05 so I'm hoping my 3 month testing will indicate at least the same or ideally back to .01

Side effects minimal during treatment, seemingly nil SE's now!
Posted 8/23/2015 8:14 AM (GMT -5)
Thanks guys, SE very minimal, stay close to bathroom....lol

This is about what the Dr is telling me.....At least being ddone with the most up to date unit there is, it pinpoints the area not a scan of the area.....

Posted 8/23/2015 12:52 PM (GMT -5)
Hi Woody I am getting ready to start srt. Just wondering how bad the side
affects are. Any thing i can do to keep side affects low? Hope things go well
for u. I was told the same thing that it will take 3 months or so for psa to be
undetectable if it works. Good luck and hang in there.

bud
Posted 8/23/2015 5:45 PM (GMT -5)
Bud.
My side effects have really been minimum, a little soft bowels,
a little fatigue, nothing else. Make sure you drink plenty of water, mine says 24Oz of water two hours before treatment, my treatment is only about 3 minutes. Not bad at all, if you are in pretty good health.....Good Luck
Posted 8/24/2015 5:25 AM (GMT -5)
It sound like things are going according to plan.

SRT takes a while to take effect - radiation sort of affects the DNA of cells and stops them replicating properly, thus there have to be a few attempts by (cancer) cells to replicate that go wrong before they stop being around to make PSA.

It's over 5 years since my SRT, and amazingly I am forgetting the details, but without looking ti up, I think it finished mid June and they waited till November to test my PSA again (when it was zero club time I'm glad to say)

Also SE lag behind treatments. I think they were the worst for me about a month after my sessions finished. Tiredness was worst - eg I remember not having a birthday party for my 50th cos I was too tired.

As for the docs, well with me the Docs reacyed to me asking them things. If things are going to plan they will not tell you anything. I had a check up with the docs several times during my sessions and I just told them how my bladder bowels etc were going and they said that that was to be expected.
I found I got more feed back from talking to the RT technicians/nurses before and after my sessions to ask if things were going to plan, thsu they told me when they were going to take extra x-rays to chck things were still in the correct place, and to then make any adjustments to the beams as needed.

Otherwise I suggest all you can do is to enjoy crossing the dates off!

Alf
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