May the Lord hold him close…….....
Disclosed today, his prostate cancer is widely metastatic and has been given 2-4 years of life at age 48. Both his father and grandfather had PCa and it sounds like he has been treating for some...
At first glance, the PSA change isn’t YITBsignificant and certainly on its own does not signal a recurrence. And if you were a true G6 and all your prostate was removed, you should have nothing to...
JBlue, could you cite the study specifically so we can read it? Bladder cancer is very common in men, as is PCa. I know at least two dozen men, including my brother-in-law, that had PCa and then...
Treating local disease is curative attempt when the disease is truly local. Since the scans can not detect micromets, you never know that disease is local and cured after salvage until the passage of...
Aleph, I just refreshed my memory of your situation. Looks like you are right at 65 and Medicare, Correct? Many have found Medicare to be much better at holding done costs. With traditional Medicare,...
You can be on Lupron indefinitely. One member on the forum has been on for some 18 years, but that is rare. Most men aren’t on that long. For example I was on for three years due to my high risk...
Alephnull, how soon do you start Medicare? The new rules on prescription drugs ( which includes Orgovyx) for 2025 limit out of pocket expense to $2,000 per year, after the deductible. Plus there are...
It is considered to be extreme treatment and not as common today as it was before the advent of testosterone lowering drugs. I do know men that have taken this route when they determined they would...
Well done Hal. I’ll drink to another 50 years of success....
With imaging a lot will depend on whether any cancer expressing PSA is concentrated to a tumor or diffused among many widespread micromets. The first will be found much earlier than the latter....
The Nadir+2.0 is the classic definition of recurrence following primary radiotherapy, as you say. Some docs won’t do anything until you pass that. I would stay away from them. Other docs will look at...
I have had discussions with my urologist about Gleason grades and scores, and the Grade Groups. He simplifies it by only looking at the G grade itself. This he combines with the PSA, biopsy results...
5a-reductase inhibitors suppress the production of dihydrotestosterone, DHT. This then lowers serum PSA levels by about 35-50%. Several studies have shown they may reduce low risk PCa, but do not...
Flomax has no effect on PSA. That is very clear....
62gal, what exactly did you read? Millions of men around the world have taken it for years with minimal side effects. Please show us the source information. I took it in the drug Jalyn, which...
Thankfully the MRI reimbursement climate is very different from 10 years ago. When I was dx in 2010 MRI wasn’t at all in the mix except in fairly rare situations. We didn’t even discuss it. Now it is...
Remember, cancer starts with one cell. It takes millions of divisions and years of growth before the tumor is formed and large enough to be detected. With PCa being multi-focal, many men will have...
Positron, as I understand the DRE is more art than science and our body changes day by day as does the tactile judgement of the doc. It is good that the same doc performed both DREs, but I personally...
House, we have a former member that used the chamber to relieve bladder damage. Sonny3, may he rest in peace, posted about the use and treatment. I don’t remember any of the specifics and suggest...
Djin, what if the man has a pacemaker or a hip replacement or some other condition that prevents a MRI? If the docs you know say absolutely no, then that man could see my urologist who says that if...
JBlue, my side effects were moderate and typical. Some weight gain, hot flashes and fatigue. All were effectively countered through diet and exercise, so were more inconvenience than anything. The...
Have to be careful when saying the G6 became G8. That, as far as we know, does not happen. The G6 is still there, but G8 has also developed. Current understanding is that G grade development is not...
That is Fracking great news! Well done....
Lupron was developed in 1973 and FDA approved for advanced stage prostate cancer in 1985. Since that time, Lupron and several variants like Eligard, Firmagon, etc. have become the most used form of...
Personally, I will make treatment decisions at the time they are appropriately presented due to the facts and circumstances at that future time. I can no more say today what I would or would not do...
62gal, actually today’s radiotherapy is very well tolerated by most people. I had a bunch of it as you can see and have no negative side effects. My brother in law had radiotherapy at age 76 and did...
The transperineal method is better and often includes more samples. As I recollect, usually 30 versus 12 in the standard Transrectal method. It is more costly and traditionally discouraged by...
JBlue, HDR-BT and HIFU are both focal treatments specific to the prostate area. HDR-BT, properly done, will extend 5-10mm outside the prostate to cover the margins that surgery can not reach. But, if...
JBlue, good start with the James Center. Hopefully they will provide you with excellent treatment. May I ask what was the original diagnoses regarding the number of positive cores, Gleason and PSA?...
I did a little more reading and he referred to the last eight months since his diagnosis. That might infer that he has completed a period of radiotherapy, which traditionally would be administered...
Just read that he has been undergoing treatment for several months and looks forward to “ringing the bell”. The article did not go into diagnosis or treatment details, but was positive about his...
I had several Eligard injections, always in the abdomen next to my navel. They always left a bump the size of a large marble and took several weeks to dissipate. My doctor told me this would happen....
Ditto the others. You are entering the post radiation bump zone, usually in the 18-36 month period following radiation. The next several tests may confirm a bump then the decrease to a nadir. The...
Thanks for the clarification. So you had blood in the semen before the TURP, then no ejaculate, but no blood. Then ADT and IMRT. Then some three years later blood clot in urine after a dry orgasm. Do...
I experienced, as I was told to expect, blood in semen for about a month following radiotherapy. It was not in clots, rather it turned the fluid dark brown. Never anything abnormal since then....
I feel for you, HR. My wife is treated at an excellent “center of excellence” cancer center and constantly fights the bureaucracy and poor patient service. Nothing ever happens with the speed she...
PSA isn’t limited to prostate tissue. Prostate cancer can express it and most women express it as well. Go figure. As far as we know, there is no such thing as true zero because no test will go that...
Tremendous production quality and creativity. Importantly, more prostate education in three minutes than most men and certainly women receive in a lifetime....
Thanks HR. I feel for you. You presented the perfect situation for a quick and effective cure using any of the available treatment options and you chose a well proven one, which proponents were...
HR, you could contact the radiotherapy center I used here in Atlanta. You are a few hours drive and an inexpensive overnight stay that can reduce your travel cost. Founded by Dale McCord, who was a...
HR, the Elekta Unity (Linac plus MRI) was launched in 2018. When I was being treated in 2010, their machine lined me up with CT scanning, rather than the more traditional static X-Ray scan for...
HR, as I recall Linac machine company Elekta integrated MRI with the Linac a decade, or so, ago in their technology competition with Varian and their Rapid Arc. My RO used Elekta Linacs when I was...
The general so called rule Mumbo cites is not an absolute. As he states it all depends upon the exact patient circumstances and the skill and practice of the doctor. Most ROs will not do so simply...
‘It is hard to make predictions……especially about the future”. Attributed to the inimitable Yogi Berra, and, perhaps Nobel physicist Niels Bohr. I say to investigate and proceed appropriately....
Well, these two are not the only doctors of that caliber. Remind us where you are located and we might have members that can provide insight as to specialists that may be closer to home....
I agree a met biopsy should be considered. It is becoming more common for neuroendricine PCa to develop after ADT. Some studies report that this evolution may be in about 10% of men that have been on...
Interesting combination, obviously for advanced bladder cancer. Have the docs discussed how it might help with the PCa?...
Another option is to switch to lower duration Eligard shots as you approach the final six months of your ADT period. Theoretically your T recovery will be quicker following a one month shot than a...
May the Lord hold your father close. Other than the two PSA outliers in Jun 23 and July 24, the PSA levels and trend is not surprising for someone that age with known BPH enlargement and significant...