Prostate cancer treated with Leuprolide

Posted by donnelson @donnelson, May 25, 2016

I had 43 days of prostate cancer radiation about 5-6 years ago. My PSA becgan to rise in summer of 2014. Suddenly it went from 5 to 20 in 4 months, only to drop a bit the next week. My doctor suggets Leuprolide which is administered every 6 months by a shot. I've read many bad side affects(swelling of feel and legs, visual changes, hot flashes and generally lower testrosterone levels). Have others had this problem? I'm wondering if I should wait a month and have the PSA drawn again?.

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@donnelson

Thanks.  Instead of surgery I had 43 days of radiation.  All was well (from 2011 ) until this summer when the psa for some reason went from 8 to 20 to 31.  I met with a medical oncologist yesterday and we decided to do bone and CT scans next week and then regroup.  She said that hot flashes were most bothersome but we could start slowly with lupron and see how that goes. 

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Dr Kwon has somewhat of a celebrity status these days so maybe its going to his head. The "patient failed" and like terminology is a little harsh but I just look at it as jargon between peers. I've never had a doctor tell me that I've failed a treatment. These advances in imaging are allowing the pursuit of a new area of treatment based on the idea of oligometastatic disease. This idea and treatment course extends the horizon of "curable" disease to beyond when a small number of metastases are found. This video explains it better than I ever could. Not a Mayo idea but the improved imaging makes it more plausible.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkqizmvqJPo

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I don't know that this fills a gap. I found two other decision tools over the weekend and made at least one of them available to our members.

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@donnelson

Thanks.  Instead of surgery I had 43 days of radiation.  All was well (from 2011 ) until this summer when the psa for some reason went from 8 to 20 to 31.  I met with a medical oncologist yesterday and we decided to do bone and CT scans next week and then regroup.  She said that hot flashes were most bothersome but we could start slowly with lupron and see how that goes. 

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congratulations on your good decision of going to Mayo<br>

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@flor

I FORGOT TO SUGGEST TO YOU TO READ THIS BOOK PROSTATE A GUIDE FOR MEN AND THE WOMEN WHO LOVE THEM. BY PATRICK WALSH MD.

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A good book can be a huge help. I guess that your bone scan is still pending so please let us know how that works how when you feel comfortable with it. Its a process.

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I WANT TO THANK YOU FOR YOUR WISHES WITH MY SON I WILL KEEP IN TOUCH AFTER HIS 2 WEEKS OF TREATMENT

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@flor

COLLEN THANKS FOR YOUR INFORMATION. WE JUST LEARNED THAT OUR SON HAD A HIGH PSA 4.6 HE IS 43 AND HE HAS MEDICATION FOR PROSTATITIS. AFTER THAT HE WILL NEED ANOTHER PSA TO SEE IF THE NUMBER DECREASED.. WE HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN TOUCH WITH MAYO CLINIC DRS. AND WILL TAKE THE DECISION OF HAVING A BIOPSI AS SOON AS POSIBLE AT MAYO.

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YES MY HUSBAND WAS TREATED AT MAYO ROCHESTER SINCE THE BEGINING SO THEY HAVE ALL HIS INFORMATION . I FEEL IT IS GOOD FOR MY SON
THANKS SO MUCH FOR YOUR REPLY

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I had a bone scan on Monday and on Thursday I have a CT scan. Then I meet with the medical oncologist on next Tuesday. At that time we will determine the next steps.

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@donnelson

I had a bone scan on Monday and on Thursday I have a CT scan. Then I meet with the medical oncologist on next Tuesday. At that time we will determine the next steps.

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Thanks for the update Donnelson. Best of luck with the meeting with the medical oncologist. I hope you'll let us know how it goes and the factors that contributed to the informed decision-making.

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