Beginning ADT and PSA tests

3 months after brachytherapy probably. Your doctor will tell you how soon to get it. You could get it a month after Fermagon, But it’s sort of irrelevant if you’re having radiation soon after.

When you get radiation Your PSA Goes down slowly over time. It can actually take years, though it’s normally a lot quicker

Forgot to ask. I suspect when you wrote EBRT, you meant IMRT, which is a much newer version.

How many sessions are you going to have of IMRT? PSA test would probably follow that by 3 months.

You could get it anytime but after IMRT sessions would have the best idea of your future treatment needs. You would probably find your PSA had dropped dramatically.

You don’t give many specifics about your diagnosis so it’s hard to really say more.

Alas, it’s EBRT. If IMRT is a preferred option I’ll have to see if I can get a referral to another hospital. It’s Canada after all. I had 7out of 12 cores test positive when the biopsy was analyzed. All on the left side. Subsequently bones can, CT scan and PET scan showed no metastasis, but that doesn’t preclude microscopic spread. Gleason 3+4 with cribriform present and perineural invasion

Mine is being tested 2 months after end of ADT or 3 mos after end of radiation. But it will take months to reach the bottom (nadir).
I had IMRT but I erroneously thought it was just a newer name for EBRT (external beam radiation therapy) which was what they used to call most multiple lower dose radiation treatments.

Wrapped up a 28-session course of EBRT on December 31. RO says that PSA numbers can be a little flaky/hard to interpret for about 3 months after radiation is concluded. I was already scheduled for a blood draw on April 14 as part of my annual physical, so we're just going with that. That will also be almost one month after the end of six months of ADT with Orgovyx, so I'm curious to see what might be going on with my testosterone, too.

Make sure the PCP does and ultra-sensitive test. Some aren't aware of the difference.

FWIW - following Salvage Radiation to the whole pelvic region and pelvic lymph nodes ending in May, together with 4 mos ADT ended June, my RO wanted a PSA 6 mos after the radiation ended, or Nov.
So my inference is that 6 mos after completion of radiation is the 1st significant PSA; in which case the radiation has had an opportunity to have its effect and the ADT impact has worn off.
I did have a PSA shortly after tx began, and it showed the ADT's dramatic effect upon PSA; but was an "artificial number" (my terminology) because of the ADT.
Hope this is somewhat helpful.
Best wishes for a successful treatment.

I finished five rads of SBRT (TrueBeam STX) in May 2024. I started a six month course of Eligard on February 14, 2024, and the irony of that day was not lost on me. 😉 My PSA at that time was 14.7. My first followup in August had a PSA of .17 and in December it was .08. My RO expects some bounces over time, but he was very happy with the results so far. Best of luck to you, warrior.

I had IMRT x 28 last summer (plus ongoing ADT) then my Radiologist told me I didn't need HDR brachytherapy because it was IMRT and the dosage had been carefully administered... or something like that. All I heard was "no brachytherapy".

So by my personal experience get IMRT if it's possible.

As for PSA tests, yes, my doctors ordered two since then. Both have been < 0.1 and both docs seem very happy with that.

I need to check what this hospital is administering. I checked their website and it states they use IMRT for prostate tumors. I need to confirm. I am assuming that they’re going “all the way” due to cribriform cells, and hence, increased aggressiveness