How long does your oncologist have you on ADT?

Posted by tjv1156 @tjv1156, Jul 17 3:07pm

I had surgery in March 2020. I was undetectable for 3 years, then started to see some PSA. .05.....06 ... Eventually climbed to .25 in Feb/2025, which triggered follow up treatment, starting in Late March 2025. Orgovyx for 6 weeks then 25 radiation treatments which ended 6/25/25. I am scheduled for ADT for 6 months,ending around Oct .1. My question is- is 6 months the norm?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

gbrickler | @gbrickler | Jul 24 12:00pm

In reply to @northoftheborder "I'd have to look at the POH; I've been in a C152 only once, over 15..." + (show)

About 115 KPH, hopefully you are in an Aerobat!

tjv1156 | @tjv1156 | Jul 25 5:11pm

In reply to @jeffmarc "I have had PC for 15 years. I’ve had surgery and then radiation and then two..." + (show)

Thanks. Your journey is an inspiration.

icorps | @icorps | Jul 26 8:39am

As I understand it, there really isn't a "norm" here. But it seems like your docs may be seeing it's not a five alarm fire and they want ease into the ADT to see how it goes. ADT has some bad sides beyond libido etc. This first session should tell them a lot about future use of it including whether they can put you on holiday from it. Good luck!!

sahallock1947 | @sahallock1947 | Jul 27 1:43pm

First round of ADT was one year, then a year off. During the off year my PSA and testosterone stayed at zero, but my blood chemistry remained out of whack: anemic blood count, low WBC counts, and a variety of others out of range. They NEVER recovered. We tried testosterone replacement and everything popped back into range. Stopped the testosterone after 18 months, PSA still zero, but blood chemistry normal. Saw a wiggle in my PSA after about 18 more months then went back on ADT when my PSA was 0.1. Then a PSMA test located the cancer and I had targeted radiation over 3 months, but my PSA continued to rise, so I had 3 rounds of Provenge treatment which got about 90% of what I had. Still on ADT and we added xtandi and I stayed on that combo for 3 more years. My PSA settled down at 4+/- 0.2 .By that time my kidney function began dropping rapidly, so as part of the treatment for that we dropped all of the medications at that time, mostly blood pressure, And we paused the ADT but not the. Xtandi. All in all I’ve been on ADT 6 of the last 9 years. We caught my kidney filtration rate at 25% . I don’t have a PSA reading yet.

tjv1156 | @tjv1156 | Sep 27 6:08am

In reply to @jeffmarc "I also had surgery 15 years ago and 3 1/2 years later I had salvage radiation..." + (show)

@jeffmarc

I never bothered to check my post surgery biopsy for the gleason score, but it had gone from Gleason 3+4 to Gleason 4 +3. But still 7 so I guess that's why he put me on a 6 month regimen. That six months is about now. I had a PSA test yesterday and it was undetectable. I follow up with my onclogist Wed. and I'm hoping he's take me off the Orgovyx. My PSA was undetectable right after radiation so if had NOT been yesterday, that woould have been really bad news since my testosterone was wiped out by the Orgovyx. ( that was confirmed yesterday as well)

jeff Marchi | @jeffmarc | Sep 27 10:40am

In reply to @tjv1156 "@jeffmarc I never bothered to check my post surgery biopsy for the gleason score, but it..." + (show)

@tjv1156
When I had my surgery and they found 4+3 after (Biopsy was 3+4). I still was able to go 3 1/2 years before it came back and had no ADT. I have BRCA2, which is a genetic problem that causes my body not to be able to fix DNA errors. If I hadn’t been for that, I might have been put into very long-term remission.

It appears that you had salvage radiation since you mentioned radiation. Did your PSA start to rise after surgery? How long did it take before it started to rise?

I was also undetectable after radiation. Had a six month ADT shot two months before my radiation. That worked for 2 1/2 years before my PSA started rising again.

Hopefully the radiation took care of it for you, ADT would be important if you did have your PSA start to rise after surgery.

bonanzaman | @bonanzaman | Sep 28 10:51am

I'm 4+3 with a spot on my pelvis. From the beginning the RO said 24 months Lupron and abiraterone. Finished radiation and tested a month later and everything was undetectable along with my motivation. I guess I'm on it for the next year and a half. Could be worse as I'm now supporting my lawn guy as I'm not motivated to mow the yard. I don't have any problem with all of this as the doctor who did my biopsy said he had never seen anything like what I had. That made me feel warm and fuzzy. 😒He's been history since he said that that's why I went to the professionals.
BTW, Memorial Sloan Kettering is my treatment center. Couldn't be happier.

tjv1156 | @tjv1156 | Sep 28 10:55am

I had surgery in Mar. 2020 . PSA was 'undetectable'( < .05) until April 2022 when it hit .05-exactly. 3 months later it hit .06. 3 months later it went back under. 05. Then it kept creeping up until it .25 in Feb. 2025. The trigger point for follow up at Sloan Kettering is .2 Had a PSMA-PET which didn't show anything. Started Orgovyx around 4/1 , then 27 radiation 'shot's , ending Jul.2. Just had my PSA last Friday and it was undetectable. But ...I know that doesn't mean all that much since I was still taking Orgovyx. I know how insidious this thing is so I doubt I will ever be confident when I get a PSA.

I had genetic testing done and I think I didn't have the BRCA2 , but I have to re-check that based on what you said! Thanks. Tthe tought of long term ADT is not pleasant but thanks to guys like you, I know it can be managed.

sahallock1947 | @sahallock1947 | Sep 28 12:11pm

It depends on your specific situation. I was on eligard for a full year after surgery and radiation failed to get all of the cancer. While I was on eligard my PSA and testosterone levels a were both zero.

After a year of ADT I went off the eligard , but a year later my testosterone and PSA levels were still zero.

Went on hormone replacement therapy together because my anemia, caused by the ADT hadn’t resolved. The testosterone fixed the anemia, but after a year my PSA budged off zero so I went back on ADT and have been on it for the last 4 years. And I’m anemic again. And added xtandi to the mix 2 years ago.

So that’s my journey .