Salvage radiation aftermath

Is everyone here posting from the USA? If so where r u from? Where do you think has the best treatment for stage 4 prostate cancer. I’m in Boston and was doing great went from a 326 PSA down to 0.6. But now I’m feeling pains in my stomach and my chest and my shoulder blade on right side. I’m scheduled for a biopsy next week. They found a mass between my 4th and 4th rib.

@makemyday1 I hope you will take advantage or this respite and live your full life now that your numbers have risen and are hopefully feeling better. Cancer is just one part of who we are. Our journey is pretty similar. Things have changed and radiation side effects seem never ending but figuring it out. My physical endurance and strength is slowing returning 3 months post ADT and 7 months post salvage.
Best wishes on your continued recovery.

@soli
It’s true. I’ve been on ADT for almost 9 years, But people I know have absolutely no idea unless I tell them. Even with PC for 15 years, I’m very active. I run on the track a mile twice a day and it probably keeps me energized. I go to the gym three times a week just to build up my muscles which at one point I couldn’t even get off the floor, and now I can. My wife and I go swing dancing almost every weekend, Did it last night. I never get tired doing that.

I am now getting very few hot flashes, I used to get a lot. Many days I get zero or one, And they’re very mild.

I had a prostatectomy 15 years ago. 3 1/2 years later, my PSA started rising, and I Had salvage radiation. 2 1/2 years later, it came back and I went on ADT.

I am on Orgovyx and Nubeqa And it really makes it easy, No side effects from that Nubeqa, It’s even allowed me to reduce the amount of blood pressure medicine I need because of Zytiga.

I do watch what I eat very few carbs and sweets no deli meats or red meat, But even with those rules, you can have steak once a month and not worry about it.

I’ve had four reoccurrences and I’ve been Castrate resistant for six years, Going on almost 2 years undetectable. I do have BRCA2 so someday it’s going to come back.

I’ve had this so long I really don’t worry about it. It’s not something I think about.. With the proper treatment, you can live until you die of something else. I’m almost 78 And I don’t look or feel that old. I know there are drugs and treatments. I can take one when what I have now fails.

PC can be scary, but you just have to live your life.

@chippydoo, very positive! Thank you. I had a biopsy done in Dec 2021 when this whole thing started. Was told I had “tiny cancer”, Gleason 3, and it wouldn’t be a problem to just monitor a few things. Got Dr Walsh’s book on Surviving Prostate Cancer which probably saved my life, and began my PC education. Decided a 2nd opinion was warranted and picked an up and coming prostate cancer research center in Virginia where I live. To make a long story short, my next biopsy six months later was targeted to an MRI overlay to pull samples from a very hot tumor they found high and on the backside. That was July 2022. A week later my Urology Oncologist called with the bad news, and some good news. Gleason 9, probably contained. Surgery ensued, cancer undetectable for one year, then faced with salvage radiation. I thank God I didn’t listen to my first urologist, otherwise, I’d not be writing this in all likelihood. My surgical biopsy showed containment of my cancer at Stage 3, 75% Gleason 4 and 25% Gleason 5, 11% of the prostate. I’m lucky, I have good people watching over me, and taking all this for granted won’t work for me. So thanks for your thoughts and best wishes, and just hang in there. It gets better!