Testosterone check after Radiation and lupron
I am 73 and am ( was ) in good shape. Worked our pretty hard 6 days/ wk. for over 40 years. I had been on TRT for approx.18 months with a T level between 490 and 510 the past year. I was diagnosed with prostate cancer via a prostate biopsy in Feb. of '20. Prostate biopsy had 1 positive out of 12. It was a 3+3 Gleason score of 6. I had a 16 week Lupron injection on April 14th and started 39 radiation treatments on June 10. I had a 12 week Lupron injection on Aug. 4 and the last radiation treatment of Aug.5. My nuclear bone scan, Prostate MRI, Spine MRI and Pelvis/Abdomen CT scan were all negative. I just had my first follow up blood work last week. My PSA was 20 and it is now .2. My medical oncologist gave me orders for my next PSA in 6 months and said that my next Lupron ( 12 week ) shot on Oct. 27 will be the last one. He originally indicated I would be on Lupron for 18 months but this will just get me to 40 weeks. ( fine with me ) My question concerns the fact that he told me he doesn't believe there is any need to check my testosterone level. I thought that was the key reason for the Lupron injections. Has anyone else gone through this process without knowing what your testosterone level has become?
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I would coordinate the tests through my Urologist.
Can I ask where you're having treatment?
At Mayo MN when they confirmed that I had Prostate Cancer my first stop after talking with the Radiation Oncologist was to get the 3 month Lupron Shot.. 2 months after that shot my Radiation Started ..From the Lupron site: "Lupron is a type of hormone therapy for prostate cancer. It works by lowering the amount of testosterone in a person's body, which helps slow the growth of cancer cells. Doctors often prescribe hormone therapies in combination with radiation therapy or following surgery. Feb 18, 2019" It makes sense to me that getting more Testosterone is feeding the tendency to get Prostate Cancer .. There is a balancing act here and certainly it is your life ... but who knows more about success rates from prostate cancer than your Oncology Doctors.. They are part of the team to extend life.
Or he is a tea drinker who has a sense of humor.