What was your PSA after salavage radiation therapy and ADT?

Exactly what I did Yes PSA went down to <.01 for 3 years Then they took me off it Damm My PSA went to 26 and I NOW have Stage 4 castrate sensitive metastatic PC in my spine L2 lumbar was nuked 2 five-minute hits and then back on Zolodex PSA dropped to 1.2 for 2 years Rising a tad now to 4.22

Meeting oncologist Stay on Zolodex injections. Advocate for your self

May go on Enzalutamide but prefer not

I'll start with my usual caveat, I'm not a dr, just a patient who's done a lot of reading. Hopefully, those more knowledgeable will join in soon. I wanted to get you a response to hope calm fears a little.

PSA of 38 seems pretty high to me, but I've read of a LOT higher at initial diagnosis. Having said that, this type of cancer is typically somewhat slow going so just based on the information given, there's likely some time to formulate the best response.

My belief would be that the hormone therapy right now, is primarily to create more time by slowing the cancer spread. Testosterone is believed to be food/fertilizer for prostate cancer so the theory is that by removing/reducing that hormone we can slow the spread.

My guess is it is likely that they will discuss the need for further treatment response after that gets started. Selecting from the various treatments available depends on a lot of factors. Since the cancer is already out of the organ, my guess would be hormone and radiation may likely be the go to, but, it could also be a form of drug therapy.

A lot goes into the treatment decision such as general health, age, etc.. It's also a great idea for the patient and family to get as much information as you can and be an integral part of the decision process. The patient will have to deal with any quality of life issues caused by the selected treatment.

Left unchecked, any cancer can be life threatening but it sounds like your father is on his way to treatment options. I was told by my doctors that most men that get this pass away WITH prostate cancer as opposed to FROM it.

I'll end with, I think you've come to the right place. There's a lot of information and a lot of folks who have done a great deal of research on the topic. Best of luck to you and your father!

@heal623 , I am sorry your father has received this unwanted news. The first recommendation I have is for you both to stay as positive as possible and remain patient. Educate yourself as much as possible . The Prostate Cancer Foundation (pcf.org) has a very good free patient guide (available in print or as a download) and suspect other organizations do as well.

Starting out with metastatic cancer and a PSA of 38 is indeed scary but is not necessarily life threatening at this time. About four years ago (January 2019),when i was 72, I started with a PSA of 197. By the time I saw a urologist it was 541. Treatment progression was bicalutimide followed by Eligard (Lupron) injections every six months. 44 external beam radiation treatments, nzoleddronic acid injections every three months, enzalutimide for a year (PSA came down reasonably well then started back up). Started radium223 for five treatments. Then five docetaxel treatments. PSA came down to 27 at the end of July 2022. We felt good. Then it started back up. Tried enzalutimide hut I did not tolerate it well this go-arounf. Last PSA check on 10/19/2022 was 1011. We just gompleted a round of scans (bone, CT and MRI). I get the results at 9 am today and we will develop a new treatment plan for the future.

Why so much detail? I think it is important to remember that while we all have prostate cancer, we all have our own prostate cancer. Each case is unique and needs to be treated according. Please do your research so you can ask good questions and you can understand what is being proped. Don't be afraid to question and seek clarifications. Don't be afraid to seek a second opinion. Be sure you are comfortable with you team (PCP, urologist, oncology, radiation oncologist) and know who is the principle play called and who is the quarterback. You are an integral member of the team. Ideally you are the quarterback.

This a long journey you are starting, stay positive, stay patient, educate yourself. Continue to do things that bring enjoyment and are fulfilling. Go to your coffee club, work on your craft projects, travel if you enjoy it, rely on friends and family. I find prayer to be very powerful

Goof luck on this journey. You have NOT, in my opinion, received an immediate death sentence. There can be many beautiful years ahead. Take care of yourself as a caregiver and take care of your father the patient.

I hope this is of some help.

I am 72 years of age & was diagnosed with Gleason 7(4,3) prostrate cancer in July 2022 even though my PSA was 3.9. Underwent Bone scan & MRI scans & fortunately there were no signs cancer had spread outside the prostrate. My oncologist thinks that I am a good candidate to undergo Robotic Prostrate Surgery. I am quite healthy & do not have high BP & not diabetic. I am only worried about the surgery considering my age. Should I go ahead with the surgery & is it safe. Also what are the chances of Cancer reoccurring after a few years & the approximate survival rate after surgery. Will appreciate advice on my concerns

I am 72 years of age & was diagnosed with Gleason 7(4,3) prostrate cancer in July 2022 even though my PSA was 3.9. Underwent Bone scan & MRI scans & fortunately there were no signs cancer had spread outside the prostrate. My oncologist thinks that I am a good candidate to undergo Robotic Prostrate Surgery. I am quite healthy & do not have high BP & not diabetic. I am only worried about the surgery considering my age. Should I go ahead with the surgery & is it safe. Also what are the chances of Cancer reoccurring after a few years & the approximate survival rate after surgery. Will appreciate advice on my concerns

I had my prostate removed at age 71. That was 11 years ago. The surgery went pretty well, however, you have to be prepared for the possibility of ED and incontinence postoperatively. I didn’t have any problem with incontinence, thank goodness, but ED has been a problem going forward. Unfortunately my cancer was metastatic which we found out by checking lymph nodes after surgery. Consequently, I will be fighting this disease for the rest of my life. I would think that you stand a pretty good chance of doing well, postoperatively and especially if it hasn’t metastasized.