Finished radiation therapy today, how will I know if it worked?

20 years offer my prostatectomy and two years after rounds of cyberknife radiation, I am on systemic therapy, the third attempt to manage the cancer now located in my lymph nodes. The medication I've been prescribed is called "doublet therapy" because it involves the use of a Lupron injection (every three months) and a daily tablet of Erleada. After one month on this my PSA has dropped from 2.9 to .02, so the protocol seems to be working ..for now. If my PSA begins to rise again it seems I'd begin "triplet therapy", which includes cytotoxic medication (chemotherapy). In the meantime, my calcium and PTH levels are abnormally high, so now I'll be seeing an endocrinologist to find out what's going on with my thyroids. Despite all of this I feel blessed, because thus far there is no cancer in my bones ( unless a test from the endocrinologist proves otherwise) and I am not experiencing any discomfort. I can live with that.

I finished my Radiation treatment the end of last August - 25 treatments out side of the prostate and the last 20 in the prostate. I have been on ADT the
whole time now six months later my PSA is .01 and mt testosterone is 13.
I am on Aberaterone and Prednisone and a Lupron Shot every 3 months.
I expect to stay on ADT the rest of the year I take Calcium and Vitamin D
as well and I exercise three times a week - is the Cancer gone? every ones
best guess. I will get an MRI and PT Scan when the Dr. feels the time is right.

John , great work on finishing the EBRT - prostate bed . I had 22 session at 0.14 PSA . I was on no chemicals or ADT though. So your PSA is likely being masked by ATT at this point. However when you are clear of your ATT by at least six months or more, you're not Cheryl floating rate PSA starts to return. Because I had no ADT or chemicals, the doctor said my case did not warrant it as I asked four times. My PSA went from 0.14 when I got my PSA and about a year later it was 0.036. My last PSA was a little bit of a disappointment at 0.058. That was the first one clicked up in the last five. My last five PSA results have been lower and lower and lower. My doctor says he's not worried at all about the 0.058. However, brother, your PSA will start to react to the radiation right away but you don't really notice it until about the one year mark, at least in my case. Keep us in the loop of your progress you're doing great. God bless to you and yours. JAMES on Vancouver island.

What was your Gleason score? Did you get a decipher test to see if reoccurrence is likely?

What was found in your biopsy? Did you have intraductal, cribriform, Perineural invasion or Seminal vesicle invasion (SVI). Some of those can be long term issues.

Around 30% of PC patients have reoccurrences, the rest don’t. Of course those with high Gleason scores are most likely to have reoccurrence.

I hit it twice because my wife wanted me to. Had some anger behind both hits and Rad staff started closing their doors lol.

I am not familiar with some of the things you are
asking- My Gleason Score was 8 my RO said I had
stage three PC he said it was outside the prostate and
in some L. Nodes . I have no Information on the Biopsy
nor no Decipher test. I see my Oncologist later this
month and I will have some questions for him.
Thanks for your response.

Have you had a PSMA pet test. Is that how you found out about the lymph node. If you haven’t had that test you should have that test to see if there are any other metastasis in your body. Unfortunately, the PSMA Pet test can’t see spots smaller than 2.7 mm.

You should ask your doctor for a complete copy of your biopsy. It may be available online you can ask about that. If you were to post it here, we could tell you what issues in your biopsy are important to understand. We can give you an idea about how aggressive your cancer is going to be.

A Decipher test would tell how likely your cancer is to come back, That’s why it is useful to have, if your insurance will cover it.

You watch. You wait. You live.

My cyber knife radiation for prostate cancer was 12-13 years ago. I'm finding that the long term effects of radiation never stops affecting different parts of the body. My urination cycles are every 2 hours night and day and a very slow process----my bowel movements are very irregular
sometimes 2-3 days between---unable to have intercourse for last 10 years---I've developed double hernias which are caused by the long term effects of the radiation so I'm being told---now just in the last 2 weeks my left arm turned black and blue (no injuries) from my shoulder to the elbow and is very sore---an MRI indicates bone deterioration of the bones.
BUT I'M STILL ALIVE!!

You ll be studying this stuff like I ve been for 24 months now. I should have an ASSOC. degree in PCa by now. Jeff mar is the one to chat with. My two pelvic lymph nodes were affected also. ADT meds/ radiation took care of that . PSA -< .01 for a long time now. Always taking calcium supplements for the bones too. That is all. Lol