Hormone Treatment Experience

My PSA score dropped in one month?

I had my PSA taken a month ago at Houston Metro Urology and it was 8.1

Today at MD Anderson it was 6.6

Don’t understand how it dropped with out doing anything or receiving any treatment or meds for PC

Any thought appreciated

Mark H

PSA bounces up and down. You're still in the same rough range (let's call it "5–10"): maybe before the first test you'd recently ridden a bike, or sat in an uncomfortable chair, or engaged in certain intimate acts, or who-knows-what. It's the trend that matters, and fingers crossed that it continues downwards for you!

There really isn’t an ADT light, The purpose of ADT is to drop your testosterone as close to zero as possible. Every single ADT drug does exactly that. With zero testosterone, the prostate cancer has nothing to grow with so it stops growing and in many cases shrinks. By ADT lite he may mean altering ADT instructions so you stop and start the drugs reducing the testosterone drop,

The alternative to hormone therapy is to use the Estradiol patch. It still drops your testosterone, but it doesn’t affect the heart as much, It doesn’t affect the desire as much and you get Fewer hot flashes. You can search patch study if you want more information.

I’ve been on ADT for eight years and it really has not affected my actual daily life, Other than the fact that I now exercise by walking on a track twice a day and going to the gym three times a week the rest of my time is quite normal for 15 years with PC.

Just some information so you know ADT possibilities

Due to their different mechanisms of action. ADT which includes Orgovyx, Firmagon, Lupron, Eligard, Prostap, Camcevi, Lucrin, Zoladex, Trelstar, Pamorelin, and Decapeptyl can cause numerous side effects. Actually due to a lack of testosterone.
Hot flashes
Fatigue
Muscle deterioration
Bone weakening
Brain fog
Depression
Weight gain
Difficulty in breathing

Not all of these side effects occur to everyone on the drugs. Most of them are just things you have to be aware of and circumvent. I walk on the track twice a day, 1 mile at least, to help prevent bone weakening, fatigue and muscle deterioration. I also go to the gym three days a week (usually) and spend an hour with all different types of weight exercises. One thing that happens is people get a beer belly from the muscle deterioration, I do a lot of sit-ups to offset that.

Some people get depression but it is not common. It is easily treatable, according to people that have reported it on here and on Online Meetings I have participated in. If he has that problem Come back and ask for help, Or see a psychiatrist about doing something to relieve the depression.

Some people get no hot flashes at all. Others only have a few hot flashes and they are very minor. I had severe hot flashes for the first year on Lupron. As a hot flash was hitting I would feel a lot of fatigue. After a year, my oncologist prescribed a depo-provera shot every three months and it really stopped those hot flashes on Lupron. There are other hormones that can do this, speak to your doctor.
I know one person that says eating tofu every day really controlled his hot flashes, another person in this forum said the same thing. Can’t hurt to try it.

According to a doctor that spoke to a recent webinar, all people on ADT should be taking bone straighteners. I took Fosamax for six years and I’m now on Zometa. That along with calcium taken daily helps keep your bones strong. Ask your doctor about this.

I have never gained any weight while on ADT. I get on the scale every morning and base what I eat on what I weigh. Skip lunch at times.

Thanks Jeff. All very helpful information. I sort of knew that there was a silver bullet that made it easy, I see from your comments it takes commitment and focus to keep it all in balance

Mark

sorry....not a silver bullet that made it easy! Mark

@mhordes
I did not have hormone treatments. They were first recommended when my original Biopsies were intermediate risk. I had the Decipher test and it came back low risk, so my R/Os dropped the need to do hormone treatments. In addition to Decipher I had the PSMA and bone scans all negative.

Even though I did not have hormone treatments can I asked what Altera AI? I have not read that term and would like to know.

Somebody’s talking to themselves. Do you need to see a doctor?

Of course the 'ADT light' will be explained by the MO. I have seen ST-ADT and LT-ADT. Short term might be as low as 6 months and Long term ADT 18-30 months.

ArteraAI (I assume you mean ArteraAI and not AlteraAI) is a genetic test to determine whether someone has a biomarker that indicates he would or would not benefit from ADT. I had this test in my diagnostic phase and the test was positive so I went on a 6 month regimen of Orgovyx, 2 months prior to proton treatment, then during 25 sessions of PRT and then after. I finish the Orgovyx next week.

I have had hardly any issues with the Orgovyx. Some very short term warm flashes. I say warm as I don't get very hot, break our sweating or anything, just get a little warm for 10 - 15 minutes. This seems to have gotten a little more common as the treatment has gone on, but still not often and does not affect my daily life in any way. The only other noticeable side effect is a loss of libido. Since I don't have a partner that hasn't been an issue either, although I have been on a couple dates recently and when kissing good night the hardware was working fine.

Although I will be glad to finish ADT, if my care team thought 6 months more would be beneficial I would have no qualms about continuing on.

Yesterday I had nine hot flashes. This is after being on ADT for eight years. At least seven of those my head and face were totally soaked and my chest got wet. I’m getting a Depo-Provera shot as soon as possible, it really controls the hot flashes when on ADT, not so much if I also need Zytiga.

At night my Wave 2 device stops the night sweats, I used to get them almost every night. When the daytime hot flashes are this strong the device can only help minimally. When I get a milder hot flash. the device does stop them. That’s why it only works well for some people, they don’t realize the benefit of It at night.

Have you noticed that even a little bit of stress will bring on a hot flash. I guess it’s fortunate. My life is pretty much stress free. Then you watch the news!!!

I am on Orgovyx