Last PSA Number Before Cancer Diagnosis?

Did you also consider zytega, and are you off ADT and in what’s considered remission?

Mine was 5.5 rose to 12 had proton 34 fractions on adt + zytega PSA undetectable < .10. Had BCR in 03/25 two lymph nodes lit up psma/pet, however the prostate did not light up, proton killed off the tumors: 1)G6 2) G7 3) G8 total of 3 of 12 adenocarcinoma currently undergoing 25 fractions of targeted imrt for the Mets. Will continue with orgovyx plus aberaterone for 18-months. PSA currently < .10 undetectable.

I'm 62 - You are doing well. I was 4.2 roughly when I did Operation 4.5 years ago . Man !!! , seems like so long ago ! Your PSA is now (less than ) 0.1 ? Does yoru lab only go down to 0.1 ? Could you get a more detailed figure on your PSA ? ( as it can fluctuate quite a bit under 0.1 ) . Keep us informed of what yoru next PSA report says . You are on the right track Sir ! . Whats your age ? Can you give us an idea what your Pathology had to say ? James on Vancouver Island .

Zytiga was not available when I was diagnosed (it was a while ago). I've been off ADT for 2+ years--undetectable PSA but still have low Testosterone. I never used the word remission. I said my PSA is undetectable.
By the way, here's the interaction with my Urologist at the time a nodule was discovered on my prostate (showing why patients need to be active participants) :
Urologist: I feel the nodule but your PSA is very low so you don't have prostate cancer. Come back in 6 months and get another PSA.
Me: What if my PSA in 6 months remains very low?
Urologist: Then I'll do a biopsy.
Me: So what's the point of waiting 6 months and getting another PSA if you're going to do a biopsy regardless of the result?
Urologist: I guess you're right.
Biopsy was done and cancer was detected.

Zytiga was approved by the FDA in 2011. Were you really diagnosed before then? I was diagnosed in 2010, but didn’t start Zytiga until 2021 when I became castrate resistant? Back in 2010 I had surgery and they figured I didn’t need ADT since my PSA was low. My Gleason score was low, And I didn’t have a recurrence for 3 1/2 years.

Of course, nowadays, they want people on Zytiga along with ADT to prevent castrate resistance from occurring early. But even now people with a low Gleason score and no spread outside the prostate frequently don’t get even ADT after treatment if they have surgery.

It’s good to hear your PSA is staying undetectable. How many years has it been since treatment? I’ve heard from people that have gone 20 and 30 years undetectable with a Gleason nine after having surgery.

I was diagnosed in 2008 and had an RP (at UCSF) back then. My PSA initially after surgery was undetectable but started creeping up very slowly so, by 2022, it was above 0.2. I had 37 radiation treatments in 2023 (also at UCSF) plus 5 months of Orgovyx, about 2 years ago.

Congratulations it’s sounds like you are out of the woods so to speak. Best of luck going forward.

Thanks. Sounds like your PSA is good too.

I had kidney cancer and melanoma in addition to prostate cancer. All were detected early, mostly by good luck, and removed by surgery and partial nephrectomy. I owe a lot to support groups and to my doctors at UCSF.

My advice: keep up with all recommended cancer preventive tests. Some are unpleasant and there aren't tests for everything, but even a colonoscopy (which I have to get every year because of polyps) is only unpleasant for about 24 hours of prep. plus the procedure--beats the hell out of being treated for colon cancer.

Thank you for sharing that story. Similar to mine although your PSA was lower and the PC more advanced. People ask why I did not do radiation and I tell them my Urologist who is a radiation guy said getting to PSA zero would afford a better chance of identifying BCR should it occur with a low PSA producing PC.
I congratulate you on advocating for yourself.

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