1. < Prostate Cancer

Post prostatectomy: What do rising PSA levels mean?

Posted by hoard @hoard, Sep 10, 2019

New to group! Wish I had checked this out 2 years ago while supporting my husband! Now over e years post prostatectomy, wondering what might make psa go from all 0 to 2.6...

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itterac | @itterac | Aug 15, 2023
In reply to @pueblokid1 "How are you feeling after being on Orgovyx? They want me to start taking it, after..." + (show)
@pueblokid1

How are you feeling after being on Orgovyx? They want me to start taking it, after 8 years of being cancer free my psa is starting to rise again

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I did 90 days orgovyx. Lost muscle mass and energy but no other side effects

REPLY
itterac | @itterac | Aug 15, 2023
In reply to @michaelcharles "What is the "testosterone blocking med" that is being added to your tx protocol, if you..." + (show)
@michaelcharles

What is the "testosterone blocking med" that is being added to your tx protocol, if you do not mind my asking?
And what was your Gleason scores?
I was G 9 post RP w/ 90 day postop BCR and just now completing salvage radiation and Orgovyx regimen.
Best wishes for your health.

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Finestride. 7 4/3. Rp 2018. 2 bcr and salvage since

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itterac | @itterac | Aug 15, 2023
In reply to @itterac "What is tes blocking med" + (show)
@itterac

What is tes blocking med

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Finestride is a testosterone blocker. I was 7 4/3 in 2018. Bcr in 2020. Salvage 36 in 2021. Bcr 2022.

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1 reply
mybigdog50 | @mybigdog50 | Aug 15, 2023

I would like to know what does it mean s 068 after a radical prostatectomy. First PSA level came back less than 0.1 second one was used at a different lab second one was used at the VA first one was used by Atrium health LabCorp.

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Moderator
Colleen Young, Connect Director | @colleenyoung | Jun 8, 2023
In reply to @itterac "What is tes blocking med" + (show)
@itterac

What is tes blocking med

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@itterac @michaelcharles
Anti-androgens block the use of testosterone. They attach to androgen receptors on prostate cancer cells and prevent them from using testosterone to grow. Examples of anti-androgens are
Leuprolide (Eligard, Lupron Depot, others)
Goserelin (Zoladex)
Triptorelin (Trelstar)
Histrelin (Vantas)
Degarelix (Firmagon)

Here's more info https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hormone-therapy-for-prostate-cancer/about/pac-20384737

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itterac | @itterac | May 31, 2023
In reply to @michaelcharles "What is the "testosterone blocking med" that is being added to your tx protocol, if you..." + (show)
@michaelcharles

What is the "testosterone blocking med" that is being added to your tx protocol, if you do not mind my asking?
And what was your Gleason scores?
I was G 9 post RP w/ 90 day postop BCR and just now completing salvage radiation and Orgovyx regimen.
Best wishes for your health.

Jump to this post

What is tes blocking med

REPLY
2 replies
pueblokid1 | @pueblokid1 | May 31, 2023
In reply to @michaelcharles "What is the "testosterone blocking med" that is being added to your tx protocol, if you..." + (show)
@michaelcharles

What is the "testosterone blocking med" that is being added to your tx protocol, if you do not mind my asking?
And what was your Gleason scores?
I was G 9 post RP w/ 90 day postop BCR and just now completing salvage radiation and Orgovyx regimen.
Best wishes for your health.

Jump to this post

How are you feeling after being on Orgovyx? They want me to start taking it, after 8 years of being cancer free my psa is starting to rise again

REPLY
2 replies
michaelcharles | @michaelcharles | May 30, 2023
In reply to @kpgnsm "Well let me help you relax. My PSA in the fall of 2008 was 2.4 and..." + (show)
@kpgnsm

Well let me help you relax. My PSA in the fall of 2008 was 2.4 and I had a radical "where they got it all". Two years later the PSA started to rise from the original post surgical >.05 and the decision was made for me to have 40 treatments of radiation in November 2010. It stayed in the .05 - 07 range until the Spring of 2017 when it began to rise (7 years of being good) then in the Fall an Full Body Scan was ordered but it show no detectible spots. It continued to rise until the Fall of 2021 when it was .86 and a Petscan was ordered. It too came back with no detectible locations of cancer cells. In Feb 2022 it has rised to .92 and the urologist said we would look at it in 3 months....we did and it was .94. Then with a retest in December it was 1.92 and I was sent for a PetScan that showed spots on my T4 verterbrae, 2nd rib and in upper right lobe of lung. Decision was made by urologist to send me to radiation oncologist who said he could radiate and KILL all three spots in three sessions. I have completed 2 of the three treatments. In addition the urologist initiated Eligard hormone 6 month shots which I have gotten and I was also sent to a hematologist-oncologist who is starting me in a few weeks on a tertosetone blocking oral medication that will prevent tertosterone from entering and "fueling"the growth of cancer cells. This should put me into somewhat of a remssion for serveal years and when we detect more cancer growth another drug will be started. So it has been 14 years since I first was told I had prostate cancer and I am hoping for 14 more years.

Jump to this post

What is the "testosterone blocking med" that is being added to your tx protocol, if you do not mind my asking?
And what was your Gleason scores?
I was G 9 post RP w/ 90 day postop BCR and just now completing salvage radiation and Orgovyx regimen.
Best wishes for your health.

REPLY
3 replies
itterac | @itterac | May 29, 2023
In reply to @web265 "I wouldn't be too skeptical of that statement. He's not saying if we don't do anything..." + (show)
@web265

I wouldn't be too skeptical of that statement. He's not saying if we don't do anything else..., he's saying you'll likely be able to stay in front of it with treatment.

In that PSA range, the percentage of PET's that come back positive are only 30%

I had a negative PET after RP and rise in PSA, still did the 39 radiation treatments and orgovyx (still on it) at age 60/61. PSA was only .093. That didn't even meet most clinical definitions I can find of BCR yet. I think what those two events tell us is that there simply wasn't enough cancer for the scan to see yet.

On the other hand, take winning that round. The test was negative and that's a good thing.

@Kujokujhawk1978 has some great write ups on next step decision making. You and your treatment professionals might want to have that kind of discussion. Something to the effect of when my PSA reaches (insert number here) we'll scan again. At least that gives you a plan to work. As opposed to leaving with just the open ended statement you have here. If you search some of his posts you'll see what I'm referring to.

After reading what I see here (site wide), I'm at a point where I believe the medical folks and I are likely going to be playing a game of "whack a mole" with my PCa for the rest of my days. I'd love to be wrong! but....I've sort of rallied myself to this being a possibility. Do I think this will take me out? likely not, it's just going to be a PITA going forward.

On the other hand, I have friends with the same grade cancer as me that only did radiation for treatment and have had their PSA stay down for over 10+ years to date. It seems no two cases are exactly alike.

Best of luck to you!

Jump to this post

Thanks so much. Helpful

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web265 | @web265 | May 29, 2023

I wouldn't be too skeptical of that statement. He's not saying if we don't do anything else..., he's saying you'll likely be able to stay in front of it with treatment.

In that PSA range, the percentage of PET's that come back positive are only 30%

I had a negative PET after RP and rise in PSA, still did the 39 radiation treatments and orgovyx (still on it) at age 60/61. PSA was only .093. That didn't even meet most clinical definitions I can find of BCR yet. I think what those two events tell us is that there simply wasn't enough cancer for the scan to see yet.

On the other hand, take winning that round. The test was negative and that's a good thing.

@Kujokujhawk1978 has some great write ups on next step decision making. You and your treatment professionals might want to have that kind of discussion. Something to the effect of when my PSA reaches (insert number here) we'll scan again. At least that gives you a plan to work. As opposed to leaving with just the open ended statement you have here. If you search some of his posts you'll see what I'm referring to.

After reading what I see here (site wide), I'm at a point where I believe the medical folks and I are likely going to be playing a game of "whack a mole" with my PCa for the rest of my days. I'd love to be wrong! but....I've sort of rallied myself to this being a possibility. Do I think this will take me out? likely not, it's just going to be a PITA going forward.

On the other hand, I have friends with the same grade cancer as me that only did radiation for treatment and have had their PSA stay down for over 10+ years to date. It seems no two cases are exactly alike.

Best of luck to you!

REPLY
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