To John W

I had prostate surgery,some margin involvement.The Path's gleason was 9.I had 36 radation treatments ending 11/06.Psa went to .001.In June 2007 psa went to 1.8 and lupron was started.In September psa was.08 and cassodex was started.I do NOT like what this is doing to me,hot flashes etc.The 2 bone scans show nothing.What are you taking that will help me? 

 

On 10/29/2007 rbr123 wrote:

I had prostate surgery,some margin involvement.The Path's gleason was 9.I had 36 radation treatments ending 11/06.Psa went to .001.In June 2007 psa went to 1.8 and lupron was started.In September psa was.08 and cassodex was started.I do NOT like what this is doing to me,hot flashes etc.The 2 bone scans show nothing.What are you taking that will help me? 

Hot flashes and severe symptoms usually reduce in severity over time.

Factors that trigger flashes can be hot drinks, coffee, alcohol, viagra, poor ventilation, intense exercise.

Things believed to help are soy and red clover products / supplements, staying as active as possible, diet, change in medication, intermittent treatment.

Have you obtained information about Dr Myers book on the subject?

My diet is similar to the mediterranean diet he suggests. I have red clover tea, green tea, and take supplements, selenium, and Vitamin D and the immune mixture of astragogalus, olive leaf, mushroom. This is believed to be good for the heart and prostate.

 

With a gleason 9 and a positive margin you should have been started on ADT and irradiation concurrently and ADT should have been continued for two years at least.  Your PSA is still low and should have been monitered for longer.  Have you been restaged at all?    Combined androgen ablation has shown some increased benefit but the QOL is much less, so there is a tradeoff.   When the PSA starts to rise , I would like to document where the disease is located as if it is in the Lymphnodes it may still be salvageable.  Jumping on a rising PSA too soon could eliminate some options.

I have not been restaged since surgery.At the time of surgery I had no lymph node or seminal vessicle involvement.What are you calling ADT? Is it cassodex or lupron or both? I feel fine but always have,A very masking disease