CancerCompass message board discussion started by Carol Mac on 4/21/2008 http://www.cancercompass.com/message-board/message/all,23269,0.htm Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT Thu, 24 Jul 2008 00:00:00 GMT http://backend.userland.com/rss RSS.NET: http://www.rssdotnet.com/ My husband had a prostectomy in Feb. ,02,followed by radiation.Two yrs. ago psa spiked to 8,so he started hormone therapy.(he got a shot every 4 months) and psa dropped after 1st treatment.Last yr. it started to creep up and he went on Casodex in Jan.Last week his psa was up to 19,it was 10.8 week before.Has anyone had this situation?(The urologist was very surprised by the psa result).He sees a oncologist on May 5th. Carol Mac Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Hi - yes i am experiancing the same thing currently. I had radical prostate surgery and many nerves wer damaged. My cancer had spread, where they don't know but I have Prostate cancer cells in my body somewhere.I went through chemo treatments then was put on Lupron. One shot every three months. It worked, lowing my PSA to below .1About six months ago my PSA started to raise so my doctor put me on Casodex in addition to Lupron.My PSA went down within the first month but is now starting to rise again. I see my doctor in June and am very anxious about where my PSA will be. My onocologist told me that if my PSA continues top rise he will triple the dose of Casodex. My question is then what? We haven't got that far.Please keep me posted as to your husbands situation as mine sounds very similar.Thanks,Dave David b. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT Your decision to consult an oncologist is certainly a correct one. This result is, sadly, too common. There are other hormone manipulations which may result in psa reversal or stability.  Flutamide, high dose casodex, DES or other feminine hormone treatments, ketoconazole (high or low dose) among others. In addition many men use celebrex, pomegranate extracts (or juice) vitamin D supplementation and diet. A test of his testosterone is worthwhile. I had a seemingly effective LHRH treatment and then discovered my T was at 52 ng, not the optimal, or even minimal, result. Thoosier Tue, 22 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/22/2008 Thoosier wrote:Your decision to consult an oncologist is certainly a correct one. This result is, sadly, too common. There are other hormone manipulations which may result in psa reversal or stability.  Flutamide, high dose casodex, DES or other feminine hormone treatments, ketoconazole (high or low dose) among others. In addition many men use celebrex, pomegranate extracts (or juice) vitamin D supplementation and diet. A test of his testosterone is worthwhile. I had a seemingly effective LHRH treatment and then discovered my T was at 52 ng, not the optimal, or even minimal, result.My husband had a testosterone test last fall and it was down to the level his doctor wanted.He was on the lowest dose of casodex possible. we know the next step may be chemo,but we are trusting our Lord for the what ever He has in store for the 2 of us.Carol mac   Carol Mac Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT My husband is on casodex but only half dose and his psa went from 21.7 to 3.6 and stablilized., I believe it is because he is taking alternative therapies to deal with any possible metastasies. Nothing showed up in tests or xrays but he is starting the Proton Beam Treatment and Loma Linda University. As he was such a high risk we just presumed he had silent mets somewhere and added therapies to deal with this. So far so good but in all cases listed above I would have a biopsy or some form of test to see where the spread is. You cannot wait and see. It is too dangerous. All the best. MMSOn 4/21/2008 Carol Mac wrote:My husband had a prostectomy in Feb. ,02,followed by radiation.Two yrs. ago psa spiked to 8,so he started hormone therapy.(he got a shot every 4 months) and psa dropped after 1st treatment.Last yr. it started to creep up and he went on Casodex in Jan.Last week his psa was up to 19,it was 10.8 week before.Has anyone had this situation?(The urologist was very surprised by the psa result).He sees a oncologist on May 5th.  mmsurvivor Wed, 23 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/23/2008 mmsurvivor wrote:My husband is on casodex but only half dose and his psa went from 21.7 to 3.6 and stablilized., I believe it is because he is taking alternative therapies to deal with any possible metastasies. Nothing showed up in tests or xrays but he is starting the Proton Beam Treatment and Loma Linda University. As he was such a high risk we just presumed he had silent mets somewhere and added therapies to deal with this. So far so good but in all cases listed above I would have a biopsy or some form of test to see where the spread is. You cannot wait and see. It is too dangerous. All the best. MMSOn 4/21/2008 Carol Mac wrote:My husband had a prostectomy in Feb. ,02,followed by radiation.Two yrs. ago psa spiked to 8,so he started hormone therapy.(he got a shot every 4 months) and psa dropped after 1st treatment.Last yr. it started to creep up and he went on Casodex in Jan.Last week his psa was up to 19,it was 10.8 week before.Has anyone had this situation?(The urologist was very surprised by the psa result).He sees a oncologist on May 5th. Sorry that you have not seen a Doctor yet.  If you really want to fight this cancer then get online and read. Doctors put there pants on one leg  at a time just like the rest of us. Some are not up to date on treatments. Just doing what they have always done. I did not want a "sit down and shut up I'm the Doctor" Doctor. My oncologist will actually talk to me. I have been reading about PC every morning since Oct ,1993.   My last psa was <0.03.   GS 4+3  Presently on IHT that's why the low reading.A Primer on Prostate Cancer by Strum, was a good basic info read.God Bless you and good luck.    Br549 Fri, 25 Apr 2008 00:00:00 GMT My husband saw the oncologist on Man and will have bone scan and Cat scan on Fri.The doctor said it is possible no cancer will be found,(he has several patients with elevated psa for years and noting developed as of yet .I also have heard of other cases like this) We are praying this is the case for him.HE will see the doctor on Mon. for the results.If no cancer then they will just monitor him closely.If cancer is found we will discuss treatment at that time. I will let you know.Carol Mac  Carol Mac Wed, 07 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT My husband found out he has cancer in several bones.He will start chemo next month.The doctor said it is a good sign that he has no pain and the major organs are clear.He says this chemo has good results in treating the cancer,it is not curable.WE are trusting God to keep his side effects at a minimum.My computer died on me and my son is letting me use his {he lives above us{ He has access to older model computers and will get me a new one in a couple days.Let me know how you are doing,I will keep you informed.Carol Mac  Carol Mac Tue, 13 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT  On 4/21/2008 David b. wrote:Hi - yes i am experiancing the same thing currently. I had radical prostate surgery and many nerves wer damaged. My cancer had spread, where they don't know but I have Prostate cancer cells in my body somewhere.I went through chemo treatments then was put on Lupron. One shot every three months. It worked, lowing my PSA to below .1About six months ago my PSA started to raise so my doctor put me on Casodex in addition to Lupron.My PSA went down within the first month but is now starting to rise again. I see my doctor in June and am very anxious about where my PSA will be. My onocologist told me that if my PSA continues top rise he will triple the dose of Casodex. My question is then what? We haven't got that far.Please keep me posted as to your husbands situation as mine sounds very similar.Thanks,Dave Just an update on my husband.He will start chemo on the 30th.He will get   taxotele once every 3 weeks(what chemo did you get?) Because the cancer involves the bones he will also get an infusion of a drug called Zometa once every 4 weeks, that is a bone strengthener.The idea is to build up the bones so the cancer can not "eat"into the bones.He will continue the lupron shots.(we are going to attack this monster from every angle,so to speak.) Have you had a bone scan recently? God bless.keep us informed.Carol Mac Carol Mac Tue, 20 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT I had similar problems after external beam radiation and hormones. My psa shot up to 2.39. I was able to lower holistically to 0.55. I wrote a book about it, Advanced prostate cancer and me. It took 6 blood draws and 20 months to get there. Google the book or me.Daniel J. Goldstone skidan Sat, 24 May 2008 00:00:00 GMT First of all, good luck to all of us and may God bless you! We are in a situation which seems to be unpredictable and where results are always given in percentages and maybes. I have had two, four month shots of Lupron and the third is coming at the end of June. My PSA was never that high, 3.0 when started on hormone treatments and after 35 aimed radiation treatments which was supposed to reduce my PSA. I now have metastic leisons to the scapular, which seems to be getting worse. Not sure if it is bone invasion or muscular since I vigorously excercise every day. The radiation took my PSA from 1.0 to 1.4, poor results since all the doctors concluded it would be a local recurrence, which apparently it was not. The Lupron brought it from 3.0 to 1.7 and the next PSA is coming soon. If one has to hate something, this disease would be it. POOKIETRAIN Wed, 04 Jun 2008 00:00:00 GMT