Rising PSA (36 -->240 in 9 weeks)

g4isa · New User Joined: 23 Jun 2009 Posts: 1

I'm trying understand how advanced my fathers cancer might be. His PSA has gone up quickly in the last few months.

Recently the PSA was 36
6 weeks later it was 99
less than 3 weeks later it was 240

I don't know a lot. I do know there is cancer in the bone and the hormone treatment to keep the PSA level down has stopped being effective.

He has elected to have not have any further medical intervention. What can I expect from here on out? What resources do you suggest to educate me?

Many thx.

Replicant · Moderator Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 741

g4isa,

There aren't many "regulars" here who know about the intricacies of advanced prostate cancer. However, Johnw100 should have some solid information for you.

It's difficult if your dad has turned away from medical treatment. I think everyone here will agree that optimally, he should be in the care of a medical oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer, or at least urologic oncology.

Sometimes when a man appears to be failing to respond to hormone therapy, a change of strategy can work--stopping a medication, restarting a medication, trying one that acts in a different way. If he's truly no longer responding (hormone refractory) then chemo is usually the next step.

If his cancer is truly no longer responding to hormone therapy, and he doesn't want chemo, I would imagine that he will still need medical care, to manage pain if nothing else.

I would encourage you to visit the Prostate Cancer Infolink Social Network at http://prostatecancerinfolink.ning.com/ . There is a group on that site, "Hormone Suppression", and they should be able to give you more information.

If it were my father, I would try to get him to see a good medical oncologist, and make sure that all avenues were being explored.

Best wishes.
_________________
Replicant

Dx Feb 2006, PSA 9 @age 43
RRP Apr 2006 - Gleason 3+4, T2c, NXMX, pos margins
PSA 5/06 <0.1, 8/06 0.2, 12/06 0.6, 1/07 0.7.
Salvage radiation (IMRT) total dose 70.2 Gy, Jan-Mar 2007@ age 44
PSA 6/07 0.1, 9/07 (and thereafter) <0.1
http://pcabefore50.blogspot.com

johnw100

[quote="g4isa"]I'm trying understand how advanced my fathers cancer might be.
less than 3 weeks later it was 240
I do know there is cancer in the bone and the hormone treatment to keep the PSA level down has stopped being effective.
He has elected to have not have any further medical intervention.
Many thx.[/quote]

Many incorrectly think that when PSA reaches a relatively high number, (eg in the hundreds) one only has only days or at best weeks remaining.

That is not neessarily the case: Dr Myers in his book that is often mentioned here gives several case studies with PSA figures of 1026 to 3905. There are a number of methods that can continue to work

In any event, I certainly agree with Replicant's suggestion of consulting a medical oncologist, which is what I would be doing.
You can obtain more information on Dr Myers approach from the website prostateforum.com
There are other alternatives.

No one knows the answer to your question, and especially without full details, it's difficult to know how advanced your fathers cancer is.

In the meantime, as he has decided to not have any more medical treatment, unless he has a change of heart, do your best in suppporting his decision.

janeytee

My father's latest PSA is 3084 but he also has Alzheimer's Disease and therefore in a nursing home. The nurses there though have never seen a level this high before.

Very best of luck
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DAD'S LATEST PSA IS 3084 + HAS ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

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