Question about radiation.....

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 249

Hubby is starting his SRT on July 6th and has asked if you can have further radiation down the road if needed?? (Maybe a year or so later if your PSA starts to go up).

A friend of our neighbour, an elderly man, seems to have periods when he's okay, then a few years later, has more radiation. This has repeated itself about 4 times from what they say, but of course, we know nothing about his Gleason score or anything other than he has PCa.

I was just reading that it takes time for the radiation to have an effect on the PSA. How long is reasonable to wait for it to reach it's lowest point? Nadir?

Thankyou.

Jean

Replicant · Moderator Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 741

As far as I know, you can have external beam radiation to the prostate area one time. Seeds can be repeated, I think, but not external. There wouldn't be much point, in my opinion, after surgical removal and a radiation plan that hits not only where the prostate was, but the surrounding area, where some PCa might be hiding.

I would bet the elderly neighbor is having spot radiation to his bones as a palliative treatment for metastases. Just a guess.

You would want to see some kind of PSA response at the three month checkup after SRT. You would want to see PSA decline to its low point, post SRT, in a time frame of no more than 9 months. (People who have radiation as a primary treatment see it go down slower, since they have prostate tissue left). And optimally you want to see it go down to a level less than 0.1.

I'm not sure though, what to expect in a case like your husband's. At any rate, I do wish him (and you) well, Jean.
_________________
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

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 249

Thanks Replicant,

That was my sense too but wanted some further input before answering him.

Thankyou for the time frame for his PSA going down, we're alll suffering from PSA anxiety here, after his 0.16 result from the hormone therapy.

Bet the neighbours' friend is having palliative radiation, they refer to it as 'flaring up' and then being 'fine after more radiation'. Sounds like bone mets to me too. They said he's had PCa for over 20 years and is fine between 'flare ups'. We should all be so lucky......not that PCa is lucky but you know what I mean. Wink

Thankyou very much for the good wishes, prayers said and fingers crossed.

We too, wish you the best and a very long period of good health!

May good health be just around the next corner for us all!

Jean

davidcliftonpitts · Regular Joined: 19 Jun 2009 Posts: 11

[quote="Jean222"]Thanks Replicant,

That was my sense too but wanted some further input before answering him.

Thankyou for the time frame for his PSA going down, we're alll suffering from PSA anxiety here, after his 0.16 result from the hormone therapy.

Bet the neighbours' friend is having palliative radiation, they refer to it as 'flaring up' and then being 'fine after more radiation'. Sounds like bone mets to me too. They said he's had PCa for over 20 years and is fine between 'flare ups'. We should all be so lucky......not that PCa is lucky but you know what I mean. Wink

Thankyou very much for the good wishes, prayers said and fingers crossed.

We too, wish you the best and a very long period of good health!

May good health be just around the next corner for us all!

Jean[/quote]

OH Jean before you start.
At Methodist hospital in Houston ( and other places etc) they say with TOMOTHERAPY IMRT radiation you can reradiate. This is what i read...
please check it out online or call about it maybe this can help.
Best of luck and my prayers... LETS DEFEAT THIS CANCER!!!

Jean222 · Senior User Joined: 14 Dec 2008 Posts: 249

Thankyou Davidcliftonpitts,

We're not at the start of this journey, we're well into it and not fairing as well as hoped.

My Hubby has had a RP, hormone therapy and is about to start SRT in July.

We're just trying to save his life at this point, buy time for something wonderful to come down the pipe and hope that he's still well enough for it to work on him.

Thanks for your input, good wishes and prayers.

Jean

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