Has this happened to ANYONE?

[drs]

I had brachytherapy at the Mayo clinic April 2008. My PSA never went done and has actually gone up from 3.2 at the time of the proceedure to 6.5 last week. I don't mind telling you I am scared about this. Tomorrow I go in for a bone scan and CT. The doctors fear is that even though i was low with a gleason of 3-4 that it may have gotten outside my prostate and was undetectable.

i guess I am venting because I am scared about what this could mean and wondering if this has happened to anyone else

Thank you

[Putt]

drs

There are probably many on this forum, who have the background and experience to help you with your question, however a great deal is missing concerning your history of your cancer.

Could you provide the basics? Age, when Dx'd, Biopsy? How many cores taken? Gleason score, PSA history, are you seeing an Urologist or Oncologist?

If you do not have any of this information, then you should contact your doctors that were involved with your treatment, and get a copy of all of your test results and reports and start building your own medical file for reference. Using this personal nformation is critical when considering any type of followup, especially when you many be looking at a treatment failure.

[johnT]

Dr,
Actually this is quite common with all treatment options, surgery, radiation, HIUF. No local treatment will work if the PC has already excaped the prostate. It is extremely important that any doctor perform additional testing to attempt to identify if the PC is local or systemic before any treatment is recommended.
The best advice is now to see a prostate oncologst as he is the best equipted to recommend the next steps.
JohnT

[G2e4n3e4]

Hi Drs,

I am not expert in seed therapy, but I myself had my PSA go from 8.4 or 8.6 down to 1.7 and then go up three times in succession to 3.9 after seed implants. So my docs, while not actually declaring the seeds a failure, started me on Lupron hormone therapy, an injection once every 4 months. It is probably too soon to determine how well the therapy is working, but my PSA went down after the first shot to 0.5 from 3.9, the highest after the seeds failed. I have had two shots so far and have not had my PSA tested since the second one. That will come around Dec. 10 to 15. So Lupron, or some other med might be appropriate for you.

By the way, when I saw my urologist for my first Lupron shot, my wife asked him if the cancer had spread. He said yes, locally. That's according to my wife. I do not remember hearing the word "locally", but I'm not too concerned as long as my PSA goes down and stays down. I hope I am not ignoring something, but I am relieved with the PSA drop.

I guess I am taking a long-winded way to say that the kind of treatment that I am getting might work for you.

I second the advice of others here get your medical reports and to see a medical oncologist and get more facts about your case so that you can make an informed decision about what to do next.

Gene in Md

[Replicant]

drs,
I would agree with JohnT that it's time to find a medical oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer.

[Gordy650]

I'm hoping not to burst G2e4n3e4's (or anyone else's) bubble, but my PSA has been undetectable for a long time, since being on ADT. However, the metastatic lesion on my pelvis and the numerous metastatic nodules on my lungs remain and slowly grow.

At this point, I don't give a rat's behind about my PSA.

[G2e4n3e4]

Gordy650,

You raise an interesting point. Can PSA be relied upon to evaluate the amount/spread of prostate cancer? In your case, it apparently cannot. I wonder if you are receiving treatment and, if so, what it consists of.

Gene in Md

[Gordy650]

G2e4n3e4-

I posted in the thread "It It Me Or Is This The Norm" and gave all my gory details.

I'm not a medical professional, so won't answer your question, although, I do have a strong opinion about it.