Never, never take your eye and mind off your doctors!

[herb1]

Decided to track the history of my "metastasis" diagnoses 15 years ago. Yes, there was suspicious evidence of an enlarged lymph node by CT and maybe by Prostascint. So every few years my oncologist sent me for a CT and a Tc Bone scan. HOWEVER, when I look at those scans I see they were always (but one) scheduled for a time when my psa was at minimum (<0.1)! Sure, the lymph node was never visible at those times. dUH!! Fortunately, there was ONE CT at a higher psa and that too confirmed that the lymph node issue "had resolved". But six scans a total waste of money, time and X-ray exposure. Am I angry? You bet!

Herb S.

[DFZ4835]

Herb I don't think the size of your lymph node has any connection to PSA. If the lymph node issue resolved it's because of the meds your taking.

Dennis

[herb1 in reply to DFZ4835]

Dennis, I don't agree. First, the lymph nodes "resolve", i.e., get smaller and ultimately too small to see..or they do disappear entirely BUT Lupron treatment (ADT ) is well known to be a cause of such resolution. Assuming the lymph nodes are my only residual cancer (???), they must then be the source of the residual psa, which does increase RAPIDLY when I stop ADT-3. It must be assumed that if I allowed my psa to increase to some unknown figure, e.g., >5?, CT would again see the lymph nodes. Could there be other mets, too? Sadly, sure.

herb