How long to ride the Lupron train after salvage RT?

[G9doingfine]

Hi all !

Any thoughts on stopping Lupron before a 2 year post Radiation schedule ?

I have had 5 injections thus far and psa has been undetectable for over 1 year . Current ONC said I could stop here (at what will be 15 months at least of HT) and then see if the radiation worked.

I am in favor of this (stopping) but have another 2 months to decide before the next Lupron shot is due .

Is there a real benefit to staying the course for the full 24 months ?

Thoughts ?

Thanks !

[Tall_Allen]

Yes, there is a real benefit to sticking with it. For high risk men, DART 01/05 showed that 28 months improved survival over 4 months. Another randomized trial showed that 18 months was equivalent to 36 months - but it did not include escalated radiation doses. You only get one shot at this - you can't stop ADT now and restart ADT later and hope for a cure.

[G9doingfine in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks Allen . I appreciate the reply as always.

So , do you believe 18 months is enough ? (If 18 is equivalent to 36 months??, then would it be as effective as 24 months as well ??? Or no ?)

Darn ! I was really looking forward to the new year with no Lupron . What about other issues like brain function , or development of resistance ? Are there risks to continuing ?

If a cure is in the cards , I definitely don’t want to lose that possibility . And I’ve already passed the halfway point , I can deal with another 9 months !

Very confused . I thought I read somewhere there was no difference between 6 mo and 18 mo.

G9

[Tall_Allen in reply to G9doingfine]

What was your IMRT dose to the prostate and to the whole pelvis?

[Schwah]

My MO says there are no definitive studies although it appears that 18 months is as good as 36 so I’m stopping at 18. I think .....

Schwah.

[Stevemarr]

My oncologist said bad things could happen after stoping. Know not everyone agrees.

[charlesmeyers1964]

when my testronte was to 3 i stopped my lupron/eliguard shots for about a year then i went back on them. my oc wanted me to be on them forever and i refused. if the normal male has 300-600 and mine was 3 i said enough is enough for now. it robs u of bone the shot hurts and why continue its your body. u don't have to follow the oc all the time get informed and make your own decision.

charlie

[Hidden]

Why stop? Listen to your Oncologist. However, if you do decide to go against the grain, have monthly PSA tests and restart the injections immediately as your PSA rises or the bastard will take you down.

Gourd Dancer

[billyboy3]

I disagree for a number of reasons, one of them being your well being while alive. There is no question that continuous HT does incredible damage, and a primary reason to go onto combo IHT is to both reduce the severity of those many side effects, coupled with a major one of giving your body a chance to heal and rebuild for another round. Both mentally and physically. I have seen too many men quit HT as they wear down, whereas those, including me, who are on IHT, have a much higher quality of life and are in better condition to embark upon a longer battle.

It is often not considered/or minimized in treatment options, the quality of life remaining, and I believe this to be wrong. For advanced guys with no cure possible, I think the impact on health must be considered in the equation.

[WayneSC]

I am with a large MO group and Urology group in Charleston, SC and state of the art here is 36 months of Casodex & Lupron. 17 months in and PSA is undetectable and T is

4.5. 39 treatments of external beam radiation after RP and rising PSA. Original diagnosis was Gleason 9.