Is my PSA up? Is treatment failing?

[GolferDan]

Should I be worried about my latest PSA test results!

Diagnosed (metastatic) 4/18/18 PSA: 65.2; immediately started treatment

7/18/18 PSA: 2.8

11/12/18 PSA: 1.3

1/10/19 PSA: 1.1

3/10/19 PSA 0.6

5/11/19 PSA: 0.7

Does that last result mean the treatment isn’t working because the PSA is going up?!

[Hidden]

You may be at the beginning of castrate resistance, but maybe not. You would need to see at least one, probably two more doublings. I know it's easy to say, but don't worry. As you probably already know, there are effective second line ADT treatments available. When I was at this stage, my doctor told me I would need to wait, they wouldn't prescribe second line. When it got to 12, he suggested I wait a little longer. His feeling was that I could be on second line for a long time. He did give me the optiion to start then.

One thing I would recommend, is checking it every month now. Hoping for the best for you.

[GolferDan in reply to Hidden]

Thank you! I wasn’t sure if the jump from 0.6 to 0.7 was significant...my doctor just said when it goes up twice then we are on to the next treatment plan. I was really hoping to get more than a year.

[Hidden in reply to GolferDan]

I just realized I read your chart wrong, I thought your most recent was 2.8, not .7

A change of only .1 is noise. Yes technically it is an increase, but could also be normal fluctuation. I wouldn't even spend a second thinking about that.

You could also continue to check it every 2 months for now in my opinion.

[GolferDan in reply to Hidden]

Thanks! I’m off to try and get some sleep. I appreciate your responses...you’ve been very helpful.

[cathyfongus61 in reply to GolferDan]

Usually antibiotics produce drug resistance and you've got to change the medicine from time to time, and it seems you can't get a complete cure by it, that's how the psa remaining high. However there're natural therapies available to avoid the drug resistance, for instance herbal treatment of diuretic and anti-inflammatory pill, and there could probably others.

[tallguy2]

You will need to watch the velocity of any subsequent PSA increases and move to second line treatment when this takes off.

[j-o-h-n]

3/10/19 PSA: 0.6

5/11/19 PSA: 0.7

It's like missing a putt by an RCH....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 05/30/2019 8:08 PM DST