Hi,
So after a bit of a PSA wobble with chemo #6 due on Friday my husband's latest PSA is less than 0.1 from 167 last October.
Is this a good sign? I was really pleased but my husband has made me question what it means as neither of us fully understand
Yes, it is prognostic for longer survival.
Thank you, bottle of wine tonight then!
Ah thank you so much Bill!
Sorry if it was a thick question
PSA was 0.2 on HT before chemo so I think most of the decline is the Prostap ( but either way long may it continue)
Thank you for all your guys support - amazing : )
Yay fantastic!
Happy to hear this good news.🙏👍
🥳
Quite a drop . Now he must keep it there .. Celebration is in order . Great news!
UNDETECTABLE = 😊🌈🍀🙏
Congratulations. So glad that your husband was able to get early systemic treatment for likely micro-metastatic cancer cells.
Gourd Dancer
Great news but it all depends on Gleason grade going forward. Good luck
I agree with Tall Allen that the Psa reduction from 167 to 0.1 is a good chemo result. But afaik, undetectable means Psa < 0.01, and I have never seen anyone say their Psa measured 0.001 or lower, so there is a threshold of detectability, where there could be Pca present, but its at a very low level. I've known men to have Psa 0.01 after an RP, then a year or two later its 0.02, then 0.04 at 6 more months later, then 0.08 at a further 4 months, and this shows that although Psa is low, and amount of Pca is low, its growing quite well and the battle against Pca is far from over, and its time to find where the Psa is being generated if possible, and afaik, there may not be many scans which can show such amount of Pca. But it is also likely that if the Psa is coming from a met away from PG then there's likely to be more mets which are growing, not just one, could be hundreds, all microscopic in size, and having no effect on daily life.
So with Psa at 0.1, sure, a good sign, but what will it be in say 3 months?
It would be extremely unusual but lucky to have Psa steadily decline from 0.1 to the threshold of detectability < 0.01 and stay there for the rest of your dear husband's life, and it would indicate remission has occurred, a very rare thing with Pca.
Basically, most of us here have to live with a chronic disease which we have to get used to and get used to the side effects and costs of keeping it from cutting our lives short.
I hope your man gets a continuing Psa reduction.
Patrick Turner.
Thanks Patrick.
I'm under no illusions but trying to stay in the moment.
Our hospital only measures down to 0.1 and it's less than that, hopefully for a long time
0.1 here 17 months now. On Zytiga since 1st month treatment. I just started Provenge last week. I never thought the number 0.1and the word undetectable would make such a successful impact on my life. Congratulations on your great news. Never give up never surrender. Leo
Will go to the airport and do a ground loop! Let's understand that science is grinding out new therapies all of the time...so with such a low PSA this buys time and that is what all of this is about until we get a cure ..and we will get one...! Enjoy the sunrise, Blue Skies , Grounded Sky King
Good news because that is typically called “undetectable”. Some commented on 0.001 etc., but that is not a worry because they are just referring to “hi-sensivity” PSA test which some labs uses. Having 5-cycle of chemo myself in 2010, y’all should have good outcome for years to come. My guess is that he will be prescribed ADT someday, used to be Lupron and Casodex, but more recently oncologists have been prescribing second generation anti-androgens such as Zytiga. Congratulations and enjoy the next few years, do your bucket lists. Just returned from Indy 500 (one of my bucket list).
Congrats!
Shalom!
awesome response to treatment. Yay. Celebrate.
I was in the same boat almost 5 years ago but a higher PSA of 209...Reached undetectable <0.02 in about 5 months, where it has remained since...My dr told me at that time that I was in the good survival group based on the time it took me to reach undetectable levels...
Sounds like your husband will be around for a long, long time so a bottle of celebratory wine is a MUST
gleason 8 only HT
Congratulations! Took me almost 2 years to get from 59.9 psa to 0.1 Gleason 9, 8 cycles chemo. Lupron, xgeva and 21 months Xtandi.
Well Bill,
Here in Oz we measure Psa down to 0.01, and I've seen many men think everything is just fine, but it isn't. I've never known any relief from the threat Pca poses, and after my initial treatment to inoperable PG the Psa went to 0.08 minimum, with ADT and EBRT, When I paused the treatment to see if it had worked - as advised by a doctor, testosterone came back in about 2 months and Psa lept to 8.8 in following 4 months.
This meant more trying to catch the horse after its bolted, so ADT was continued. In 2010, there was any alternative. I could have just sat in the doctor's office and shit in my pants but that would not have done any good to get any better medical attention. But years later, getting salvation IMRT the radiation colitis caused me to become a shit spraying entity, with liquid poo propelled by gas.
No choice then, and it lasted 2 months. But Psa went down, luckily, but not for long, and bounced back up months later...…..
Since then no more SIPE, ( shit in pants event ). I still managed to avoid stinking up the town while cycling around on a bike.
Enjoy a nice field trip Bill. 
Patrick Turner.
Good for him but the journey has just started, there will be bumps here and there but 3 things are important, attitude, nutrition and excercise. He has joined the family of cancer survivors, something myself and brother is a part of, unfortunately my sister did not make it. So go out and party, celebrate the occasion .
Put on a sexy negligee, dim the bedroom lights, toast each other with a lovely glass of wine and turn on the t. v.
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Thursday 05/30/2019 11:20 PM DST
Undetectable!!
Undetectable again! 
PSA still undetectable
Undetectable PSA with bone lesions? 
Undetectable PSA?
