PSA flare during chemo

[easeytiger]

Hi. Just wanted to ask if anyone has experienced a sudden jump in PSA during treatment? My first blood result showed a drop with the second going up significantly. (Pre chemo 50 , 1st 35, 2nd 112). Bone showing improvement and other functions good.

[Bob10]

Hi I never had a flare up during my chemotherapy..but my PSA started off lower ..so that may be something

[Dachshundlove]

Hi easeytiger:

I’ve read about this phenomenon happening multiple times on this site. No personal experience with chemo, but based on what I’ve read, one can experience a rise in psa due to cell death.

Good luck— I hope the chemo is very successful!

[Pierreb]

Hi. I've definitely read on here that during chemo PSA can jump due to dying PCA cells. I believe the dead cells are released in to the blood stream and then show up during PSA measurement. I believe this is sign that the chemo is working.

[RustyDakota]

My doctor warned me that it could happen. But it didn't happen to me either time I did chemo.

[greatjohn]

everybody's body's different....

That said.. I do like to hear from other folks. In my case my PSA on Chemo started it's best downward moves...and by the end of it was at it's lowest point. I (and doctors) had hoped it would keep going down a while....but, alas, it, pretty quickly, got a "helium" refill and started back up....But, like above, mine was in lower digits. I have heard about cancer cells dying and "giving off" PSA. Mine is going up again now (on Xtandi) and I am hoping it's cells dying off. MY ONCOLOGIST ASSISSTANT POOS AT THAT AND ROLLS HER EYES. HE IS BLANK FACED WHEN I MENTION IT...so...

I just keep repeating.."it's not over until the fat lady sings".

wish you the BEST from the treatment.

gJohn

[HB1966]

Hi,

I had 6 cycles in 2016. PSA before chemo was 16, then 6, then 12, then 20, then 10, and finally 18. Not really going down. The values ​​fluctuated a lot. But the CT has shown a successful treatment at all.

Regards

[SsamO]

I had a down, up, down, up, and finally higher than I started response in PSA..., not what I was expected. My MO warned of chemo failure after my third infusion and gave me the option to continue or to change treatments.

If I may ask how did your MO explain the "flare" to 112?, and what tests did you have that determined "Bone showing improvement and other functions good" ?

Best S.

[easeytiger]

As I haven't had a CT scan yet, I assume he is going on bloods to guage bone health with othe functions liver etc being within normal margins, but his words were 'as expected the PSA has flared to 112'. I wasn't expecting this and this news has hit me sideways although I'm fully aware PSA is only one Indicator. The CT scan in a few weeks will show more.

[NPfisherman]

What has your ALP--Alkaline Phosphatase done??

Fish

[easeytiger in reply to NPfisherman]

142 U/l

[NPfisherman in reply to easeytiger]

Before and after values....Is it getting lower??

[easeytiger]

They were 309 U/l in April, before radiotherapy and chemo. So yes, reduced. I believe 30-130 is acceptable.

[Hidden]

Question tiger..... did you stopped Lupron/Eligard while taking chemotherapy?

GD

[easeytiger]

My weapon of choice is Firmagon. No continued injections

[Hidden]

I am glad to see others had the same negative results from Chemo (presume Docetaxel). I suspect that the mode of action is NOT as per the book - at least for most patients, and there needs to be a better understanding of which patients will be helped, and which ones will suffer. It has a very bad survival rate, and a very bad idea when safer options are available. In my case I noticed a doubling (or more) of the cancer cells after about 4 to 7 days, and I wondered how this could be if the chemo was supposed to kill. I eventually (after 4 rounds and a close call) figured out that the MAJOR effect going on was little or no "kill", but a total trashing of my immune system (which has taken 2 years to recover), and thus the cancer cells were free to multiply unopposed. My Onco pointed to a PSA of 2 and a "great success", but that soon started doubling every 4 days as my immune systems started to recover and kill cells again. There was almost nothing to stop this rampant growth. I was a mess. IMPORTANT! The PSA reading is NOT a measure of the number of cancer cells, but a reading of HOW MANY ARE BEING KILLED. Trashed immune system = Low PSA = False "cure". The PSA has a half life of about 2 and a half days, so a reading of 10 would drop to 5 (if no other factors), and 2.5 after 5 days. Thus you can get a rise in PSA when there is a real kill-off, and you need to wait a few days to get the new "steady state" reading which is a better reflection of what is going on. My life was saved by a combination of Xtandi and Vit C via IV, and that had the PSA down to just about nothing after 6 weeks or so - and it stayed low for 18 months. Xtandi kills nothing, but doubles (or more) the kill of Vit C. A maintenance dose of 1 x 40mg Xtandi capsule per week (before 25gm IV) is a lot more affordable too, and zero side effects. This unknown mechanism needs to be explored, as it may also work with other kinds of cancer.

[Hidden]

Docetaxel...my psa went from .15 after first round and ended at 2.19. One month later it was 10.55.

I began Cabazitaxel combined with Xtandi (trial) and currently after 3 session it is 1.55.

[easeytiger in reply to Hidden]

How did these numbers correspond with scans? My medonc seems much more interested in seeing what the CT reveals.

[Hidden in reply to easeytiger]

My scans were good! Showed no growth of mets.

[easeytiger in reply to Hidden]

But no reduction in Mets?

[Hidden in reply to easeytiger]

No growth and it looked like one possible reduction.

[monte1111]

I had an alkaline phosphatase flare. About 160 something to a little over 200. Gradually down to about 68 over 2 years. Jumped 26 points last month. Nurse said it is still within range. Getting scans in July anyway so will see if its just a fluke.