Is it better to have low psa and higher T or vice versa? Going to mo tomorow, my psa ls 0.1 but T went up 42 to 64. He's gonna suggest a orciectomy again
,I know it. My urologist says lts not nesesary becuase T is produced in 3 differnt parts of the body, not just the balls.
Any answers are helpful.
Your Uro is correct. T is made in testicles. adrenal glands and by prostate cancer cells themselves. Zytiga blocks it in all three places.
It is better to have low PSA and low T. Your T level is not low enough - it will activate your cancer.
Of all the ADT treatments, castration is the cheapest and most effective.. If you have been diagnosed terminal, then why not ? One and you're done..
Some of us have plans between diagnosis and dying. One and you're done in more ways than one. If cheapest is what matters to you, be my guest. I have other priorities.
eh eh sorry, but it's "two"...
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Friday 07/12/2019 5:44 PM DST
I dont get it😳
Fairwind's post: castration -
"One and you're done.."
My memory is fading but if I remember correctly we all started with two... A bit smaller now and our briefs feel more comfortable but I'm sure we all had two...🍒
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Saturday 07/13/2019 10:28 AM DST
Keep me straight John, I left out the dashes, to damn hard to do.🤠
Awwww thanks for that wonderful laugh... I loved it..... You made my day....
If you think you've had trouble with them.... what about poor me?
Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.
j-o-h-n Saturday 07/13/2019 11:03 AM DST
You haven't said what treatment you are taking to lower T. There are a lot of choices, a lot of drugs new and old. Any doctor who tells you it is either/or should be fired. It's completely inexcusable in an MO. Find one that knows about 21st century medicine.
Hi Coffey, I am stage 4 and on lupron, cazodex and bicalutamide. 3 month shot. Thanks for responding.
I'm not an MO, but I know from personal experience that adding Zytiga to Lupron can drop testosterone like a rock into the single digits. It was approved for use in men with Stage 4 hormone sensitive prostate cancer last year. My insurance covers the cost 100%.
You take a couple of pills a day. It worked on me in one week. Maybe faster, but I did two tests one week apart and the Testosterone dropped from 80 to 9. A week later it was 4. No amount of Lupron will do that, because your adrenals continue to produce testosterone. An orchiectomy has the same limit, it doesn't address T production in the adrenal glands, or in some types of prostate cancer cells.
If your MO isn't at least discussing Zytiga (generic name abiraterone) with you then you need to find one who will.
Good luck!
After 9 months of Enzalutamide in EMBARK trial my T went up to 800 then stabilized to normal at 400 6 months after ending therapy. Although therapy quickly brought PSA to near zero I couldn't stand the side effects so quit Enzy trial in April. Prior to starting Enzy T was in the 170 range for unknown period leading up to recurrence and I tried testosterone replacement with Androgel for 12 months or so just prior to BCR. Now exponential PSA curve slowing at 13 and awaiting new imaging trial soon. If no possible currative option after upcoming imaging getting orchiectomy ASAP and being done with doctors visits for now at age 52. Diagnosed and treated 7 years ago and I'm tired of seeing the doctor every 3 months for infinity.
Why on earth would you choose an orchiectomy when you have so many better options. Get a several second opinions before you do something so irreversible as that.
My Medical Oncologist - Professor and Researcher - told me that our goal for T is < 5. In 15 years I have had a little over 120 blood draws. Testing for many things, but always PSA & T. Even today, the two numbers we always look at is PSA & T.
Gourd Dancer
My lab didn't report T values below 20.
You have to order the test for very low T values. It's called Testosterone LC/MS/MS, or sometimes Testosterone MS.
The regular testosterone test produces inaccurate results for any value below 200.
Actual test values which I receive in this area:
Testosterone Tot
hsTestosterone
DHT by LC-MS/MS
Testosterone Free
PSA
FREE PSA
% FREE PSA
Along this line, as my guy is a Researcher, he also tests for Neuron Specific Enolase, PROLACTIN, and DHEA SULFATE. And, 87 other tests, quarterly.....
GD
Thanks Nalakrats, my mo wants t at 20 but my url say as long as my psa is udetetectable its ok, he's not worried about my t at 60
Lots of other questions here.
------is PSA rising
------is Radiation Therapy a possibility
------if PSA is rising how old are you
------if PSA is rising what is your doubling time
------do you have any other underlying significant health concerns (heart disease, diabetes, etc.)
------have you had a PSMA study to locate metastasis
------have metastasis been located by any means
------has Lutetium 177-PSMA therapy been looked into
------has Pharmaceutical Androgen Suppression Therapy been looked into
------would Prostate Cancer Immunotherapy be appropriate
------would a combination of the above be appropriate
I could probably come up with more.
2nd opinions at a major Health Center (if in USA these include University centers, Mayo Clinic, etc. -- look up USA cancer centers on the internet).
just some thoughts,
Rick
Psa is not rising 0.1 but t went up 20 from 42 to 62. Mets have been located by scans, all bone mets.
I missed something ?
No mention of ADT or more background information (maybe archived ?)
Have you an understanding of hot flashes and other permanent side effects of gonadal removal ? Testicle removal will lead to that.
A PSA count of 0.1 is good - was that the nadir ?
Are the PSA and 'T' levels rising together - what is / was the staging and desired result of the proceedure(s) ?
I note others have responded - which is good - I just sensed a different tack might be worth addressing .....
Try estradiol patches , four . 1 mg patches changed twice weekly until T is down below 20 then drop down to three .1 mg patches changed twice weekly. Stop all other tx.
Latest PSA & T
PSA rose more with T < 3 
Another PSA and T Test
