Good news from visit at Mayo

[Srbergman]

I had my chloine c11pet scan and MRI November 29th at mayo. They showed that my bone Mets on spine had no cancer.What has been driving up my PSA was the cancer in my prostate and lymph nodes around the prostate area. Dr. Kwon suggested that I have radiation to the prostate and the lymph nodes. He hoped then that we could get my PSA to undetectable. Then hope that I could have a steady remission. He said how prostate cancer can act funny where therapy will work in one area and not in another. By the way PSA did drop from 3.7 to 2.7. However these were done at different labs. Since prior to this my PSA was Rising and my former oncologist said that the zytiga was not working anymore I decided to take 250 mg with breakfast. We will see with next PSA test if this was a difference-maker.

[Tall_Allen]

Mayo is still doing the C-11 Choline PET? I guess they are still trying to recoup their investment. Be careful of using PSA as your sole biomarker when you are "treating PSA" with targeted radiotherapy. You'll want follow-up Axumin scans.

[Srbergman in reply to Tall_Allen]

Yes will have scans again in six months. Tall Allen could it be that no cancer found in my Mets on the spine that maybe they were never Mets to begin with?

[Tall_Allen in reply to Srbergman]

No. The hormone therapy shrinks mets. The fact that they don't show up now proves they were mets.

[Blueslover in reply to Tall_Allen]

Tall Allen

What's wrong with the C11 Choline scan. Although I have had an Axumin scan, after reading Dr. Kwon's work I was impressed and had the impression that the C11 scan was more sensitive for prostate mets. Am I wrong?

[Tall_Allen in reply to Blueslover]

C-11 Choline is yesterday's news, but it required an enormous investment from Mayo. They built a cyclotron to make it fresh.

"In patients with prostate cancer with biochemical recurrence 68Ga-PSMA detected more lesions per patient than 11C-Choline, regardless of PSA levels."

ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articl...

"18F-FACBC [Axumin} can be considered an alternative tracer superior to 11C-choline in the setting of patients with biochemical relapse after radical prostatectomy."

snmmi.files.cms-plus.com/AC...

Here's my evaluation:

pcnrv.blogspot.com/2016/12/...

[Blueslover in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks do much for all this information

[Blount in reply to Tall_Allen]

Please tell me what is wrong with the C11 Choline PET. I am a patient at Mayo and though it was cutting edge technology.

I have real confidence in your judgement and would appreciate your candid and frank opinion.

[Tall_Allen in reply to Blount]

see above

[Blount in reply to Blount]

Very thorough reply. Many thanks.

[GeorgeGlass]

Have you previously done any treatments to the prostate?

[Srbergman in reply to GeorgeGlass]

I have had none. Just Lupron casodex and zytiga

[rscic]

Since you are at Mayo you might consider asking about the more sensitive PSMA studies at the Rochester Mayo. Your PSA is high enough & you might qualify.

[Srbergman in reply to rscic]

Thanks guys for all your help. I have been reading on this site for the last 2 years. Never posted until a couple weeks ago. All the information I get here I find very helpful. You guys are all very knowledgeable and very willing to share your thoughts. You're a great group of guys. I pray for all of us in this unwanted Journey. God bless thanks again.

[TJGuy in reply to rscic]

Yes Mayo Rochester has a clinical trial where you can get a free PSMA along with the Choline scan you pay for. The stated cost of a Choline scan is $16,000 While your insurance may pay like $14K, Cash price is also like $14K. Either way $14k is considered full payment for the scan by Mayo. Your insurance BCBS may ask for a direct call to the Dr or his/her representative for medical need for the scan. Mine refuses to participate in such calls so BCBS denied the claim. Mayo knows this will happen and then files a appeal, mine took 4 months for BCBS to pay in full. Mayo worked with me to push out payment due dates until paid.

They had performed about 50 of these in a year as of mid 2019. They were scheduled to perform about 200 if I remember correctly which should take them some time at that rate. The study was slowed down while the PSMA generation process is being improved.

[j-o-h-n]

Wonderful news.. keep up the good work....

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 12/05/2019 11:25 PM EST