PSA and Alk. Phosphatase: My father is... - Advanced Prostate...

Advanced Prostate Cancer

21,020 members26,201 posts

PSA and Alk. Phosphatase

Vsahay profile image
22 Replies

My father is getting monthly zoledronic acid inj. since Nov 2019 after his PSA began to rise.However ,this month his psa lowered from 23(last month) to 21 while alk. Phosphatase rose from 130(last month) to 179. What does this signify?

He is also taking abiraterone 250mg 4 pills a day along with prednisone 10mg.

No new medicine apart from zoledronic acid inj has been added.

Written by
Vsahay profile image
Vsahay
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
Read more about...
22 Replies
tango65 profile image
tango65

It. could be an indication the cancer is progressing. I f there is an increasing trend of the Alk Phosphatese, he will need to be studied with a bone scan. if the disease is progressing, they could change prednisone to dexamethasone and see what happens. If it continues to progress it will be an indication that abiraterone is failing and he could be treated with cabazitaxel. He could also be treated with Provenge.

Best of luck.!!

Vsahay profile image
Vsahay in reply to tango65

Thanks for the response.We also have docetaxel as an option as he hasn't undergone chemo yet.

Can we try xtandi if abiraterone fails??

tango65 profile image
tango65 in reply to Vsahay

He could, but it seems it is more beneficial to do cabazitaxel first.

Vsahay profile image
Vsahay in reply to tango65

Any possible side effects if he switches from prednisone to dexamethasone?

tango65 profile image
tango65 in reply to Vsahay

I believe it should not be changes.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

Try adding Celebrex along with the zoledronic acid for an increase in survival of 22%. Send this link to his oncologist:

ascopubs.org/doi/full/10.12...

As prostate cancer progresses, it sometimes puts out less PSA. Bone alkaline phosphatase is another biomarker for prostate cancer when it is in the bone.

How long has he been taking Zytiga?

Vsahay profile image
Vsahay in reply to Tall_Allen

He has been taking zytiga since 1.5 years but PSA began to progress in nov 2019.I am unable to understand how his psa decreased this month😓

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply to Vsahay

Read my reply above.

Daddysdaughter profile image
Daddysdaughter in reply to Tall_Allen

Hi Allen! Miss my dad so much, Miss being on this site and reading all the stories. Wishing all is well! Just piped in to say hello!

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply to Daddysdaughter

I was so happy to see your name come up. I thought of you and your father when I wrote a recent article about Lu-177-PSMA failures. That trial he was in will provide answers for thousands of other men in the future.

Daddysdaughter profile image
Daddysdaughter in reply to Tall_Allen

I will have to read it! I wish he could have made it to the 2nd treatment.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen in reply to Daddysdaughter

pcnrv.blogspot.com/2019/12/...

j-o-h-n profile image
j-o-h-n in reply to Daddysdaughter

Hello again.... nice to see that you remember us.....I figure that your Handsome Dad is driving those female angels bonkers.... Regards,

Good Luck, Good Health and Good humor.

j-o-h-n Sunday 02/16/2020 10:35 PM EST

JuanVV profile image
JuanVV

I agree with all the replies you've received. Every time I ask oncologist what it means he says it indicates bone activity. My husband had his Alk Phosphatese at nearly 1000, now it has gone down to 176 U/L, last month it was 168, so unfortunately rising again. He takes Xtandi only, because of his heart and Parkinson can't handle more. Also his Psa has risen to 19.29 after three months falling from aprox 70 to 13. Feeling disappointed but we won't give up.

Vsahay profile image
Vsahay in reply to JuanVV

Thanks for the reply.

You could look into alternative treatments in homeopathy or ayurveda to ease problems caused by his heart conditions.They are absolutely non invasive and safe.

JuanVV profile image
JuanVV in reply to Vsahay

Thanks for your reply. My husband isn't keen on taking anything else, he does take two mini doses of beta blockers and sotalol for his heart, which is probably keeping it under control.

Newyork6264 profile image
Newyork6264

I had bone mets when first diagnosed. When I started on Zytiga my alk phos went from 800 to 900, is while PSA dropped from 240 to 24, my Oncologist said it could be a sign of bones healing. Subsequent tests have shown my alk phos decreasing steadily. You may want to wait for one more month and retest to see what happens.

Vsahay profile image
Vsahay in reply to Newyork6264

Thanks for the reply

RayF profile image
RayF

General question here. Why is he not on Lupron too? I've wondered if Zytiga alone is enough to lower test.

What is his testosterone level?

Vsahay profile image
Vsahay in reply to RayF

He had undergone bilateral orchiectomy at time of diagnosis.Took bicalutamide for a while but it had no effect then moved to zytiga.

RayF profile image
RayF in reply to Vsahay

Gotcha, thank you.

VictoryPC profile image
VictoryPC

It's the Zoledronic acid.

You may also like...

PSA woes paired with anemia and high alk phos

today getting labs and scans. My PSA has jumped from 300 to 815 in 2 months and for the first time...

High Alk Phosphatase, SGPT/ALT, Direct Bilirubin, BUN

know who to ask 😔 Here are the results: Alk Phosphatase: 138 U/L SGPT/ALT: 91 U/L SGOT/AST: 49...

Same story as last 3wk checkup! Alk Phos decreasing and PSA considered stable

results back yesterday before his 4th Taxotere infusion. Still so confused! His Alk Phos has looked...

Alkaline phosphatase

alkaline phosphatase levels mean? Mine had gons from a hiigh of 782 to a low yezterday of 167. Psa...

ALKALINE PHOSPHATASE NUMBER HIGHER

time his Alkaline Phosphatase number has risen. Alkaline Phosphatase rose 80 points to 544 from...