PSA results during and after Salvage Radiation?

[SuppWife]

My husband is having pelvic radiation after failed RP. How quickly should we expect to see the effects of salvage radiation on PSA results?

Thank you.

[Tall_Allen]

Don't take any PSA readings for 3 months after radiation is done. PSA will go up as cancer cells die. If he had adjuvant ADT, PSA will be undetectable anyway until T returns to normal levels.

Did he have whole pelvic proton salvage? I've never heard of that before. Did they treat the entire area up to the common iliac lymph nodes? What radiation dose did they use?

[SuppWife in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thank you, TA. He is being treated with proton beam. I don't know the details. I know the plan is to cover iliac nodes because the two places there was uptake when he had his axumin scan were one iliac node and one spot where his right seminal vesicle was. I will get the detailed treatment plan. I know the plan was for 38 or 39 treatments, but I don't know the amount of radiation. I'm pretty sure the plan was not ONLY those two spots. When discussing treatment we discussed the need to cover a wide area. He is also still getting monthly Firmagon injections. The RO is a prostate cancer survivor himself.

[Tall_Allen in reply to SuppWife]

Thanks - as long as they're treating the entire area, it's good. I just didn't know that could be done with protons, so I'm just curious to learn more about it.

[SuppWife in reply to Tall_Allen]

I appreciate your reply. I googled and found this. It looks encouraging. What do you think?

baptisthealth.net/en/physic...

I'll definitely ask the doctor for the details of my husband's treatment plan and will let you know.

Thanks again

[Tall_Allen in reply to SuppWife]

That doesn't address whole pelvic coverage with protons, only the prostate bed.

[SuppWife in reply to Tall_Allen]

Ah, thanks for clarifying. I will ask RO.

[George71 in reply to SuppWife]

That study indicated that proton was better than IMRT -as far as side effects- which is surprising

[wilcoxsaw in reply to Tall_Allen]

Per Dr Rossi at California proton, he has the ability to treat an area up to about 30x40 inches with protons he mentioned during a visit with him.