Yearly scans

[Chris52981]

Is it common to get Axumin scan yearly even is PSA and all

Blood work is good and feeling good!

[Tall_Allen]

No - why are you getting annual Axumin scans?

[Chris52981 in reply to Tall_Allen]

Currently this is scheduled as an axumin pet. This versus a bone scan and ct scan can be done to re-evaluate the status of your measurable cancer. I will ask that we confirm/double check coverage for the follow-up axumin pet scan.

We look at three things when determining your treatment:

(1) how you feel/clinical symptoms

(2) PSA trend

(3) what we see on scans (axumin pet, ct, bone scan, mri etc)

We put that information together to determine the treatment recommendations/options for you.

This us what dr wrote . On Zytiga , xgeva, prednisone and lupron . Psa is .19 it’s been around .20 fir last year since starting this tx

[Tall_Allen in reply to Chris52981]

So he didn't say annual Axumin scans.

[Chris52981 in reply to Tall_Allen]

I worded wrong I should have said is itNormal

To have it done a year later if things are good.

[Chris52981 in reply to Chris52981]

I was confused on why they are doing this because the psa is good thank God and feels good

[Tall_Allen in reply to Chris52981]

Gotcha. Sometimes they do it to see if a therapy worked. Ask him.

[Chris52981 in reply to Tall_Allen]

When I asked that’s what he replied haha so I wasn’t sure!

[tango65]

How good is your PSA? An Axumin scan has a low detection rate with a PSA of 2 or less. A scan may be indicated is there is a continous increase of the PSA in 3 or more measurements. to determine if there is radiographic progression of the cancer.

[Blackpatch]

I would expect there is no”normal” yet because the scan landscape is changing fast in the US. PSMA PET has been widely available for 5+ years in Australia and as best I can judge, such scans are widely employed on a roughly annual basis as a means of monitoring progress.

I’m sure arguments could be made about their utility, but that seems to be where we’ve got to in terms of their routine employment.. Medical insurance doesn’t cover these scans. Provided they are ordered by a doctor, they are either free (public hospital system) or about $US 450 private contribution after government contribution (private hospital - likely to be available within a day or two vs. weeks/months of waiting time in a public hospital).

The oncologist I see seems to view the annual scan as a “just to be sure” measure, even if PSA is low.

[ReeGee]

Prior to my prostate removal on 4/6/21 my PSA was 111, and the abominal/pelvic area and full body CT scans showed no progression beyond the prostate. My Surgeon waited three months to recheck my PSA which was then 268! We then did an Axium PET scan and found numerous areas of cancerous lesions. It's therefore been my own and other's experience that the CT scans are virtually worthless. If you really want to see the true picture, you need to get a PET scan.