PSA staying down--would any kind of scan be helpful?

[JD-guy]

Hello: For starters----my PSA went down to .01---July 2022,. Oct 2022 it was less than <.01 and January 2023 it again is <.01. My last Nuclear bone scan was May 2022 and the bone mets were still pretty bright on my scan. I do not have bone pain, and I feel good, most days. I started on Xtandi in June 2022. My PSA was at about .08 before Xtandi and after chemo.

My question; is there any value in getting a scan to see what is happening with my bone mets, or do I let well enough alone? I am very grateful that my PSA is staying down so far and that I feel good. This Feb it will be two years since Dx. you can see my profile for a lot of detail on my journey the last two years.

Thanks Keith

[6357axbz]

Have the suspicious spots on your bone scan ever been confirmed to be cancer? Bone scans don’t identify cancer, only abnormalities in bone structure. If this scans change over time with cancer meds then they are likely to be cancer. You’re PSA LEVELS are undetectable so it’s unlikely additional scans will tell you much at this point.

[JD-guy in reply to 6357axbz]

"Have the suspicious spots on your bone scan ever been confirmed to be cancer?" I have not had any kind of testing on my bone mets, that I know of. I did crack a couple of ribs right around the time of dx and I have had pain in some of those places. does that help?

[6357axbz in reply to JD-guy]

have your docs confirmed that u are metastatic? Have you ever had a met biopsied?

[JD-guy in reply to 6357axbz]

No, just on my original prostate dx. I have extensive bone Mets , you look at my profile. With pain that went away with chemo and radiation.

[6357axbz]

If you have not enrolled a cancer center of excellence it might be a good idea to do so. Hopefully you have at least have a MO and RO and not just a urologist.

[JD-guy in reply to 6357axbz]

I am getting treatment @ UPMC, university of Pittsburgh, Hillman cancer center. You can look on my profile to see where I have been, Yes I have an MO and a RO, I left the Urologist along time ago. He was fatalistic and did not have a good plan to do anything.

[Wings-of-Eagles]

Keith, JD Guy-Nothing runs like a Deere!

Read your profile and realized I also follow you. Your story is similar to mine, perhaps the most similar of many on this site. "just a few years and a few changes behind me" )love that Jackson Browne song)Only exception is I have been on Zytiga since 2014 and still undetectable at,< 0.014. Tall Allen always advised scans with such low PSA levels wont show much, but my new oncologists at City of Hope L.A want one for a new baseline.

Hang in there keep the Faith and 8 more years (like my journey) and prayers that you will still be Undetectable!! PTL!!

Wings aka Dan in So Cal

[JD-guy in reply to Wings-of-Eagles]

Yes, I would be most grateful, if I can be undetectable that long, I have 23 grands and another one on the way, that we enjoy very much. thanks for the encouragement and advice

[Tall_Allen]

No value to a scan now at all because your PSA is so informative and exactly where you want it to be.

[JD-guy in reply to Tall_Allen]

Thanks, that is pretty much what I thought, but at times my thinking goes places wondering what they would look like. Thanks TA for all all your advice, encouragement and research.

[Stoneartist in reply to JD-guy]

It seems that most research focuses on rapidly growing tumours and PSA reduction as a marker. It would be nice to focus on alternatives in life style/drugs which can be proven to keep the cancer cells lurking in remission from waking up since that's where a lot of us are.

[gsun]

as far as I understand, an undectable PSA is <.008.

[Boywonder56]

Enjoy the low scores.....

[JD-guy in reply to Boywonder56]

Thank you for the encouragement. I am, and hope it stays there, for a long time.