WORRIED ABOUT REOCCURRENCE???

[JWS13]

Worried....

Stopped IMRT 1 year ago and stopped adt (4 mos) 9 months ago...

9/23/23 Blood Test PSA .1 --- PSA FREE undetectable and Testosterone was 98

3/4/24 Blood Test PSA .2 ----Psa Free Undetectable and Testosterone not in yet.

I am concerned about the increase in PSA from .1 to .2...

AM I ON THE WAY TO A RECURRENCE??????

All responses definitely welcome!

TA would love your response please...

[trregan]

I'm sure you will get lots of feedback about this bump. A similar phenomena happened to me. What got me through my worry was to take a chill pill, drink some wine and forget about the numbers. Over the long term, they are not important...although they can raise your blood pressure.

Chill pill! Weed? Wine!! Dancing. Give them all a try!

[Tall_Allen]

Didn't you expect PSA to rise when T returned? Recurrence isn't even suspected until PSA reaches 2.1. Didn't your RO tell you any of this?

[JWS13 in reply to Tall_Allen]

nope..no discussion about T returning at all (except that it should in 4 months) nor it's consequences in PSA values and no discussion of the possible "bump" when testosterone recovered.. Mark Perloe said the .1 could be from not all of the adt being finished and lowered my first test and the .2 was a more realistic number..do you agree?

[Tall_Allen in reply to JWS13]

I think some increase in PSA is expected as T returns. And I know that recurrence isn't even suspected until PSA reaches 2.1. I also think you should raise this with your RO. You seem to be anxious over expected changes, and your RO knows all this,.

[JWS13 in reply to Tall_Allen]

I totally agree...will be texting Dr. Kishan tonight...and have a more informative discussion...thanks as always for the advice!

[quietcorner in reply to Tall_Allen]

We're in the same boat, TA. The RO and MO we're using (at a very outstanding center, I might add) have given us zero input post-RT. We are at the 3 month mark and coming up for an appointment and no mention of PSA or T testing thus far. We're doing this all on our own, learning by reading here on this forum. During the whole journey we feel as though we've slipped through the cracks 🤔

[lowT163 in reply to Tall_Allen]

In her defense mine didn’t either until it happened and I questioned it. Actually you answered my question before the Doctors. It’s because of the short time given to office visits not that they don’t know.

[NanoMRI]

To manage my anxieties, my worries, I’ve learned to not give this beast time and obscurity. I don't think in terms of recurrence, but rather, as I cannot definitively prove a cure, I accept cancer remains. I self-direct frequent PSA testing with a defined PSA ‘line in the sand’ ahead of common guidelines. I also rely on multiple imaging methods and last year had my first baseline blood biopsy. All the best!

[Jpl506]

I’m 2 years post 26 months Lupron + apalutamide and it has been a white knuckle ride. PSA went from undetectable to 0.16 at 6 months. Over the next 15 months it continued an upward trend to 0.28 which had me quite concerned. Dr. Kishan assured me it is completely normal and expected and that it would stabilize at some point, likely below 0.50. When I went for my follow up last month I was expecting another bump but much to my surprise it had gone down to 0.22. Always the same lab at the same appointment time.

[Break60]

Consider using estradiol patches . They will reduce your T quickly and psa is likely to be undetectable.

[lowT163]

We all have the same feelings. Not knowing is hard. Inform yourself the best you can. You will get very few for sure answers.