New -- a little over a year after surgery, 6 mos after radiation

[Bachisgreat]

I had robotic prostate cancer surgery a little over a year ago, with Gleason 9, seminal vesicle involvement on one side, negative nodes, negative mets workup, positive margins on one side. I had radiation to the prostate bed last April (2018), and have about another 6-8 mos of Eligard injections and Casodex. I feel GREAT, except for hot flashes, which are getting a little better. My PSAs are now undetectable.

Here's a poem I wrote about hot flashes. A little humor softens the cancer blow!

Prostate Cancer Flash

by Marshall Wareham (copyright 2018)

When prostate cancer comes your way,

There’re many ways to treat it.

And blocking hormones with a shot

Is often used to beat it!

‘Though hormone blocking works quite well,

Some side effects ensue.

Testosterone is what you lose

And what is does for you.

The male body also makes

Some estrogen, who knew?

But when you lose testosterone,

You lose that hormone, too.

This causes symptoms bothersome,

Which really are quite strange.

They’re what most women know about

When they go through “the change.”

These symptoms come at random times,

Hot flashes are the name,

Attacking you with heat and sweat,

As if you were aflame!

The flashes, when they do appear,

Annoying ‘though they be,

From menopausal women, you

May get no sympathy!

Their reason is quite simple, they

Will surely soon explain:

It’s that you now can sympathize

With THEM about THEIR bane!

So, you must tolerate the heat;

The treatment do not spurn.

For if you stop the shots too soon,

The cancer may return.

[Dreamweaverman]

Thanks Bach, A little humor and light heartedness is what I need right now. I am about to embark on radiation and hormone treatment and your thoughts are much appreciated.

[Bachisgreat in reply to Dreamweaverman]

I found the radiation treatments to be no more than a big time commitment. They warned of fatigue, but I never had it. Perhaps, I was just lucky, but I made it a point to walk two miles EVERY DAY throughout the 34 days of treatment. I really think that helped. The treatments themselves are painless. The hormone treatments are OK, except for the hot flashes, which are annoying, but also a bit funny, as my poem expresses. If they become intense for you (I had about 20 a day during the peak period of them! A bit less now.), a little portable fan is very helpful. I got one online from Opolar that is wonderful. Good luck to you.

[MelbourneDavid]

I'm glad you are doing so well. It's helpful to hear positive experiences too.

[dentaltwin]

A regular Ogden Nash of the prostate!

Thanks--and I agree Bach is great!

[CherylBoca]

This was a charming poem. And, though years past menopause, I never had a hot flash! Thank you for this wonderful post.

[E2-Guy]

Love your poem! Your verses regarding losing estrogen and the subsequent manifestation of hot flashes are what motivated me to start the unconventional transdermal estradiol gel therapy. When post RP biochemical failure became evident and I was obviously a candidate for ADT, I chose tE2 as opposed to Lupron and other nasty exorbitant drugs. Needless to say after nine months of applying this inexpensive (less than $10/month here in Thailand) transparent gel I am elated with the results. Everyday I thank the Lord and my Mentor, Richard Wassersug for the fantastic PSA decline down to 0.046, the lowest nadir since my surgery 14 years ago. And the ONLY side effects I am experiencing is some gynecomastia and nipple tenderness.

[Ralph1966 in reply to E2-Guy]

Hi ronronHU,

I checked the details of your treatment options.

I am really happy for you, and wish you a lifelong continues health!

[E2-Guy in reply to Ralph1966]

Hi Ralph,

Thank you for your best wishes! After my robotic RP in 2004 I did nothing until my PSA reached slightly over 1.0. I assumed that I had BCR when my PSA reached 0.2 in 2013; however, my conservative urologist/surgeon/oncologist Dr. Thomas Ahlering at UCI has always been more concerned about my QOL than buying me an extra year or two. In 2017 when my PSA finally reached 1.0 we started discussing scans that could 'possibly' identify the source of my rising PSA and I opted to have the 68Ga PSMA-PET/CT scan performed in Melbourne, AU. After the scan identified three involved sacral LN's, I decided to have them surgically removed via the robot. My PSA went down to 0.54 but continued to rise slowly until April 2018 at which time I started using the E2 gel. There seems to be much controversy on this forum regarding E2 levels and their relationship to PCa. I think the jury is still out deliberating how high E2 levels are associated with the onset of PCa as opposed to how it effects progression in BCR. You can click on my icon for more details regarding my (so far) great results with the gel.