Recurrence?

[LavenderBlue3]

My husband was diagnosed in 2017, with PSA 48.74 Gleason 8 (3+5), I think Stage T2a. We were told it was not operable, so he completed 42 rounds of direct radiation and then started Lupron shots every three months, the last dose was in September 2021 I think. All this brought PSA down to <0.06 but yesterday we learned PSA has risen to 0.10 and the doctor said he's "worried" about it. He wants to see my husband in two months instead of four, and if PSA is still at o.10 or more, treatments will begin anew with Lupron and a pill added to that shot.

My husband is in a high-risk category, as best we can determine, he's the fourth-generation male in his family to have PC. We had his father in the house with us for his last four months, and my husband watched his dad die from PC complications.

I need to understand how such a tiny increase in PSA would make an oncologist "worried" about a patient, my husband is convinced he's dying within a couple of years. Does such an incremental rise truly indicate the cancer is trying to "come back"? Thanks in advance for any knowledge y'all can share with me.

[Nusch]

Wait for answers from our experts in this forum here. My quick reply as a PC warrior: get PSA checks every month or two and try to schedule a PSMA PET/CT scan.

[Tall_Allen]

He has a functioning prostate, so he will always have some PSA. Biochemical recurrence for men (like me and him) who have had radiation is nadir+2. That means that a clinical recurrence isn't even suspected until PSA rises to 2.0. He has a long way to go for that! His MO seems to be ignorant about this basic fact. Perhaps talk to the RO who gave him the radiation instead.

[treedown]

Worry is a funny thing when cancer is involved. Its a constant part of our live. I would say wait for more data and enjoy life for now if you can cause you still have a long way to go before you should be considering end of life. If they add additional drugs the PSA may drop back down for along time. A single test could be off as well and you may see a drop on the next one or a plateau of his PSA because he has his gland still. If it were me I would wait for another increase before starting additional HT.

[j-o-h-n]

Age, Location, Med(s), Treatment center, doctor(s)? All info is voluntary and if need be add it to his bio. It Helps us and helps him too.

Tell you husband not to be a worry wort and live and laugh, He's got tons of moons to go and all the time new meds will be introduced for use by Pca pAytients....

No need to send me money...........................send cookies........

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Monday 05/15/2023 12:06 PM DST

[conbio]

TA gave you the best answer and the standard the doc should be operating from - yea, go talk to the radiation oncologist . And I would find someone else to be your main coordinator for prostate cancer care.

[NotDFL]

Previous comments are spot on