Talk Cancer » Cancer Center » Has Anyone Noticed??
Has Anyone Noticed??
Question:
Pops, That is truly excellent news! Enjoy! Steve U
Response:
Bill, I was in upper management in "the old days" (I could type better also). I learned to generate a decision tree for almost every process/problem I had to manage. I did exactly that for this problem. The second PSA reading was the gate for salvage treatment (EBRT). If that reading had been up or the same my decision tree said, "get on the table and turn on the gun", which I would have done seconds after hearing the reading. The chances of my reading going down were slim to none according to both my urologist and oncologist. I am not a guy take chances when it’s not necessary and I had no intention of letting those pesky little cancer cells multiply any more than absolutely necessary. Be prepared! My tattoos are permanent so if those pesky little guys return I’m on that table in a flash. Now the question to my treatment team is "What the H happened?", I expect a cogent answer! Of course this all happened in the path of a holiday weekend so getting that team together to talk and hypothesize is problematic. Gotta snap that whip!
Response:
Another PSA test in two weeks. Uro and Oncologist are assuming that one of the two readings was wrong. Well, at least I’m in the 50/50 chance club now!
Response:
It’s been cloudy and rainy all morning, but suddenly the sun is starting to shine! Pops, when you first mentioned 0.24, I believe I advised your doc will taken another PSA before deciding on RT. I was surprised when he chose to jump on it at one reading of 0.24. My doc did not jump on my 0.27 until I had a 0.37 and I considered that aggressive compared to my readings of the time. You lab may have made a mistake. Your doc almost certainly did. But, I guess a mistake of too aggressive without actual treatment is better than too laid back. — Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins PSA .1 .1 .1 .27 .37 .75 PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 (4 mo), 12/03, 4/04, 09/04, 01/05 PSA .07 .05 .06 .05 non Illegitimi carborundum
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Did anyone notice? The Grass is greener today. The sky is bluer today. The clouds are fluffierr today. The flowers smell sweeter today. I sent for the beginning of a 6.5 week EBRT on Friday PM (5/27), The team was all there at the cancer center. Intros all around and getting ready for the Dry Run. My oncologist was there asn just before I went on the table I asked him if he’d seen the results of the PSA test I had taken Wednesday. He had not looked so he went to review my paperwork, In a couple of minutes he returned with a puzzled smile on his face. I asked him, "What’s up"? He said, "your PSA reading is now ‘undetectable’" (officially < 0.1). No need for radiation, at least for the time being. He was puzzled because it’s the first time (in a 35 year career) that he has seen the post op PSA go down (mine was 0.24 four weeks ago) He’ll be talking with my Uro and we’ll probably do another one just to make sure. I got off the table and went home with a big smile on my face. Last night we partied! 10/03 PSA = 1.24 11/04 PSA = 12.4 1 week later 15.7 Biopsy 12/04 positive, Gleason 3+4 stage 2b RRP 1/24/05 neg margins, neg lymph glands, neg seminal vesicles Pathology, two sites, 1 about a dime size the other very, very small. Gleason 5 First post-op PSA 5/4/05 = 0.24 Bone scan, CT scan, chest xrays, blood work all negative EBRT to begin 5/27/05 Second PSA on 5/25 for the purpose of determining the agressiveness of the remaining cancer. PSA reading < 0.1 Radiation therapy on hold!! Docs are puzzled! Yahoo!!
Response:
That’s outstanding Pops. I didn’t know that could happen. It’s something we should remember in this group for the next guy that comes out of RP with a small but not undetectable PSA reading. It looks now like _watchful_ waiting is in order. May all your future PSA readings be undetectable. Alan
Response:
"My oncologist was there asn just before I went on the table I asked him if he’d seen the results of the PSA test I had taken Wednesday. He had not looked so he went to review my paperwork," 2 good lessons here: 1. Don’t panic over PSA and jump into salvage treatment. (I would never make any treatment decision based on a single test.); 2. Don’t assume your doctors are on top of your case. Bill Denton RP 2/12/02 PSA .45 Memphis
Response:
Wow Pops, that’s fantastic. There’s a good lesson here. Be involved, be a part of the decision process!
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Did anyone notice? The Grass is greener today. The sky is bluer today. The clouds are fluffierr today. The flowers smell sweeter today. I sent for the beginning of a 6.5 week EBRT on Friday PM (5/27), The team was all there at the cancer center. Intros all around and getting ready for the Dry Run. My oncologist was there asn just before I went on the table I asked him if he’d seen the results of the PSA test I had taken Wednesday. He had not looked so he went to review my paperwork, In a couple of minutes he returned with a puzzled smile on his face. I asked him, "What’s up"? He said, "your PSA reading is now ‘undetectable’" (officially < 0.1). No need for radiation, at least for the time being. He was puzzled because it’s the first time (in a 35 year career) that he has seen the post op PSA go down (mine was 0.24 four weeks ago) He’ll be talking with my Uro and we’ll probably do another one just to make sure. I got off the table and went home with a big smile on my face. Last night we partied! 10/03 PSA = 1.24 11/04 PSA = 12.4 1 week later 15.7 Biopsy 12/04 positive, Gleason 3+4 stage 2b RRP 1/24/05 neg margins, neg lymph glands, neg seminal vesicles Pathology, two sites, 1 about a dime size the other very, very small. Gleason 5 First post-op PSA 5/4/05 = 0.24 Bone scan, CT scan, chest xrays, blood work all negative EBRT to begin 5/27/05 Second PSA on 5/25 for the purpose of determining the agressiveness of the remaining cancer. PSA reading < 0.1 Radiation therapy on hold!! Docs are puzzled! Yahoo!!
Response:
Oh Pops! That’s so great! What a relief it is. 
Great Day Pops, Celebrate! Ron B. Chicago
Response:
HOORAY!!!! Good going! Could be that you just needed a little more time to clear out that PSA and/or some pesky PCa cells. Here’s for praying and expecting this to continue! OCL
– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Did anyone notice? The Grass is greener today. The sky is bluer today. The clouds are fluffierr today. The flowers smell sweeter today. I sent for the beginning of a 6.5 week EBRT on Friday PM (5/27), The team was all there at the cancer center. Intros all around and getting ready for the Dry Run. My oncologist was there asn just before I went on the table I asked him if he’d seen the results of the PSA test I had taken Wednesday. He had not looked so he went to review my paperwork, In a couple of minutes he returned with a puzzled smile on his face. I asked him, "What’s up"? He said, "your PSA reading is now ‘undetectable’" (officially < 0.1). No need for radiation, at least for the time being. He was puzzled because it’s the first time (in a 35 year career) that he has seen the post op PSA go down (mine was 0.24 four weeks ago) He’ll be talking with my Uro and we’ll probably do another one just to make sure. I got off the table and went home with a big smile on my face. Last night we partied! 10/03 PSA = 1.24 11/04 PSA = 12.4 1 week later 15.7 Biopsy 12/04 positive, Gleason 3+4 stage 2b RRP 1/24/05 neg margins, neg lymph glands, neg seminal vesicles Pathology, two sites, 1 about a dime size the other very, very small. Gleason 5 First post-op PSA 5/4/05 = 0.24 Bone scan, CT scan, chest xrays, blood work all negative EBRT to begin 5/27/05 Second PSA on 5/25 for the purpose of determining the agressiveness of the remaining cancer. PSA reading < 0.1 Radiation therapy on hold!! Docs are puzzled! Yahoo!!
Response:
Did anyone notice? The Grass is greener today. The sky is bluer today. The clouds are fluffierr today. The flowers smell sweeter today. I sent for the beginning of a 6.5 week EBRT on Friday PM (5/27), The team was all there at the cancer center. Intros all around and getting ready for the Dry Run. My oncologist was there asn just before I went on the table I asked him if he’d seen the results of the PSA test I had taken Wednesday. He had not looked so he went to review my paperwork, In a couple of minutes he returned with a puzzled smile on his face. I asked him, "What’s up"? He said, "your PSA reading is now ‘undetectable’" (officially < 0.1). No need for radiation, at least for the time being. He was puzzled because it’s the first time (in a 35 year career) that he has seen the post op PSA go down (mine was 0.24 four weeks ago) He’ll be talking with my Uro and we’ll probably do another one just to make sure. I got off the table and went home with a big smile on my face. Last night we partied! 10/03 PSA = 1.24 11/04 PSA = 12.4 1 week later 15.7 Biopsy 12/04 positive, Gleason 3+4 stage 2b RRP 1/24/05 neg margins, neg lymph glands, neg seminal vesicles Pathology, two sites, 1 about a dime size the other very, very small. Gleason 5 First post-op PSA 5/4/05 = 0.24 Bone scan, CT scan, chest xrays, blood work all negative EBRT to begin 5/27/05 Second PSA on 5/25 for the purpose of determining the agressiveness of the remaining cancer. PSA reading < 0.1 Radiation therapy on hold!! Docs are puzzled! Yahoo!!