1 year on with Dad's PC

Hi Sophie

PSA test was actually introduced for showing levels after treatment not really before.

So all down to PSA now, as long it doesn't show an upward trend  u should assume all is ok.

Scans are not carried out after treatment unless a return of the cancer is suspected, by PSA tests.

I assume hormone therapy finished some time ago.

.03 is fine and even a small increase is ok as long as doesn't show an upward trend.

Relax 

Best wishes

Steve 

Thank you for the reply! He's still having the 3 monthly hormone injections as there was a communication problem with my dad's appointments, so he's started the injections again. Think hes just his 2nd jab.

But yeah, I will relax a bit now knowing that the treatment is definitely doing its job :) 

Ok, so if he's still on hormones everything will be ok but at some stage I presume that will stop.

So PSA def needs to be monitored at that point because could rise again when hormone therapy stopped but hopefully it won't.

Hope all works out ok.

Steve

Hi Sophie

My understanding is on radiotherapy before each session starts they do a CT scan to ensure the machine/prostate are lined up. I was told (I am on day 6 of my radiotherapy treatment) that the scans were to ensure the treatment was in the correct place. I would have thought at the end of the treatment they would at least look at say the scan from treatment 20 to see how the tumour is.  The thing is radio therapy kills the cells so does it also get rid of them?

I am curious myself now - no doubt someone on here will enlighten us both! I might have to ask at my session later.

Good luck with your dad's journey.

Kind Regards - Brian.

That is a good question Brian and one I don't know the answer to. I have often wondered what an Mri will show after Radiotherapy. I have read that the prostate turns to a mush after RT so not sure how that would show on a Mri, perhaps someone can enlighten us.

Steve

Hi Steve : I asked the radiologist tonight "what happens to the dead cancer cells". She said they are just like your normal cells which die and are replaced. they are removed by the immune system and replaced over a period of time by non-cancer cells. I am happy with that explanation being a simple lad!! Anyone know better?

Cheers - Brian.

Hmmm, interesting.

So if the dead cancer cells are replaced by normal cells the prostate shout get back to normal? As before

Thanks for the info

• Steve