Radiotherapy

Good Morning Paul (Paul1963) 

I hope the Radiotherapy is going well - with little or no side effects. The fatigue will try and catch you out in the next 3 weeks so try and keep fit.

After Radiotherapy - life comes as a bit of a shock. You have prepared for your RT and then you have a month with almost daily appointments and then - Bang - you are all by yourself in the Prostate Wilderness - it comes as a bit of a shock!!

Every Health Authority then goes their own way. Like you I am a T3aN0M0 and I am under Christies the cancer specialist hospital in Manchester. We has a system called PEASS (Prostate Easy Access Self service).

Once RT is over you have a meeting or online video with Christies, you meet your two dedicated nurses and ask any questions. PSA testing is every 6 months and the first is 6 months after RT. Every 6 months I get an e-mail & text reminder to book my blood test (at a local hospice) on their system and I complete an online list of health questions. My PSA results arrive the following morning by e-mail and letter. If I need anything at all I can telephone or e-mail my 2 nurses at anytime.. The system works very well.

However the above is only me (details are also in my profile) - as I said other Health Authorities are different.

I hope the above helps.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi Paul

In answer to your question.....

Not a lot

On a more positive note , hopefully your done, it's all over.

Probably the most important point is your next PSA test after about six months, you don't mention your PSA but hopefully the RT will get it well down

But also depends on if you are still on HT because that could mask a higher PSA.

If u give some more info about previous psa's etc we can advise you more

Best wishes 

Steve

Feb 24 5.7 jun 1.67 Aug 0.08 5 fractions in15 to go ht ends at end of Aug hopefully 

Ok, so presume PSA going down because on HT 

Hopefully the RT will kill it once and for all.

PSA won't mean much until after next August as still on HT.

So between now and next August you're just looking for a low PSa obviously 

Big test will come towards the end of 2025 when u stop the HT in August.

PSA should stay low although could move up slightly, following PSA tests will then be important to make sure no upward trend.

Presumably u will be having regular PSA tests in the meantime just to make sure PSA stable.

So long as stable u can probably start thinking, job done 

Good luck

Steve 

Sorry Steve I may have misled you I hopefully come off ht at the end of September as that would be the end of my zoladex duration 

Ok then

So once HT is over then it's all down to PSA over the coming months.

Hopefully the cancer centre or the GP will give a PSA test every 3 months to monitor.

It could go up a little bit initially but as long as no upward trend over the next year.

Steve 

Thanks Steve 

Hi Paul,

How did you find Preston Park centre? I can see you already third way through!

I think I am in position to answer your question more than most as my husband and you are treating in the same trust. Following the RT, Jacob had a scheduled appointment with the oncologist. If you do not have a schedule appointment, I would contact the oncologist secretary and ask to schedule an appointment for few weeks after finishing the RT. Also when you have your last session, you will have a letter from the RT centre to your team.

It is a routine to take a PSA test after finishing the RT but not immediately as sometimes it raise the PSA for a little while before it dropped dramatically after the RT. As far as I remember, Preston centre gave Jacob a form for PSA test at the end of the treatment.

I wish you all the best. We are going away so I will not be online until last week of September.

Lots of love

Dafna

Assuming you are having a holiday, Dafna, take the time to really enjoy yourselves.

Hi Paul 

Another Paul here! I can't add much more than has already been said if anything.  

Honestly, I was a little disappointed after my RT treatment in that things went fairly quiet. I finished treatment in January 2024 and had a PSA test 4 months later. The reason for 4 months instead of the usual 6 months wait for the PSA test was because my PSA was 1.1 when I was diagnosed with a tumour! You won't be surprised to know that I lack faith in PSA tests :) 

I really wanted (want) an MRI scan (or whatever my oncologist feels is the appropriate scan after RT) but they suggest that this is not a good idea until later. I have recently had my second PSA test which shows 0.25 with the first one being 0.48. Apart from these tests and 2 meetings with the Oncologist, nothing else has happened.  

I understand that this is normal but I am left wondering when, if ever, I will be told that I am cancer-free. Perhaps I am expecting too much.