Radiotherapy

Hi SRabb

So looks like your treatment is over although possibly u are still on HT.

You need to give some time to find out if worked especially if still on HT.

My first PSA was 6 months after treatment finished so that's the kind of timescale.

You won't really know until u have a few PSA test results but obviously your current PSA very low.

So good, u can relax

Best wishes 

Steve 

Hello SRabb 

So in a nutshell Hormone Therapy cuts off the food (Testosterone) to the cancer cells - once they have stopped growing and spreading the Radiotherapy kills them off for good. Radiotherapy keeps on working in your body long after the final fraction.

The rule of thumb is that you should reach your nadir (lowest) PSA 18 months after radiotherapy ends in your case December 2026. The cancer can return and again the general rule is it's back if you have a reading of +2.00 above your nadir or 3 consecutive rises.

I don't think you should be worrying - you had a lowish PSA and a Low Gleason 7 (3+4) and not ( 4+3).  Sit back and enjoy life - the Radiotherapy's doing its job - you need to trust your team.

Best wishes - Brian.

Hi SRabb , Firstly, we all start at different points in this journey and react to treatments differently, so there is no guarantee but RT and chemo are designed to kill cancer cells and hopefully eradicate them.  HT will starve and suppress the cells for months, years or decades.  From your initial diagnosis and subsequent treatment you are very probably cured, but none of us know if this is the case until we test again (and again).  I agree with Brian Millibob just try and forget the PCa and enjoy normal life.  Feel free to ask any questions.

Hello SRabb, our experience was hormone therapy for 18 months and radiotherapy ( 20 factions) commencing after the first 3 months of HT. we were told to expect a PSA bounce once the HT was stopped and this happened  - from 0.04 to 0.2. Oncologist was happy with this. We are to have one more PSA test in August followed by an oncology telephone consultation. If all well, my husband will move on to ‘remote monitoring’ ie6 monthly PSA tests and only contacted if there is a problematic rise in PSA.

I asked what a ‘problematic rise’ involves. The oncologist said that they would potentially intervene if the PSA rises above 2.0 but in some men they might wait longer. A bit vague!

I think the difficult bit is getting the mind set right. For us, using the analogy of children’s bikes, it felt like the stabilisers had been removed once the HT was stopped - especially as it was stopped 6 months earlier than the 2 years we had been told to expect . There remains for methat lingering fear of  recurrence but my husband seems outwardly more pragmatic - it is what it is!

Now, here, I want to pay tribute to our community champion Millibob ( Brian) who has already responded to you. His and my husband’s radiotherapy overlapped time wise. His PSA has been rising since stopping hormone therapy. But… he has shown such positivity in his own circumstances that I now understand that, while not what any one of us would wish, the rise in PSA after treatment has ended really is not the end of the world. Life will still continue and can still be lived to the full! ( Thank you Brian!) so, as others have said, it’s best we try to think positively, enjoy the reprieve from appointments and treatments and live LIFE 

HTH

Hello Worriedwife 

Thank you for the "glowing tribute" reading it when I wasn't expecting it made me 

Just to confirm life goes on I am in the middle of the first week of a 5 week holiday in Turkey , (4 children and 4 grandchildren are joining us for the last 3 weeks!)  we then return to England for 2 days and are then off to Scotland for a week to watch the Military Tattoo and doing some touristy things (involving fermented malty Scotch water).

Life goes on and to be honest I am loving it. (Thanks again WW).

Kind Regards - Brian xx

You’re very welcome! Reaching the end of treatment is what all on the curable pathway long for. My husband did not thrive on HT and so I thought it would be a huge relief. Instead I was plagued with anxiety that there would be a recurrence. You have led the way! You have shown me that it’s not the ‘ end of the world’  - and, for your openness and willingness to share your own experiences, I am extremely grateful! Enjoy your wonderful plans for this summer! Also, a big thank you for all you do on our behalf!

Hi Worriedwife great post.  Keeping positive is really important.  I just wanted to add my thoughts about 

Worriedwife said:

as it was stopped 6 months earlier than the 2 years we had been told to expect .

my own take on this is that the HT will be around for 6 months anyway after stopping, so I suspect that’s what the original comment of 2 years meant (18months jabs and 6 months still in the system).  Anyway, brilliant that he is now free to recover.  

Excellent point, David and something I had not considered. I am hoping for a good result in August - fingers crossed! Thank you!

Radiotherapy works by damaging the DNA of cancer cells so when they reproduce the damaged DNA effectively kills them. Healthy cells are affected in the same way but cancer cells are more sensitive to radiotherapy so the effects of radiotherapy mainly affect cancer cells.

The process to cancer cells reproducing and dying continues for up to 2 years following treatment so the its not an instant cure. Your PSA will be monitored closely following treatment and will give an indication of how well it has worked. At some stage you will reach what is called the PSA nadir which is the lowest PSA level following treatment. PSA nadir can be indicative of the probability of achieving a cure.

Hormone therapy also suppresses cancer growth and can take some time to work out of your system.

So you will need to be patient and wait some time before you know whether your treatment has been successful.

Hi thanks for the update of radiotherapy treatments my consultant said she will monitor PSA test results for 2 years every 6 months interval then yearly PSA test results 

hope I get cleared from cancer