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I have a Gleason 9 prostate cancer that was over 22.0 PSA about 5 or 6 weeks ago. I have had 1 lupron injection and my PSA has dropped to .02. My question is, when is the best time to have radiation. I am scheduled to go in on Weds, but am wondering if it isn't too early. I mean, if my cancer is shrinking down, shouldn't I wait a little while for it to get as small as possible before radiation.
Aloha Resh,
Without doing a second biopsy, it would be difficult to tell just what your PCa is doing. The PSA is just an indication that your PCa tumor probably has stopped growing, so "shrinking down" does not actually mean what it sounds like. I can tell you how long I was on Lupron before my EBRT, but for the present, if you trust your docs and feel that you are in communication/understanding with them, I'ed go with their suggestions.
I would hope that your docs have been forward with you about your treatment. As you know by now, any cancer treatment will have side affects. Hopefully yours will be minimal. I have friends who had very little side affects, and some who are having a difficult time.
If you are exercising, keep it up. If not, please start walking, 30 min/day. Then try to increase that. During EBRT it will become very hard to exercise, it sort a drains you.
Hang in there, keep asking questions, make sure your docs know how you feel.
Joe
I am also a gleason 9 survivor. My docs as soon as I failed my first psa test 6 weeks after surgery put me on Lupron, then when I become mostly continent I started my radiation program. They indicated to me that this was the best protocol for my particular disease. So far it has apparently worked, as all my psa's since October of 2007 thru January of 2010 have been less than <.05%. I am keeping my fingers crossed that the .05's continue.....jwb.
