I.m now 8 weeks post radiation. I have had my Radiation Oncologist's 6th week consultation and the results are as follows: PSA: 0.3% Testosterone: 0.6% Result; I'm in remission. The PSA has dropped from 4 to 0.3% since last November and the androgen injections are keepeng testosterone levels low which has deprived the cancer of growth. I will be on androgen injections for a further 10 months as a safety measure. This threapy has some downsides: Hot Flushes Restless sleep Irritatability fatigue Cheers Moorooka PS: If there is anyone out there who is contemplating treatment similar to what I have recieved, just post me a line and I can offer more specific comment based on my experience. Zol ... View more

I am now 4 weeks post radiation but I have still got some side effects -slight fatigue -passing water every hour or so and getting up at night at least 4 times -bowle movements twice a day -hot flashes from the androgen treatment. That said, I'm quite pleased that the symptoms are not worse. I'm looking forward to my radiation oncology consultation and the results of blood tests in 2 weeks time. I expect that both testosterone and PSA will be sub 1. Cheers ZOL. ... View more

Are you on androgen therapy? The purpose of androgen therapy (hormone therapy) is to supress testosterone which drives the prostate cancer. If as you say: "PSA at 4.9 dropping but still affected by remnants of cancers cells and Testosterone at 14.5 and I am not on any hormone treatments" You should have a talk with your radiation oncologist re your PSA & testosterone levels and the risk, if any, of cancer having escaped beyond the prostate capsule. In my case the radiation oncologist recommended 18 months of androgen therapy as a safety measure in case minute amounts of cancer had escaped which was not detectable by bone & soft tissue scans. Also your GP should be capable of advising you on any post radiation risks. Cheers Zol ... View more

Update: I'm now 12 days post my last radiation session. I have had a 6 months androgen injection last Thursday which was given to me by the supplier's nurse and i am starting to have renewed hot flushes. At least this time around I know what to expect. I am still doing weight bearing exercises to counter the negative effects of the androgen therapy. Since the finish of radiation my urine urgency-frequency has increased from every 2 hours to hourly. My Radiation oncologist said that this is quite normal and should stabilise over the next 2 weeks. She said that it was like a 2 week recovery following a major operation.I'm keeping my fingers crossed that my waterworks will normalise soon. My bowel movements have also increased from daily to 3 times a day which is quite manageable. The radiation oncologist has recommended gastro-stop if it becomes uncomfortable/inconvenient. At present its ok. Cheers Zol. ... View more

Hi leftoeva, Your PSA will be affected by the radiation so this is why here is usually a 6 week wait before the test. I'm going back on androgen injections next week (finished radiation yesterday) and then I'll have the testosterone and PSA tests 6 weeks later. Are you on androgen injections? They supress testosterone which drives the PSA & cancer. My testosterone before the injections was 7.2 and after 0.6 and my PSA before was 4 and after it was 0.3. In 6 weeks time I expect both to be sub 1 or at least that's the plan. Cheers Zol. ... View more

to come later ... View more

I have had my 39th and last radiation today and I'm relieved that this section of my treatment is over .My day was quite busy with the radiation-oncologist consultation, two and a half hours of a "Look Good-Feel Good" patient session followed by radiation. The radiation-oncologist session went really well with a question/answer session and then an outline of the way ahead. She said that the side effects (principally fatigue and urgency/frequency of waterworks would likely last a few weeks with a gradual improvement after that.Over the past week I have had difficulty in the half litre water drink and then holding out for 40 minutes for the radiation. Thank goodness that all behind me now but I'mm still waking up every 2 hours at night to go to the toilet. The waterworks pill prescribed has had little or no effect. The "Look Good-Feel Good" session was interesting with about 10 patients and their partners attending. There was the usual tea & bickies and general introductions followed by a presentation by a volunteer manager on ablution techniques, grooming, massage etc. There was a generous handout of lotions and portions with an emphasis on skin maintenance. There was a mix of radiation, chemo & Chemo/radiation patients with a variety of cancers. Most of the ablution/grooming tips were principally for the chemo patients but I found it quite useful. My wife found the prices of the hand-outs online and the bagfull amounted to $260. These products are donated by the manufacturers/distributers and very much appreciated. Follow-up: Next week I restart androgen injections for another 12 months. I was advised that this is for safety reasons and normal for my tumour stage and Gleason score. My 6 week follow up will include tests for PSA & testosterone & the plan is that both will be sub 1. After that I will have blood tests every 3 months follow-up radiation-oncologist consultations.Of course if I have anything abnormal, I can have extra consultations right away. The hospital radiation-oncology department has been fantastic with very caring/professional staff who provided first class care and advice and the free parking at the door was convenient and took the stress our of the daily ritual. I'll still attend the gym for another 5 weeks which was part of the package. Androgen injections deplete muscle and calcium so it is of paramount importance to maintain a daily exercise regime including weights & walking. So my advice to all of you who are early into your prostate cancer radiation program is to ask lots of questions to allay fear , trust your radiation-oncologist and radiation therapists and dont be shy in asking for a bottle if your bladder is overfull rather than limping to the toilet post radiation and then having bladder pains for hours afterwards. I was amazed by the number of prostate cancer patients who were recieving radiation who did not know their tumour rating or their Gleason score. Some did not know what their PSA level was! So in summary, one has to take responsibility for one's own health and , in my opinion, information and an understanding of ones condition is absolutely neccessary. Had I not asked what the alternative to "watchful waiting" was I would likely be still waiting while I had an agressive cancer. I'll report in 6 weeks when my blood tests are available. I'm now confident that my PSA & Testosterone will be sub 1 then. Zol. ... View more

Hi lefteove, I've had my 35th radiation today (35/39) with 4 more to go. Things have been going better than I expected; few side effects except for fategue in the early afternoon and waterworks frequency. Over the past week I have been waking up 3 or 4 times a night to wee. I have had pills for this but they dont seem to have any appreciable effect. My hydration timing is still a problem; just difficult to get a full bladder that's not uncomfortably overfull and I guess the cold weather has had an effect also. Radiation causes a swelling of the prostate; hence the difficulty in fully emptying the bladder. I have had a few close calls when I've had to use a bottle before getting off the machine. The hospital oncology dept has been very professional yet personal. The staff gave me a signed birthday card which was a bit of a laugh because, as you'd know, the first thing they ask is DOB for ID purposes. I have becone very familiar with the Linear Accelerator and we joke about me developing a Dr Who relationship with it. I guess a machine like this in the hands of the Spanish Inquisition could have done alot of damage !. Once on the carbon fibre slab with the tats lined up the therapists leave the room and the session starts. First of all it gives a gentle whizz and then circles my lower torso for 380 deg. and then pauses. This locates my innards and gold seeds with a very low dose of xrays. The machine then thinks for about a minute and then sends a short-sharp beam of radiation into my prostate. It then pauses again for a minute or so. The operator next door then does the fine adjustments of the carbon fibre slab remotely to get the ducks all lined up. There are then a few electronic whizzes and the machine starts circuling my torso again; this time delivering the 2 Grays of radiation to my prostate with mild doses to the surrounding area. I had an appointment with my Radiation Oncologist today and I quizzed her about what my prostate would look like post radiation. She said that over the next weeks it would shrink considerably with the capsule cover in tact but the interior mostly scar tissue. She said that in my case the objective was to kill all the cancer cells in the prostate and the nearby area (if any) I finish radiation next Tuesday & I'll post further comment then. In the interim I'm keeping my fingers crossed that there will be no further unwanted side effects. How are you travelling post radiation? Cheers Zol. ... View more

Congratulations leftoeve and your completion of radiation therapy for your prostate cancer. You big issue is to maintain good health , keep fit and stay in a good mind space. Dont worry about work/dole because worry is a bigger enemy to your long term wellbeing that a job. Perhaps there are some local cash odd jobs that one can do to suplement centrelink? I have volunteered at my local hospital and I find it very rewarding and it keeps my mind from overthinking the cancer prognosis. What is your follow-up regime? In my case when I get through the 39 sessions of radiation i will have a 6 week wait & then blood tests for PSA/Testosterone (I'm off androgen therapy since late April. If everything goes well (PSA still low) then I will resume the androgen treatment for another 12 months.(If not it is data dependant) Do you have any side effects from Radiation? Congatulations on your completion of Radiation. Cheers Zol. ... View more

Congratulations leftoeve and your completion of radiation therapy for your prostate cancer. You big issue is to maintain good health , keep fit and stay in a good mind space. Dont worry about work/dole because worry is a bigger enemy to your long term wellbeing that a job. Perhaps there are some local cash odd jobs that one can do to suplement centrelink? I have volunteered at my local hospital and I find it very rewarding and it keeps my mind from overthinking the cancer prognosis. What is your follow-up regime? In my case when I get through the 39 sessions of radiation i will have a 6 week wait & then blood tests for PSA/Testosterone (I'm off androgen therapy since late April. If everything goes well (PSA still low) then I will resume the androgen treatment for another 12 months.(If not it is data dependant) Do you have any side effects from Radiation? Congatulations on your completion of Radiation. Cheers Zol. ... View more