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From: Steve Kramer on 24 Jul 2008 14:54 "Jim Mulcahy" <mulcahyj(a)citlink.net> wrote in message news:imYhk.673$7g.326(a)fe127.usenetserver.com... > I've been reading this group for a while and thought it was time to jump > in. > > Born 1943, currently almost 65 > > 5/2000 Diagnosed on routine annual bloodwork PSA 23 Negative DRE > 8/2000 Open prostatectomy. Path report T2a, Gleason 9 > Over two years undetectable PSA, total ED, significant urinary > incontinence > 2003 rising PSA, underwent 38 pelvic radiation treatments > 2005 rapidly rising PSA, up to 22, clean bone scans began Lupron. > Stayed on Lupron 11 months and went off, undetectable PSA > 2007 rising PSA, up to 7.87 went on Lupron 8 months, PSA down to 0.04 > Went off Lupron May 2008. Am starting to feel good. > > I've never been sick from the cancer but the treatments, especially Lupron > have been terrible. > > Through it all, I've worked two full time jobs, will retire from one at > end of year. Scans still clean. Welcome back, Jim! I'm glad you filled in more since your last visit. That is a log of an impressive fight. -- PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46 Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins PSA <.1 <.1 <.1 .27 .37 .75 PSAD 0.19 years EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47 PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 PSAD .056 years Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 and every 4 months there after PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145 PSAD 1.4 years Casodex added daily 07/06 PSA <0.04, <0.05, <0.04, <0.04, <0.1 2/12/08 Illegitimati non carborundum
From: Steve Kramer on 24 Jul 2008 15:02 "len" <len(a)math.northwestern.edu> wrote in message news:ede51066-e034-419b-87a2-c8b7c8cb68af(a)v13g2000pro.googlegroups.com... > For once, I have to say that I think Steve has a point.. With a PSA > of 23, if the original biopsy showed a Gleason of 9, attempting to > cure the cancer would be questionable. It might be appropriate as a > 'Hail Mary' stab at a cure for a relatively young man, provided he > fully understood the low odds of success. But for a man in his > sixties, it would seem questionable. > > Unfotunately, the original message doesn't actually say what the > biopsy showed, only that the post-surgical pathology report indicated > T2a---cancer on one side---and Gleason 9. > > I certainly don't claim to be an expert on HT, but I doubt whether the > correct response is to choose Strum as the final word on the subject. > It seems to me that > there is considerable disagreement among oncologists about how to > proceed in aggressive cases, and while Strum's opinion is worth > considering, if I were in that > situation, I would seek as many opinions from reliable sources as I > could find about when to begin HT and how to go about it. And yet, Jim is undetectable 8+ years later. And, he's been on Lupron, a drug which he clearly had problems with, only 20 months out of the 98. In retrospect, one might consider his doc a genius. -- PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46 Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins PSA <.1 <.1 <.1 .27 .37 .75 PSAD 0.19 years EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47 PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32 PSAD .056 years Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 and every 4 months there after PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145 PSAD 1.4 years Casodex added daily 07/06 PSA <0.04, <0.05, <0.04, <0.04, <0.1 2/12/08 Illegitimati non carborundum
From: ron on 24 Jul 2008 17:25 On Jul 24, 11:56 am, len <l...(a)math.northwestern.edu> wrote...snip... > With a PSA > of 23, if the original biopsy showed a Gleason of 9, attempting to > cure the cancer would be questionable. It might be appropriate as a > 'Hail Mary' stab at a cure for a relatively young man, provided he > fully understood the low odds of success. ...or, it might be appropriate as part of plan to remove a large mass of the oldest and most highly-mutated cancer cells, so that subsequent HT would have a better chance of success against the remaining systemic cancer cells. Whatever the reason, when surgery is employed against aggressive PCa, it would be prudent to use a surgeon with experience in this particular area, like H. Zincke at the Mayo Clinic...ron
From: skeptic on 24 Jul 2008 18:37 On Jul 24, 4:25�pm, ron <oit...(a)yahoo.com> wrote: > On Jul 24, 11:56�am, len <l...(a)math.northwestern.edu> wrote...snip... > > > With a PSA > > of 23, if the original biopsy showed a Gleason of 9, attempting to > > cure the cancer would be questionable. �It might be appropriate as a > > 'Hail Mary' stab at a cure for a relatively young man, provided he > > fully understood the low odds of success. � > > ...or, it might be appropriate as part of plan to remove a large mass > of the oldest and most highly-mutated cancer cells, so that subsequent > HT would have a better chance of success against the remaining > systemic cancer cells. �Whatever the reason, when surgery is employed > against aggressive PCa, it would be prudent to use a surgeon with > experience in this particular area, like H. Zincke at the Mayo > Clinic...ron I am a "niner" also, but in the middle of my surgery, when lymph node involvement was discovered, and both sides of the prostate was found to be cancerous, the surgeon explained to my wife that I would be better off continuing with the RP, as radiation would be the only alternative and (he said) that would have worse side effects than the surgery. As expected, my psa rose from .80 to 1.37 three weeks and six weeks respectively post surgery. Thankfully, lupron has zapped it down to .03 after being on it for 3 months. Equally thankfully, I've experienced absolutely no side effects from lupron...other than a raging appetite. In the meantime, I exercise like a maniac...something I've never done before....and am in the best shape I've been in for thirty years. I stare in the mirror and can't believe the muscles I've got now!
From: Alan Meyer on 24 Jul 2008 21:30
"skeptic" <ribrass(a)aol.com> wrote in message news:6649409b-9620-4b4c-9a14-d3cf5f1266a4(a)i20g2000prf.googlegroups.com... > ... Equally thankfully, I've experienced absolutely no side > effects from lupron...other than a raging appetite. > In the meantime, I exercise like a maniac...something I've never done > before....and am in the best shape I've been in for thirty years. I think exercise could be an all-important key to dealing with Lupron side effects. I exercised hard on Lupron too. I found that I could only do a fraction of the aerobic exercise I did before, but that may have been due to my getting radiation as well as Lupron. Both will sap energy. Nevertheless, with lots of exercise I think I overcame some (though not all) of the side effects. Psychologically, the one that bothered me most was loss of libido. It was disturbing to look at a beautiful woman and have trouble remembering why I once found that interesting. But even that could be overcome to a small extent. Alan |