Had annual blood test in June 2013 and had a high Alka Phosphat reading. Internist recommended I get a full-body scan. It reported suspected bone cancer. I asked Internist to do a PSA, which came back as 42.3. Internist recommended I see a Urologist and Oncologist. Urologist advised I get a biopsy. Did biopsy which reported a Gleason score of 7 (3+4) and stage T1c. Urologist recommended I start Hormone Therapy using Trelstar.
Got second opinions from Fox Chase Caner Center (Phila Pa) and Memorial Sloan Kettering. They both agreed with local Urologist so I agreed to treatment, which was started in mid July. Urologist recommended that I also start injections of Xgeva (bone strength) in near future.
I currently have pains in my lower back and neck which come and go. I am exercising and watching my diet to control my weight. I am taking supplements: C, D3, Calcium, a vitamin+mineral pill.
I do have high blood pressure and high cholesterol which is under control and now normal.
No other problems at this time.
August 20, 2013 - got second Trelstar injection 3.75mg (4-weeks) PSA=9.54
September 23, 2013 got third Trelstar injection 11.25mg (12-weeks) PSA=3.2
I now have an Oncologist, Dr. Tina Mayer at the Rutgers Cancer Institute, New Brunswick NJ. I started seeing her in August 2014. My Urologist is Alexander Vukasin, Princeton NJ. I am getting Trelstar injection every three months. I am responding responding to the Trelstar. My PSA dropped to 0.7 in three months, then 0.4 in 6 months, then 0.3 in 9 months, then 0.2 in one year. My Urologist recommend I have another full-body nuclear scan to see if the Trelstar is working. I said I did not want more radioactive material in my body unless this was really necessary. Dr. Mayer recommended having an MRI of my lumbar area instead. She also recommended I start Prolia injections, rather than Xgeva, to protect my bones. I started the 6-month Prolia injections on September 29, 2014.
I had the MRI scan on October 1, 2014. It showed that I had a cancerous tumor in my spine that "approaches through the cortex at S1 and S2 just touching the thecal sac and right S1 nerve root." Both Dr. Mayer and Dr. Vukasin recommend I consult a radiation oncologist, as I was beginning to get pain in my lower back, which was probably from the cancer. I consulted with three different radiation oncologists. All three recommended radiation to remove the tumor. If the cancer spread to the nerve root I would have serious problems in my lower body. I discussed having Proton radiation instead of x-ray radiation. The Proton would have fewer side effects, but is considerably more expensive, might not be covered by my insurance, and would mean travelling to a facility that is some distance away.
I decided to have the x-ray radiation at the Princeton Radiation Oncology facility located near my home. Dr. Edward Soffen is my radiation oncologist. It will be 14 low-density focused x-radiation treatments. The treatments will begin on December 16, 2014.
My urologist recommended I start xgeva monthly injections to increase my bone density. However, when I looked up the side effects, I questioned doing this. My DXEA scan, in April 2014, looked at my bone density in three areas (neck, lower spine, hips) and stated that I was not osteoarthritis. My oncologist recommended that I start Prolia injections every 3 months. I had my urologist start the Prolia injections in November 2014. Prolia also had side effects of pain in the hips and thighs. I began to feel these pains and told my urologist, after the second injection (October 2015), that I wanted to hold off on more Prolia injections and see if the pains went away. My urologist agreed to this.
My Urologist, earlier this year, switched me from Trelstar to Lupron.
In August 2016 my PSA rose from 0.2 tp 0.3
In November 2016 my PSA rose to 0.6
In February 2017 my PSA rose to 0.8
My Oncologist, Dr. Tina Mayer at the Rutgers Cancer Institute, NJ, says that I am becoming resistant to the Hormone Therapy (Lupron) and should consider adding Casodex to the Lupron, or starting Immunotherapy (Provenge).
My PSA has started to increase:
02/15/16 0.2
08/12/16 0.3
09/26/16 0.4
11/14/16 0.6
02/21/17 0.8
05/15/17 Oncologist recommended starting Bicaklutamide (generic Casodex) 50mg
06/21/17 1.3
09/15/17 2.3
Oncologist recommends Provenge treatment.
10/2/17 Dr Mayer, oncologist at Rutgers Cancer Institute recommend stop Casodex,does not stop PSA rising.suggests Provenge Treatment
10/21/17 Nuclear Bone Scan - metastatic lesions stable compared to 4/24/2017
10/21/17 CT scan - renal cycsts, lesions in spine, pelvis, T12, L4/sacrum
11/15/17 PSA:3.1
11/27/17 1st Provenge Cell Collection - Blood Service, New Brunswick NJ
11/30/17 1st Provenge Infusion - UCA Lawrenceville NJ
12/11/17 2nd Provenge Cell Collection - Blood Service, New Brunswick NJ
12/14/17 2nd Provenge Infusion - UCA, Lawrenceville NJ
12/26/17 3rd Provenge Cell collection - Blood Service, New Brunswick NJ
12/27/17 Trelstar 3month injection
12/29/17 3rd Provenge Infusion at UCA Lawrenceville NJ
+++2018+++
01/02/18 PSA: 3.0
01/31/18 PSA: 2.9
03/01/18 PSA: 4.2
03/30/18 3 month injection changed Trelstar>Eligard
04/30/18 PSA:5.0AlkPhos133RDW17.9Glucos102RDW17.9MCH33.4RBC3.62Hemogl12.1Hemat34.8
05/11/18 Princeton Hospital Nuclear Bone scan - several new lesions in spine, old lesions larger, some stable
05/11/18 Princeton Hospital - CT Chest scan -normal
05/11/18 Princeton Hospital - CT Abdomen/Pelvis normal
05/19/18 Started Zytiga (4-250mg pills) + Prednisone (5mg pill) daily
PSA rise to 5.0
Oncologist recommended starting Zytiga (4-250mg daily) + Prednisone (5mg daily)
after 1 month (June 19) PSA down to 3.0.
July 2: 3 month injection of Eligard
PSA
5/11 Princeton Hospital Nucl Bone scan - several new lesions in spine, old lesions larger, some stable
5/11 Prin Hosp CT Chest scan -normal
5/11 Prin Hosp CT Abdomen/Pelvis normal
5/19 Started taking Zytiga (4-250mg) + Prednisone (5mg) daily
6/19 3.0
7/2 3 month injection Eligard
7/24 2.9
9/5 2.6
9/14 blood vessel ruptured in my leftt arm
9/19 Onc recommends stop taking Zytiga & Prednisone
10/5 3 month injection changed Trelstar>Eligard
11/7 3.7
12/12 5.5
+++2019+++
1/2 6.1
1/3 Resumed taking Zytiga & Prednisone
1/7 3 month injection Eligard
2/21 2.5
3/6 5.2
3/21 Changed Oncol: Dr Mayer, RCI >Dr.David Sokol, Penn Med Princeton
[Sadly we were informed that Sol passed away on Sept 21, 2019, probably due to heart attacks over the last part of his life.]
