Results and Followup of Treatment

Entry 72

This was a pivotal week with regards the change in status of my prostate cancer. To say I was nervous would be an understatement.

Appointments with the doctors at Cancer Care Prostate Centre and Cancer Care Radiology on Tuesday and Thursday respectively, assessed the results of the change in medication and the radiation therapy. 

The news is good.

The new medication Abiraterone has not only stopped the rise in the PSA number but in fact dropped it by a full point in the space of 1 month. The key take away here is that it’s working. If it did not at least stop the rise in that number we would be looking at Plan B.

Additionally, l am experiencing no significant change in side effects. 

With regards the second part to this equation, the radiation therapy, the news is equally positive. It has been 2 weeks since the application of a single dose of radiation to address a relatively small and localized occurrence of cancer. 

The pain normally associated with it has been minimal. When needed one Advil tablet per day has sufficed. As in the case of the medication, any side effects from the radiation have been minimal.

This was the first assessment since the diagnosis and treatment in July. It is very encouraging. I will see Dr Saranchuk of the Prostate Centre every month for the foreseeable future to continue to monitor the efficacy of the Arbitrarone on my PSA. Radiology will do the same according to a slightly different schedule. 

Radiation

Entry 71

Just to bring you up to date I have had my appointments with Health Science Centre Radiology and am already finished. It was accomplished in 2 days. The first day's appointment was about 1 1/2 hours long and was mainly consultations and marking the spot on my hip to be radiated. Very thorough. 

The following day was the actual treatment which took about 20 minutes and was done in one session.  I'm happy to report they think they got a relatively small and localized spot on my hip with one strong radiation application. I am having little or no side effects that one extra strength Advil tablet per day can’t handle. 

I have also been taking new medications, Abiraterone and Prednisone for 3 weeks and am equally free of significant side effects from that combination. So all in all I appear to be doing quite well. 

Cancer Care Prostate Center and Radiology are all over me like a tent. They will continue to monitor me closely for the next 6-8 weeks at which time they should know if the 2 treatments are successful. We will see.