From a layman's view I can see that there are two types of readings a
doctor would want to see from someone on Lupron.  It's one hting to
see the PSA down during the treatment but how is it without the
LUpron?  Can a low PSA be maintained without it?  As Lupron suppresses
the production of testosterone, which feeds the PCa, there would be
the over all effect Lupron was having which would show in a low PSA
and then there is the end-result reading.  My urologist has me going
in for a follow up in a month when my Lupron should be wearing off.
He wants to see what my PSA is following the shot as well as my EBRT
course.  Then of course I am sure he give me another four wonderful
months of the stuff just to make certain that whatever cells are still
around trying to replicate don't get any feeding from a recovering
testosterone production.

Chuck McClellan

maybe i can shed some light on this.  

if you have a psa of say, 140 and you get a lupron shot, and afterwards,
you have a psa test ran, and the psa is less than 1, is that a true
representation of the psa?  the answer to that question is yes, it is a
true representation of the psa in your body.  

part two, if you had a psa of 140, the chances are that you have pca and
it has left the prostate gland, has that changed.  the answer to that is
that the cancer has not changed status.  it is still as it was.

so, one might say, ok, what's the use of lupron, then, because you still
have pca, but your psa is so low.

the answer is that because pca needs the hormone to grow, the lupron
shuts down the testosterone, and therefore, the results of this is seen
in the psa test.  so the psa test being < 1 shows this part is working.
since that is working, the next item is what about the cancer.  it's not
growing, but suspended.  now, i wish to clarify here that there are two
types of prostate cancer, hormone sensitive and non hormone sensitive.
we are talking solely the hormone sensitive cancer because it is the
most aggressive.  the non hormone type is slow growing and will continue
to grow even with the psa being so low.  but that is how this hormone
therapy works.

i hope this helps,

~ curtis

"Sando" <sando!@cox.com> wrote in message
news:j1h6d058jj3eelgllpq03753mo1aqu2672@4ax.com...
Hello:
      In your post today you mention that PSA results are
not valid when on Lupron. Please expand on this if you will. Reason,
attribution, publications, etc.
Thank you,
da
I finished my 42 IMRT last week and the Dr scheduled me for a checkup in
one month. I had heard that accurate PSA was not possible when on Lupron
and he confirmed this. He said they would check my progress with CT
scans and "other methods" since I will stay on Lupron for at least
another year. I have seen posts from Danny McCarty and others who have
given their PSA readings while on HRT and other chemical treatments. I
am just passing along what my RadOnc told me. I also aked my URO about
this since he gives me the shots and he agreed.
I'm sure more of the group will jump in and hopefully clarify this.
I called my uro today after reading your post, did not ask re Lupron but
did get from his nurse that I had my series of EBRT starting May 21,
1997, when I was 69. As I have posted earlier elswhere here, the PSA
then climbed, obviously rather slowly to 29>. Then the Lupron. Perhaps
the accuracy of PSA/LUPRON depends somewhat on the chronology of the
treatment and patient.
Of course, I am hoping a <.1 IS meaningful!

knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional    
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."

Here's an older post from Alan that might shed some light on things
http://www.talkaboutsupport.com/group/alt.support.cancer.prostate/messages/4
3603.html