Good to hear from you again, Gareth.  Can't answer your question.  Based on
what I have read here, it varies widely among users.

As I recall, your initial PSA during 2004 was about a five.  You either
tried radiation but had a problem or couldn't even try it (I don't
remember).  I assume Zoladex worked if they took you off in December.  I
also assume it's since started rising.  Can you tell us your history?

I am most curious in that if your doc was thinking intermittent ADT, July to
December seems far too short.

I have been on Lupron, starting 3 years after my prostate was removed,
for five and a half years now.  I was also on Casodex for 3 of those
years.  My PSA has remained at <0.1.  I always am concerned about each
quarterly appointment with my doctor, but so far so good.  I see him
again in October.

Gareth,

I'm not an expert, but here's the theory as I understand it.

Lupron, Zoladex, and other LHRH agonists suppress the
production of testosterone for as long as you
take them.  If you live another 30 years and use Zoladex for
the entire time, it will suppress T production as well or
better in the 30th year as in the first.

The real issue is, how long do you benefit from suppression
of T?

Some types of prostate cancer cells are highly dependent on
the presence of T in order to grow and reproduce.  Others are
not.  They'll grow and reproduce even if there is no
testosterone in the body.

Most men have a mix of the two types of cells, with the T
dependent cells predominating.  When on Zoladex, those cells
(so the theory goes) do not multiply and many actually die
off.  But the other cells continue to divide and multiply.
Eventually, most of the tumor cells in the body are the non-
dependent kind.  At that point, the hormone therapy isn't
doing much more good.  Most of the cancer is of the second
kind and it's unaffected by the absence of T.

Different men have different mixes of cancer cell types.
Some have highly T dependent cancers and some don't.  One
measure of which you are is, how low did your PSA go when
on hormone therapy.  The lower it got, the more T dependent
your cancer is.  Dr. Steven Strum claims in his book that men
that get down to .05 PSA on HT have highly T dependent cancers
and can hope to live a very long time on HT.  If I remember
correctly, he said he never saw anyone relapse in the first
five years if they got that low and many were getting 10 years
or even more.

Francois Mitterand, the former President of France, was
diagnosed with advanced metastatic PCa just 6 months after
taking office.  He went on HT and hid his cancer from everyone
until after he left office.  He lived 15 years after diagnosis.

Other men have only gotten as little as 6 months of benefit.

In your case, the low point you reached in your first bout
of HT may give you some clues as to how long it will continue
helping you.

For you, and any of us who is on HT, it may not be necessary
to live the rest of your natural life on HT.  All we need to
do is live until newer and better treatments come along.

I'm hoping that will happen in the next few years.

Best of luck with it.

   Alan