My server no longer supports news groups and I am trying here on Google
It is hard for me to figure out--hope I can read any replies.  My
email is voyager100@sympatico.ca is anyone wishes to send a reply to me
there.  And I am lost without a spell-checker.

My PSA  has gone to 1.1, probably the lowest it can go because of my
BPH.  I was really pleased and told myself I would not think about PCa
for another six months, as I have for the past six.  But then i saw my
oncologist and he has really confused me. Didn't think fast enough to
ask him the right question, tried to call him, but his nurse called
back and said he is busy, that he is very pleased with how I am, and
he'll see me in six months.  I like him very much, but right now I am
disappointed in him.

I was discussing with him my urologist's wish to treat me with Proscar
for my BPH, but that I was afraid since it brings the PSA down it might
confuse the correct interpretation of future PSA tests.  He said that
the PSA was not significant in my case since my PCA had been confined
and has probabaly been wiped out in the prostsate.  Of course, he
added, rather off-handedly, that doesn't mean the cancer hasn't spread
elsewhere in the body.  The PSA will not detect that.

I was astounded because  I always thought that the PSA level would
indicate the spread of the cancer, if any.  And I thought all of his
reassurances about ADT taking care of the PCA (although not forever of
course) if it recurred referred not just to recurrence in the prostate
but also to elsewhere in the body.

Does that mean if the PSA is very low but there are "indications" that
the PCA has spread it is chimotherapy time?   And what would those
indications or symptoms be?  How can I know if it has spread?

I am really disappointed in him.  He has been reassuring me that he has
people on ADT for ten years etc and I will probably die of something
else, etc.  I think he has always confused--and I have told him
this--my wish to be informed and know as much as I can with "worrying."
I am really uncomfortable with a doctor who feels all that is needed
is for him to know and that I should just "not worry."

Sorry for being so long-winded, but iy is comforting knowing that I can
get some clarification here.  Hope I can get used to Google--I have
missed so many postings.  Thanks for your replies.

July 2005    DX PCa, age 75;  PSA 26.5 Gleason 7 (4+3) Stage T2a
        No evidence that the cancer was not confined to a single nodule in
the prostate.
August 2004     ADT First injection (2 drugs-Lupron + ?)
Dec 2004    ADT Second injection PSA 4
April 2005    PSA 2.6
May 2005     HBRT  33 treatments
August 2005     Six weeks after radiation  PSA 2.9, went up instead of
down, possibly because the effects of ADT are still there and the RT
hasn't fully kicked in, and a somewhat elevated PSA is normal for me
because of my BPH
October 2005  PSA 2.63.
February 2006 PSA 1.49
August 2006 PSA 1.10