On January 30 I had my standard blood work, which included the old reliable PSA. As I have predicted, my PSA has continued to double at the rate of 5.1 months with the velocity of 0.02 ng/ml/mo. This is a rate that is consistent with the prior doubling rates, although my oncologist has told me that at the numbers I still have the velocity might change.

Oops, I didn’t share the actual number; it was a very low 0.22. Not a particularly terrible sounding number, actually on the surface it sounds very benign. But, the number is both post surgery and post a recurrence where the PSA did go well into the 80s.

I did go on ADT2 at the time of the recurrence. The PSA dropped like a rock to <0.04 and stayed there for about nine months. I decided to go intermittent and my PSA took well over a year before the test began to reflect any change. I do not believe that the PSA did not start to rise during that period, just that it had gotten so low that the test was not able to register the true PSA. If the PSA continues at this velocity I could easily wait for another year or two before I go back and restart the ADT. I guess that only time will tell what happens. I do celebrate the long vacation period I have been given. I feel like I am complaining and I guess I am complaining a little. But, I also feel selfish to complain. ADT, for me, has been very successful. I never would have dared to hope to have been able to stay off the treatment for such a long period; in reality I have been very fortunate. But, wouldn’t it have been a dream to be shocked to find out that a miracle had happened and the PSA never came back. Then all I would have to worry about would be the thyroid or kidney cancer recurring, or of course that bus coming around the corner. Joel T Nowak MA, MSW