ProtonPals

How Do I Know That I Am Cured?
November 18, 2009

After 38 treatments at the Proton Radiation Center at M. D. Anderson in Houston each patient has a little ceremony and rings a ceremonial gong and then head home.

At this point the patients get into a check-up cycle which may vary from patient to patient based on test results. For the most part the two key tests are the DRE (digital rectal exam) by the doctor and getting an updated PSA reading from your blood. PSA results will vary based on whether you had hormone shots or not as well between individual patients.

You should especially note that several things can affect your PSA reading. You should avoid sex, sex related natural drugs, riding a bicycle, and things like that several days before you give blood. PSA can also be affected by infection, stones, prostatitis, etc. Also do not let a doctor perform a DRE, before giving blood.

PSA after treatment should drop at the 3 month reading and generally trend down for a variable period depending on the patient. PSA normally trends downward. Flat trends are acceptable as well. There is no absolute ideal low PSA value. A continually rising PSA is something to be concerned about. During the first two or three years following proton radiation therapy, PSA should generally fall, but not in any linear or predictable fashion. Sometimes our PSA will plateau temporarily; and sometimes there will be a bump. It is multiple increases we should be concerned about, not a temporary plateau or a single bump.

M. D. Anderson wants to do all lab work. Patients far from the center are given mail in kits for blood to be evaluated at M. D. Anderson.

Typical Patient Check-up Schedule:

Year 1: Every 3 months.

Year 2, 3 &4: Every 6 months

Next 6 Years: Once per year

The following are PSA results from several patients as a reference.

Patients without Hormone Shots

Joe Landry, completion April 2007 joe.protonpals@gmail.com

Before treatment: 4.2

3 months: 1.1

6 months: 0.9

9 months: 0.5

12 months: 0.4

18 months: 0.3

30 months: 0.2

Ban Capron, completion February 2008 bancapron@hotmail.com

Before treatment: 3.9

3 months: 1.3

6 months: 1.2

9 months: 1.2

11 months: 0.8

18 months: 0.5

Wylie Phillips, completion October 2007 wylie.phillips@comcast.net

Before treatment: 4.4

3 months: 1.0

6 months: 0.6

9 months: 0.3

12 months: 0.4

15 months: 0.3

18 months: 0.5

Daryl Bertrand, completion January 2008 dbertrand@gt.rr.com

Before treatment: 5.5

3 months: 0.8

6 months: 0.5

9 months: 0.4

12 months: 0.3

18 months: 0.2

Robert Van Dyke, completion February 2009 robert.vandyke@prudential.com

Before treatment: 3.9

3 months: 1.6

Bill Tucker, completion May 2009 btucker@hiscoinc.com

Before treatment: 4.9

3 months: 0.9

6 month: 0.5

Patients with Hormone Shots

Ronald H. completion June 2007 

Before treatment: 4.4

3 months: 0.001

6 months: 0.3

9 months: 0.5

12 months: 1.1

13 months: 0.9

15 months: 0.8

18 months: 0.9

21 months: 1.1

24 months: 1.2

Don Foxhall, completion March, 2008 dfoxy1@att.net

Before treatment: 8.8

3 months: 0.0

6 months: 0.0

9 months: 0.1

12 months: 0.2

15 months: 0.3

Bob Behrendt, completion November 2008 r.behrendt@sbcglobal.net

Before treatment: 4.4

3 months: 0.8 (only 1 hormone shot)

6 months: 0.7

W Vyrne Shofner, completion February 2009 vshofner@sbcglobal.net

Before Treatment: 2.5

3 months: 0.3

6 months: 0.2

Please send your readings to Ban Capron at bancapron@hotmail.com. You can be anonymous if you wish, but provide your completion date and whether you had hormone shots or not.   9/1/2009

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