THERE WAS NO RESPONSE TO AN UPDATE REMINDER IN 2015 SO THERE IS NO UPDATE.

Eight out of the eight biopsy samples were positive but bone scans show no evidence of spread.

I was started on hormone therapy straight away and as it is a high risk cancer I have had the following treatments.

Under Dr. Scott Caruthers at the Royal Adelaide Hospital I have had 23 external beam radiation treatments to the pelvic area, starting 12 July 2004 and finishing 11 August 2004.

After 2 weeks recovery I had 3 High Dose Rate Brachytherapy treatments at the William Buckland Centre at Melbourne's Alfred Hospital under Dr. Jeremy Millar 30 August 2004 - 01 September 2004.

I am now to stay on the hormone treatment for 2 more years, monthly then 3 monthly Zoladex implants.

As my oncologist is still only talking a better than 50% chance of a cure, I wrote to Dr Holt in Perth, hoping his treatment would help to improve these odds. I have since been notified by Dr. Holt that his treatments are not a cure for prostate cancer and although he can help some sufferers he can not help me.

From my research I have had the best options: Hormone, External beam and HDR brachy treatments. I am feeling well and confident but the treatment side effects are a bit nasty as I had no symptoms before and the PSA was only found because of a routine blood test that I enquired about. The hormone treatment is having all the usual effects with low sex drive and lots of hot flushes. One good effect is that I have been going bald for years and everyone says it is starting to grow back. The radiation has affected bowels and bladder quite a bit.

I have tried having Androcur as well as Zoladex which gives a 100% hormone blockage, this was great for relieving the hot flushes but you don't feel human and are very hard to live with. My oncologist says there is no evidence that this improves results so I have stopped the Androcur and feel much better. Have been taking a herb called black cohosh for several months which is used for menopausal women for hot flushes but it does not seem to help at all.

At present I am still on Zoladex implants 3 monthly for another 9 months, mixed feeling about it ending i.e. be great to not have the side effects but will my PSA stay down (presently less than .05).

I am still having hormonal treatment for 6 more months with Zoladex implants 3 monthly. When these are finished I will have had a total of 2 and half years of treatments and feel I will then be on my own. I am trying to form a back up plan if my PSA should start to rise again. I have asked my oncologist what he would do and he said more hormone treatment which I think is not an answer. Is this because he is a radiation oncologist and should I seek another opinion? I have read of a drug called phenoxydial which is used to kill cancer cells that are hormone treatment resistant. I am wondering if this has ever been used as a preventative on someone with high risk prostate cancer. How do I receive any new treatments that my oncologist does not know about?

My brother who is 63 has had PSA tests and the result last year was 8 and last week 10. His urologist is sending him for ultra sounds in a month and back to see him in another month. As he is my half brother and we have different fathers I thought my diagnosis would have little bearing on him, but his urologist says it can be passed on through a mother and especially so as the mother supplies the X chromosome.

I had my last Zoladex implant in June last year. PSA. remaining low at Bravenet forum and would recommend it.

My older brother (12yrs. older at 64) has recently had his prostate removed and has recovered well. Other 60 year old brother tested OK. Two friends have also had problems recently: the 60 odd year old's was just an infection but the other who is only 48 has prostate cancer in his bones.

This backs up what I think about PSA testing : it should start well before 50 years of age as if you get prostate cancer young it is much more aggressive and harder to cure. [This is Brian's personal view. There are no studies that show that younger men have more aggressive disease. Less than 1% of males deaths occur from ptostate cancer in men under the age of 60.]

I joined the younger persons group a while ago and have given a couple of people embarking on treatment an idea of my experiences.

I got my latest results in July and saw my oncologist on July 24. My PSA has been < .05 for a few years since treatment but a few months ago it was raised slightly 0.09 and the latest was 0.26. My GP says this is still low but was a bit worried to see what the oncologist would say. They gave me no guarantees and said if it came back it would be somewhere else. Not sure if this rise is normal or not.

They are not going to do anything yet but the rising PSA reading is probably indicative of some cancer activity at a secondary site. They will keep an eye on my blood tests. The treatment would be hormonal again which is not nice and not a cure but will control it. If it didn't respond to that and progressed there is new technology happening everyday that may help.

A bit disappointing that all the treatment I have had may not have cured it, and I can never have more radiotherapy.

Still smiling but a cure would have been nice.

All good news for me.

Since my last update where I was worried about the rising PSA to 0.26, my result have gone down to 0.2, 0.14 and the latest in September of 0.10.

Feeling good, testosterone has returned to normal levels and therefore hot flushes have practically ceased. Do not seem to have the muscle strength I used to have but maybe just getting old.

ED issues are dealt with, thanks to Viagra.

The last time I went to my oncologist was nearly 12 months ago and my PSA then was extremely low. He decided that as my results had been so good for five years that he did not want me to come back for 12 months.

I will get another test done soon and see him again. Side effects from the treatment still persist but nothing we can not cope with.

Later: Just got my latest PSA results 0.1 which is fine.

Regards Brian

Going well, have not seen oncologist for some time. Last time I saw him he said if the cancer was going to come back they would expect it to have happened by now. This is the first time he has said something like this, so I am very pleased. The ED is a bit worse even using medication, I think I have lost a bit of confidence after a couple of failures. Having a lot of diarrhoea and GP thought I had Radiation Proctitis but a colonoscopy did not show anything. Using extra cushions at work and in the car to make sitting more comfortable - some radiation damage.

This sounds like a lot of problems but I thought I would lay it all out, overall feeling good and life is good.

Regards Brian

Things have not changed all going OK, PSA; still low.

Brian's e-mail address is: bsweet AT mdlz.com (replace "AT" with "@") (but this e-mail address may no longer be valid)

NOTE: Brian has not updated his story for more than 15 months, so you may not receive any response from him.