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Questions to Ask Your Doctor: If Your PSA is Rising During Hormone Therapy

In some men, PSA levels will rise during hormone therapy.  If this happens to you, this may be a sign that your cancer has become resistant to this form of treatment. Recurrent prostate cancer is a major area of research, and new treatments are being developed all the time.  Now is the time for a thorough discussion with your doctor, to assess the situation and explore other treatment options as needed.  Here are some questions to ask your doctor.

  • Since my PSA is rising again, do we discontinue the androgen deprivation therapy?
  • Are there additional hormone therapy approaches that we should explore?
  • Should I get blood tests and a bone scan to determine if the cancer has spread to my bones?
  • Is there evidence that the cancer has spread to my bones? If so, how can we treat it, slow down the progression or prevent bone pain?
  • Is it important to consider the sequencing of treatment options so that we can preserve as many options as possible in the future?
  • Should we consider chemotherapy?
  • Are there other clinical trials of investigational drugs that might help slow down the disease progression?
  • What are the side effects of the treatment plan that we are considering?
  • Are there dietary changes I can make to optimize my treatment? What is the ideal exercise program?
  • Are there any other specialists whom we should add to my treatment team to gain an additional perspective on treating my disease?
  • Should I consider joining a clinical trial? How do they work, and how do I find out about them?