Bone and CT scans, was: Can the PSA go down?

[Guest guest]

>

> I was diagnosed with Pca in August,2007.

>

> My numbers are:

>

> Age-60

> PSA 3.17 (Had doubled in 18 months)

> Stage T1c

> Gleason 6 (3+3)

> Bone Scan & CAT Scan-Negative

I used to think that a good doctor does all of the scans he can

to find out everything he can about a disease.

I'm now coming to think that isn't so. Bone and CT scans are

both invasive. Bone scans introduce radioactive isotopes into

the blood and CT scans use a lot of x-rays.

Each of them creates a small, but non-zero risk of damage to the

patient. Or to put it another way, each of them introduces a

small amount of damage to the patient that has a small but

non-zero risk of causing longer term harm.

In addition, these scans are very expensive, they have become a

primary way that many hospitals make money, billing insurance or

Medicare for the procedures. This raises all of our insurance

premiums and Medicare taxes.

With a PSA of 3.17, I'd be surprised if one in a thousand

patients would show a positive result on a bone or CT scan.

So I question whether these scans should be done in patients with

very low PSAs. I question whether they are done in the interest

of the patient, or in the interest of the hospitals and doctors.

I'm not a doctor or any kind of expert, and I stand ready to be

corrected by someone who knows more than I who wishes to comment

on this issue.

Alan