DECIPHER TEST AFTER BCR
I am 13 years post prostatectomy thank GOD path report 3+4 , positive margins grade 3 at margins psa 4.9 at diagnosis. I am currently seeing a medical oncologist , my psa ( current 0.32) has been slowly creeping up over the yeats doubling time over 30 months which is a positive . The plan is to do a psma pet scan when the psa reach 0.4. While we watch and wait I've asked my oncologist to put in an order for a decipher test this would give us a little more information about my cancer and will assist me as a patient in what I would prefer to do when the time comes radiation, stay on active surveillance , hormone therapy etc. His response worries me and here is the 1st response . " The Decipher test is only used by urologist BEFORE treating the patient ". When I shared information with him that the test Is used after treatment as well to guide further treatment " DECIPHER TEST AFTER BCR & DECIPHER TEST AFTER PROSTATECTOMY here was his second response. " I do not know how to interpret the results it will have to be done by a urologist or radiation oncologist ". Has anyone experienced this ? Should I be seeking another oncologist ?
Hi
. Your concerns and questions are certainly understandable. First, let me say that many men here are fans of second opinions. In your case, the doctor is basically telling you that they are not the specialist for handling a Decipher test for a case like yours. My wife, Kelly, was diagnosed with a severe form of an autoimmune condition at age two and has dealt with a variety of condition related medical issues. One of the doctors I have the most respect for is a guy who looked at a serious issue she developed and said he was not the doctor to handle it.
I want to share with you this previous Forum discussion on the Decipher test where I shared links to some of our top articles on the topic: https://prostatecancer.net/forums/decipher-genomics-testing. I also want to note that the PSMA test is considered accurate at PSA levels above 0.2 (see this article which discusses research on PSMA at the 0.2 level: https://prostatecancer.net/clinical/psma-imaging-scan), so if you speak to another doctor you could also ask about getting the PSMA earlier, if you would like. Hope this information is helpful and that others chime in with their thoughts. Wishing you the best and please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing. Richard (Team Member)
I had a Decipher test done 3 years after my surgery in 2013. Apparently, some hospitals save tissue samples and can test for up to 10 years. In my case, the report suggested I was borderline for a possible return. Two years later, the cancer returned. I believe that the Decipher is, at best, an indicator vs a predictor of a definitive outcome. Dennis (Patient Leader) Thanks for the response everyone. I guess I'm more shocked from the response because this is a medical oncologist who has experience dealing with prostate cancer. I assumed he should know how to interpret the decipher test.
