Dr. Roach: Dr. I am 90 years old. About 20 years ago, I had prostate cancer and had 43 weeks of radiation. Last year, my PSA level increased slightly from .03 ng/mL to .09 ng/ml. An internship suggested that he would take a pet scan. Do you think this is needed?
-HL
Dear HL: If the PSA level rises after radiation treatment for prostate cancer, some prostate cancer cells may survive and grow. The general threshold to worry is 0.2 ng/ml, and if the PSA continues to rise, it is expected to reach about one to three years. This situation is often called “biochemical recurrence”.
If the PSA level rises rapidly, or if there is a very aggressive tumor (determined by a pathology called a glycony score and knowing this information of an internship or urology specialist), this will be more concerned. On the other hand, the PSA level is still quite low and 20 years has passed, so the risk of prostate cancer can grow so big enough to bother you in a lifetime.
I recommend that you meet a urologist who has more experience than an internship like me. If the PSA is more than 0.2 ng/mL, some urologists receive PET scans in this situation. But I am not sure if you need it. The following depends on the PSA level confirmed within 6-12 months.
Dr. Roach: Dr. A healthy 65 -year -old wife take a large amount of vitamins and supplements supplements a day. Her doctor says this is okay, but it seems to be more than 12. Does a large amount of vitamins and supplements actually have a beneficial effect? I know that I need vitamins, but to this level? Can a large amount hurts?
-SW
Dear SW: Many research is designed to determine whether supplementary vitamins and minerals benefit healthy people. As a group, they have not been able to show any advantages to the quality or length of life, so I do not recommend vitamins or mineral supplements to healthy people.
Some people prefer to treat symptoms with a supplement and have some effective supplements. But it sounds as if your wife is staying healthier, and I don’t think they are effective for doing so.
If the dose is not much higher than the recommendation, it is rare to get serious side effects in vitamins and minerals. Nevertheless, she is probably wasting money on these supplements. Most of the patients I have said this often have been taking them for several years, so I’m reluctant to stop. Or it can be difficult to change people’s minds with new information, confident that supplements are helpful.
Dr. Roach: Dr. I got two doses of shingles vaccine. Is this enough? Do I need chickenpox too? I can’t remember if I went through chickenpox as a child.
SRE
Dear SRE: SHINGRIX vaccines require two doses. SHINGRIX vaccine is a vaccine provided to people with chickenpox or chickenpox vaccines. This includes more than 95% of people aged 50 and over and the shingles vaccine is designed. It is recommended to receive chickenpox vaccines or test immunity before obtaining shingles vaccines.The reader can send a question by email to Toyourgoodhealth@med.cornell.edu.
