Before you start Erleada, your doctor will order certain tests to check your prostate cancer. During Erleada treatment, they will monitor your response to the medication on a regular basis.
They will use the following tests to monitor the cancer and see how it responds to treatment:
PSA test. Your doctor will likely order prostate-specific antigen (PSA) tests for you. A PSA test will check your prostate cancer’s response to treatment. Both normal prostate cells and abnormal cancer cells make a protein called PSA, which appears in your blood. The levels of PSA in your blood are higher when prostate cancer is growing. With this test, your doctor will take a blood sample and measure your PSA levels.
Digital rectal exam. Your doctor can check the size of your prostate by doing a digital rectal exam. (During this exam, your doctor inserts their finger into your rectum and examines your prostate.) This exam allows your doctor to check the size of your prostate and see if you have any pain in your prostate.
Imaging tests. Your doctor may order an imaging test (such as a CT or MRI scan) to check the size of your prostate. These tests also help your doctor see the organs around your prostate gland.
Prostate biopsy. Your doctor may order a biopsy (tissue sample) to be taken from your prostate. The biopsy results help your doctor identify what type and stage of prostate cancer you have. This test is sometimes needed to see if the prostate cancer is improving with treatment.
Hormone levels. Your doctor may order blood tests to check your levels of male hormones (such as testosterone) during prostate cancer treatment.
If you’re at risk for bone fractures, your doctor will check the health of your bones. This is done by measuring your bone density on a special imaging test. This will help your doctor decide whether you need a medication to help strengthen your bones while you take Erleada.