PSA at 3 months after radiation: Should it be lower?

Posted by giordi @giordi, Apr 9 5:09pm

PSA about 11.0 before Proton Beam radiation. Received 44 treatments. Now 3 months later PSA is 5.81. Should be lower?

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jrhamp | @jrhamp | Apr 12 7:16am

In reply to @slick64 "I received 5 high dose proton radiation and 3 shots of adt, will be a year..." + (show)

2010 2.5 months at Loma Linda for proton radiation therapy (the time currently with new procedures is much shorter). Gleason 3 plus 3; pre-proton PSA 6.47. Slow growth prostate cancer. As 2015, PSA at .1 or .2. then PSA began to rise to currently 3.49. The question is either a return of cancer or just normal growth or recovery? No one seems to know.

So, every six months a PSA blood test to determine the growth/change in PSA.

I use the VA system even though have TriCare For Life as retired Army Officer. I also did contact Mayo in Jacksonville for sometime in the future review and 2nd opinion.

If anyone has a very similar situation, please chime in. Thanks/Leesbur, Florida

cstrutt52 | @cstrutt52 | Apr 12 10:00am

With radiation treatment, it takes time. Your prostate was burned with radiation and is slowly going away. It will eventually stop, or nearly stop, producing antigens (the A in PSA). You just monitor it with a blood test every six months to watch if slowly go away.