Masturbation post prostatectomy and radiation. Will it affect PSA?

@firespooks
Doesn't make any sense to me either.

So your prostate was removed and riding a bike would no longer cause irritation to prostate. But he said not to ride a bike prior to PSA?

Then he said to you that riding the bike would not have any effect on the PSA test?

If I had him for my oncologist I would be asking him WHAT?

Original Poster again. So another thought. After radical prostatectomy 12 years ago plus recent salvage radiation still have a PSA due to metastasized cancer cells which they can't locate, but they are there somewhere. If you still have testicles, and not on Androgen Deprivation Therapy, then my thought is masturbation or any sexual activity does release testosterone which "feeds" the hidden cancer cells, which might enhance prostate specific antigen as the cancer cells proliferate. The metastatic cancer cells are somewhere in your body, whether or not you have a prostate gland and as they proliferate or spread your PSA will rise. SO my guess is that because testosterone release with sexual activity "feeds" those cancer your cells that have metastasized your PSA will rise, and probably sexual activity should be stopped or minimized.

If you still have testosterone producing testicles after prostate removed,androgen is still being produced by the testicles (thus androgen deprivation therapy) and sexual activity activates androgen release which feeds the residual cancer cells that didn't get removed and have metastasized to other parts of your body that were left behind after surgery. If you have a PSA above 0.0 cancer is somewhere, even after surgery and radiation.

Knoctor, I was just about to post that but you beat me to it! Great masturbating minds think alike…
I’ve read ( and perhaps it’s incorrect) that even sexual arousal increases T; but no one has ever studied T levels before and after sexual activity, so nobody really knows how big the increase is…big enough to stimulate cancer growth in a single event? Big enough to change your PSA by a clinically significant amount? Don’t think so…

PSA is a specific protein in the prostate.

If your prostate is removed and you have cancer elsewhere that responds to the additional increase in hormones would this not help diagnose that you still have prostate cancer cells somewhere in your body?

These are questions our urologist should be answering. PSA levels rising when you have a prostate is a response to irritation, infections, cancer, etc.

Not a medical professional but this seems to be a real in depth question on PSA realatoinship to cancer when it is no longer in prostate as you do not have a prostate. I really don't have any experience or knowledge on this so can only add to the discussion with asking questions to those who do have more experience and knowledge with this.

WITH a prostate you can irritate the prostate if riding a bike , having sex etc ... so you have to be carful on irritation and a high PSA level . this is most logical . Now WITHOUT A PROSTATE, you could still have prostate tissues in are ( very small if at all though ) and your Dr, could be talking about those loose fragments . Potentially they( loose random prostate cells either cancerous or perfectly normal cells ) could get irritated potentially too . This COULD be what your Dr is talking about (?) .

I still have my prostate. I had radiation and ADT at the start of Tx. My PSA dropped to 0.09 after 6 months and has continued to drop. Now after 12 months my PSA is at 0.02. I have another PSA test coming up in just under a month. This next reading if it stays at the current level of 0.02 or less, I told I can come off ADT.
So back to the occasional masturbation - will that affect my level for the next test and change if I can or cannot come off ADT. I've been told that I should try to stay active with some form of sexual activity - in other words - use it or lose it.

@pcrich
The ongoing medical advice I get from my R/Os, and PCP that if you have a prostate to not ride a bike prior to test (I was told a week for me) as can irritate the prostate can may give a higher PSA number from being irritated not from a growing cancer.

I was told too about the vigorus sex but at 78 with an ICD/Pacemaker that is not an issue. I think sexual activity is important both physically and mentally for both you and your partner.

You are on ADT a hormone therapy. That therapy is going to supress testorone and retard prostated cancer cells if they are present. I was not on ADT or hormone treatments. My original PSA was 3.75 (but had been rising every 3 months for years) and now two years later after 30 rounds of proton radiation the last PSA was 0.10

Many labs are different where they consider PSA non detectable so all are not the same nor the same for all urologist or R/Os. I know my Mayo PCP and my R/O are very happy with my PSA level. The goal of my UFHPTI R/O was a PSA below 1.

I am an advid biker and ride 20 miles. When not training for Sprint Triathlons use a hybrid bike with special seat that does not irritate my prostate. When training for triathlons I use a race bike with the dreaded long nose seat. For both bikes I will not ride for at least a week prior to a PSA test.

For some since all our bodies are different they may need to stop the bike riding and vigorous sex much longer depeding on the advise of their urologist or R/O.

If you are not making Testosterone, your testicles will shrink. If you are not getting regular blood flow to your penis, it will shrink. Daily sex, masturbation, or a penis pump will help keep blood flow to your penis. 5mg of Tadalafil daily will also help.

Thanks, appreciate your response. Yes, my testicles did shrink - I'd say by at least 50%. And yes, I lost a good 2 inches in penis length. This has had tremendous impact on my overall negative self-body imagine. I'm remined every time I shower, urinate, or get un/dressed. Part of the fricken ADT journey. It is a lot of work for me now to masturbate daily compared to just a year ago when I did it 1-2 a day. Add to that the loss of libido and ED worsening. I was already prescribed 20+ mg tablets for ED. Thus, I think 20 mg daily would be too much, so I do try to take 20-40 mg of Sildenafil at least a couple of time a week for exactly what you suggest (blood flow). A small problem lately is that when I get up at least 2 times a night to pee, I have a slight erection, and the urine flow is slower. Good thing - I might be able to stop ADT after a year on since my PSA has been 0.02 awhile. Already see a slight increase in libido.
Could this be a sign of somewhat getting back to the way things were before.