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← Return to Post RT 6 years after RP with Rising PSA now at .28.
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Post RT 6 years after RP with Rising PSA now at .28.
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Oct 5 7:14pm | Replies (39)Comment receiving replies
It's good to be proactive but the "doing something" is limited. I'm told that if the source of the rising PSA is still the site where the prostate was, further surgery nor radiation is not normally an option. Usually the next step is androgen deprivation therapy. And I'm told this has a good success rate. I'm also in this position but not quite there yet. My Gleason was also 7. I wasn't told that I had a positive margin until 2 years post RP when I had SRT. My last two levels were .2 six mos ago and .14 last week. My urologist and my radiologist do not have an explanation. The possibilities so far are that surviving healthy prostate tissue, which does regenerate is causing this. Or it could be surviving cancer cells at the treatment site (My radiologist doesn't believe this to be possible). Or there has been a metastasis. I'm being told that when the level is consistently above .2 it should be possible to see what is causing the PSA to rise with a PET scan.
Replies to "It's good to be proactive but the "doing something" is limited. I'm told that if the..."
@zhit Boy, the idea that ‘healthy’ cells survived ADT and radiation as another possible reason for PSA rise really confuses the whole thing.
No way you could ever know!
Phil
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@zhit
My PSA was undetectable after SRT, Not everyone has it happen immediately.
The cells get damaged by the radiation and can die over time, Sometimes people wait three years before their PSA hits the minimum after radiation.
The fact that your PSA has continued to go down is a good sign. It could mean that the cells that got radiated are dying off, But in your case, they are taking a little longer than expected by the doctors.