Anyone get PSA Test Angst days before that post-treatment PSA test?
Anyone else get this the days or week before that post-treatment PSA test? When I had my kidney cancer, I spent a year waiting for "the other shoe to drop" and while not as severe this time (likely desensitized from the very bleak 12 months after my last cancer), I sort of feel the same. Just short of a year past RARP and each PSA test feels like I'm in Vegas rolling dice and I'm a bit on pins and needles until I get it over with and they tell me "undetectable".
I'm sure I'm not alone. Again, I have to remind myself about who continues to come to these forums, so when I read the regular accounts from guys who had my same Gleason and got RARP two to five years ago who are back because the PSA jumped it just causes my heart to miss a beat - even though I realize there are probably 100X as many guys out there who will never see it rear its ugly head again.
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@heavyphil
Shrinking the prostate helps ensure no flow problems. Rezum destroys the cells within the prostate. Fewer cells fewer chance of developing cancer. I'll ask about the PSE test. The diagnosis of the urologist is dependent on the MRI and test results each exam.
@heavyphil That’s an interesting point (about shrinking the prostate but not the cancer).
It used to be said that using Finasteride made prostate cancer worse. But, later data showed that Finasteride simply led to a higher detection rate of high-grade cancers because it shrinks the prostate, making biopsies more likely to find them,
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3 Reactions@capatov just got new six months post IMRT + HDR + six months ADT Orgovyx treatment.
My new PSA is at .1 but testosterone is only 158. I think I should be very encouraged at the PSA but my testosterone seems very low?
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1 ReactionAfter an RP and salvage radiation/ADT, the PSA testing routine has become a part of life - although a few weeks before the test my thoughts about it and my situation begin to ramp up. Curiously, I am at peace when I have the test but the anxiety hits (increased heart rate, clammy hands, butterflies in the gut) the moment I check the results. It's like the anticipation is worse that the event.
I never check the results in the evening - the results could ruin a good nights sleep. I do that by mid morning even though they may be available by previous afternoon. Whether good or disappointing news, it gives me the day to internally process the results (I'm a slow processor) and let others know what is going on (inquiring minds need to know).
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3 Reactions@capatov
It is likely your testosterone will rise higher soon. Here are the results of a study.
Overall, 74 of the 137 men in the relugolix (Orgovyx) cohort recovered to testosterone >280 ng/dl, with a median time to recovery of 86.0 days
You can read the whole thing here
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2588931123002900
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3 Reactions@jeffmarc thank you for this info. Much appreciated!
Yes, PSA angst is awful!! I have been on the roller-coaster for 11 years now. After my prostatectomy and radiation 11 years ago, every 3 months waiting to make sure it was still undetectable. Then after 9 years, my Psa began to rise quickly. My doctor said he thought it was hiding somewhere, and he was right. Did a PSMA petscan and it showed 11 lymph node tumors. So yes PSA angst is awful, but God is good. I trust in Jesus my Savior and Lord. And His word says in Roman's 12:12, Paul says, "Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer ". That's what the Lord has taught me. And I have had 11 more years and I am hoping for maybe 11 more, even with Psa angst!
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3 Reactions@jeffmarc I would have to agree. We are all human and have emotions. Being able to feel is a gift. I just got my 6 month post BCR treatment results and it is good news. Will feel a little lighter for the next 5 months and 25 days. Best wishes.
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2 Reactions@capatov From your post 6 months ago: "Learned Something New Last Week,
@capatov, Jul 29, 2025. While meeting with my NP 3 months post IMRT and HDR treatment for Gleeson 4 +3, PSA 7.1 I learned something new. When I asked if my 3 months post-treatment PSA going from 7.1 to 0.04 could be largely due to the fact that I was on my last week of 6 months Orgovyx/ADA therapy vs. the impact of the radiation. ..."
and yesterday's update of "new PSA is at .1 but testosterone is only 158. I think I should be very encouraged at the PSA but my testosterone seems very low?"
Based on your experience, I confirm what my RO told me last October when my PSA was 0.22 "six months post-SBRT /6 months of Orgovyx." She prepped my mind with the possibility of PSA getting higher than 0.22 this month of January 2026 when I will have my next blood draw, about 9 months post-SBRT and 3-1/2 months off Orgovyx -- woul;d be normal as long as the PSA rise correlates/can be explained by a corresponding increase in T. Your concern of "T only 158" is the opposite of what I like, to be lower than that so that my PSA 0.22 won't rise too much before it would start going down again until becoming undetectable two or three years post-SBRT.
You were already undetectable July or earlier a year ago, I think that was super-excellent compared to mine. I hope your PSA will stay well below 2.0 post-treatment and then back to undetectable again. Wishing you the best.
Everyone. My most stressful will be this November, the first test 3 months after completing 18 months of Orgovyx. Currently PSA and Testosterone are < .01/“undetectable,” so I’m hoping the first stays down and the second begins recovering. All the best for your journey.
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