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5 Years Since Completion of Proton Radiation
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 16 hours ago | Replies (14)Comment receiving replies
It has been 16 years since 2.5 months at Loma Linda for proton radiation therapy. PSA: 6.47 Gleason 3 plus 3. Slow growth prostate cancer localized. Upon learning from two biopsies, I returned to the US while selecting proton radiation therapy as the best option...and it was. About five years ago, my PSA began to gradually increase.
May of 2025 it was 7.43; May 2026 it was 12.4.
I have had two PET scan..one just two days ago, plus an MRI backed up by a PET scan one year ago. The results show nothing..no uptake in the prostate indicating prostate cancer. "Uptake" is a term the radiologist use as a function of the chemical used to "highlight" possible cancer. Cancer cells tend to bond together, and the radioactive chemical injected into your body binds to those cells, hence "uptake". Bottom line: "Go figure". I might add, no enlargement of the prostate indicating BPH or other.
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@westernflyer Wow! 16 years - that’s great!
With your PSA increasing (7.43…12.4), and your PSMA PET scans showing no uptake in the prostate, a few thoughts:
> is there uptake anywhere else (other than the standard blood, liver, parotid glands, etc.)?
> since you were treated 16 years ago, and there were no PSMA PET scans back then, is it possible that your prostate cancers are PSMA-negative (or don’t produce enough PSMA to be detected)? They say that happens with about 15% of prostate cancer patients.