← Return to Post prostatectomy: What do rising PSA levels mean?
DiscussionPost prostatectomy: What do rising PSA levels mean?
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: May 26 4:55pm | Replies (188)Comment receiving replies
Replies to "I had radical prostatectomy July 2013 at 53 years old. Test yearly always came back <.1,..."
I agree with the other comment that it is no reason to panic, but you should learn the facts and work with your doctor to come to the best resolution. I had a radical prostatectomy in December of 2000 at the age of 55. My Gleason score was 7 (4+3) although there was some debate about it being 8. My psa was never less than 0.1, but was around 0.11 or 0.12 (don't think people use the more sensitive readings much any more). I thought I was done with prostate cancer, but then in 2015 it went to 0.15 and in 2016 to 0.26. There was one questionable margin from the surgery so my doctor thought the recurrence might be local. I had bone scans which showed nothing and the thinking was that the recurrence was in the prostate bed. I had 6 months of ADT starting in March of 2017 and 7 1/2 weeks of radiation which ended in October of 2017. My psa is now less than 0.1 and I had no permanent affects from the treatments and am back to not worrying about prostate cancer at 76. Hopefully this is just a small bump in the road for you like it was for me.
No reason to hit the panic button.
You may have BCR with .2, another PSA test with a .3 or higher.
If so, you'd have done decisions to make, treat, when, with what?
Image or not? The newer scans can detect reasonably well at around .5. If so, that could inform your treatment decision.
If the clinical data supports treatment you'll have choices. A combined therapy involving radiation and ADT may be a choice, 6 months some studies say, 18 others. Radiation may include prostate bed a pelvic lymph nodes.
You may not treat too if the clinical data such as PSA doubling and velocity times which indicates aggressiveness. If PSADT is greater than 12 months you may just continue to monitor and treat later if needed.
There are other options than ADT too.
Do your homework, inform yourself, discuss with your medical team. You will have time to make a decision.