PSA remains after treatment (surgery, Eligard and radiation)

Your PSA dropped significantly after treatment. It seems to be working and it is trending down. However, you could try emailing your Urologist with your question so you can have an answer before your appointment and hopefully put your mind at ease?

@perrychristopher i was just expecting/hoping for 0. With no Prostate and Eligard, plus radiation..thank you for your answer appointment for Eligard Monday

I'm not sure if a PSA test will ever read absolute zero, especially with the ultra sensitive test. That is an excellent question for your doctor. I read PSA can keep dropping up to 2 years after radiation.

Thanks I the I am just letting Dr Google make me crazy.. I do appreciate your time&words

vjlvpjalways, curious what your diagnosis was prior to radical prostatectomy? I have my 90-day post prostatectomy coming up next week at Mayo-Rochester and I'm trying to prepare myself for positive or negative news. I was Gleason 7 (4/3), negative margins, no invasion of lymph nodes (based on prostatectomy pathology)

Best of luck with your current and any future treatments.

Jim

There are two tests for PSA.

For years we measured to a single decimal point and our definition of "undetectable was

PSA 5.3 at Prostatectomy
Gleason 9, clean edges, seminal vessel and lymph nodes. prostate was 50% involved..
PSA @ 8 weeks >0.1
Our urologist got removed from hospital?? Not a clue why, so new referral this Urologist wants the ultra sensitive testing, getting a 12 week returns @ PSA 0.18 and a referral to radiology oncologist 16week PSA 0.28 20week 0.331 (doubling time 2.5months) bringing on Salvage Radiation 39tx and 2 years Eligard..(3rd one Monday)
So with that your Gleason is a little nicer place to be..best wishes with your appointment

My PSA was 11.6 in March of 2021 right before I my prostate was removed RRP.
Post surgery May 2021 PSA was 0.37. July 2021 PSA. 0.56. September 2021 PSA 0.69. Then 7 weeks of salvage radiation. Post salvage radiation Dec. 2021 PSA had risen to 1.29. PSA continued to rise throughout 2022. Nov. 2022 PSA was 6.56. Dec 2022 PET/CT scan found the cancer had metastasized to a lymph node near my upper right lung. Feb. 10 2023 PSA 10.63. March 02 2023 PSA 12.12.
I did change medical groups during treatment. I sought out a Urological Oncologist.
All those numbers sound pretty scary, but my reality is I feel well. And I have been able to handle all the side effects of treatment well. Yesterday I spent the day at Robert H Luri Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University preparing for a clinical trial of a new prostate cancer treatment. I will also get radiation to the lymph node.
All the numbers can be stressful especially when waiting to see your Doctor. I guess my advise would be to focus on the things that make you happy not things that we can't control. Try to eat the most healthy foods you can. Try to get regular exercise. And surround yourself with people you love.
Life can still be good even when dealing with cancer.
I wish you all the best. Please feel free to contact me if you have any question.

Thank you, I feel both bad and blessed at being forced to change urologist.. side effects of treatments have been mild..surgery opened up 2 hernias so surgery scheduled in 2 weeks for those.. eating good staying active and very hopeful with fear at the same time..
Again thank you it’s really comforting..

Thanks so much for the reply and detail you provided.