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New to Prostate Cancer with a boatload of questions, but who to ask?

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Oct 10, 2023 | Replies (44)
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@narus

I was treated with proton beam radiation for prostate cancer in 2021. There was no indication of anything wrong with the DRE and my PSA was like 4.3. My PSA actually went down to 4.0 on one test before treatment. The whole PSA test leaves a lot of leeway for error. I also have gotten different lab results depending who did the test. One lab shows me at .2 and the other comes back at .14 and this is constant over multiple tests.

They need a better test and am surprised that the 4K score is not used for monitoring
I do my PSA now every six months and as long as it does not change I am happy. Not sure what I would do if it starts going up as I would rather die a slow death than take Lupron again.

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Replies to "I was treated with proton beam radiation for prostate cancer in 2021. There was no indication..."
benice268 | @benice268 | Jul 28, 2023

I was told to go to the same lab for PSA tests because different labs may use different ways to analyze/produce the results.

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jc76 | @jc76 | Jul 30, 2023

When I was treated at UFPTI their research showed that PSA should be done at the same lab each time PSA are taken. The researched showed there can be difference in PSA test from one test tube to the next even from same lab. Different labs even more.

I have not had PSA taken since my treatments as have to wait 3 months. I questioned the PSA being such a gold marker and not subsequent biopsies or MRI, etc. I was told in past PSA was being discouraged but changed when higher diagnozes of cancer started happening. PSA is only present from prostrate. If it is rising means either irritation or cancer. Thus monitoring it after treatment helps determine if cancer is recurring as it will raise the PSA.

I agree I wish there was a more specific test that could be done for the cancer. Because PSA rising could be irritation and not cancer. A normal PSA level does not mean you don't have cancer nor a high one meaning you do have it. But I guess it helps guide medical providers. I wonder why PET scans are not used after treatments as was told cancer can be seen as different from normal tissues and organs with the PET scan with added injection will show.

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