How long after radical prostatectomy did you see a rise in your PSA?

It took 3 1/2 years for my PSA to rise to .2 after having a prostatectomy. I then had salvage radiation.

I know people that had it happened immediately, And people that had it happen after 20 and 30 years.

There is no standard for how long it takes to have a rise in your PSA after a prostatectomy.

Did they have clean margins when you had your surgery? What were the results of the biopsy of the prostate after your surgery? That can tell you a lot.

Having a decipher score can tell you your chance of having a reoccurrence after surgery.

I did not have a biopsy post-surgery, nor does my Doc feel Decipher is useful.
The margins “were mostly clean.”

4 mos.
Had SRT and 2 years of Orgovyx. SRT ended 08/12/22 and stopped Orgovyx on 06/01/24.
Since 11/28/2022 and as of 08/28/25 PSA Result of < 0.006 which is undetectable.
Next blood test in a few weeks.

Good Luck to you!

@chipe In a sense he is correct, since Decipher is useful BEFORE treatment and kind of irrelevant afterwards.
‘Mostly Clean’ is a lousy way to phrase a very important aspect of your pathology; but for the sake of argument, let’s assume ‘mostly’ means not completely.
Your rising PSA would seem to suggest something is still there and its pretty quick rise usually means it’s coming from cancerous cells…not always, but usually.
Fourteen months is pretty early to see an increase in PSA but yours is still very low and will probably show nothing on scans. Your best bet is probably PSA’s every 2-3 months to plot the velocity of the rise. If it continues on its current course you’ll need to see a RO to discuss SRT - probably with ADT. Best,
Phil

My PSA, and a friend's, were detectable at 1st PSA test 90 days post-op and another friend became detectable in the 1st year.
All 3 of us had Salvage Radiation Treatment with short term ADT in 2023 and have been undetectable (my PSA < .02) since.
Sorry for your recurrence. As @heavyphil noted, a PSMA pet scan likely and hopefully will be negative below .2 PSA, suggesting strongly that residual PCa cells remain in the prostate bed and pelvic lymph nodes.
Sounds like you are being followed closely, which is nice to hear, and if your PSA continues to rise toward .2, or if the Pet scan finds something, your Oncologist/Radiation Oncologist will suggest a program of SRT.
Disappointing and upsetting, but hopefully only a speed bump and not a sinkhole.
Best wishes.

Timeline seems similar to mine; I did 39 Salvage Radiation Treatment starting 18 months post op. Then 10 years of < 0.01. Now working lymph node metastasis. Only had 1 year Lupron during radiation, nothing since.
PSMA just posted.

Prostate Cancer is definitely a marathon not a sprint.

I am so sorry to hear that : ((( You HAVE to know your post op pathology report - demand it ! If it had any aggressive and worrisome features (gleason 8 or 9 ), Cribriform of IDC, EPE, positive margins , seminal vesicles involvement etc. it is the best to have so called "early salvage" according to the newest research papers. Early salvage actually can start at PSA 0.05.

I am wishing you the best of luck < 3

PSA wasn’t detectable at 4 mo follow up with surgeon but a month later it was 0.12 at annual physical. Started salvage radiation and 6 months of ADT right at 1 year post op PSA .28
6 months after the ADT wore off and 21 months post RT it was detectable again. That was 2 years ago, MO says probably micro metastatic from the very start. Doing well. Dreading having to go back on ADT.

@dlcd - I hear ya Bro - My ADT experience was a total nightmare

Latest PSA at 1.7 so we know the return to ADT #€// isn’t far off. Hoping the few years older will make it less difficult. Not ready to be old with $#!+ for brains at 62. Grateful for a clinical trial and liquid biopsy monitoring that has given me this current break.