possible to detect BRC by changes in in blood parameters before PSA up

Posted by denis76 @denis76, May 18 2:00pm

Good afternoon, friends!

This might be a stupid question.

Is a biochemical recurrence of cancer characterized only by an increase in PSA? Or are some blood tests, such as lymphocyte or red blood cell counts, likely preceded by changes?

It's logical to assume that the immune system is starting to work, and this is visible in certain blood tests. Am I wrong?

In other words, can certain blood tests predict the onset of a biochemical recurrence of cancer?

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

Jeff Marchi | @jeffmarc | May 18 5:18pm

The standard is to wait until your PSA Starts to rise. There are certain number of people whose PSA will not rise very much because they don’t produce PSA. In those cases a PSMA PET scan Or one of the other types of pet scans might be the only way to see if there is a reoccurrence. There is no standard Blood test that has been used to do this.

Maybe something like a PSE test might work.

bens1 | @bens1 | May 19 5:36am

@denis76: from what I have read, the PSE blood test can detect a biological recurrence earlier than PSA, in many cases, because it measures epigenetic immune‑cell signatures associated with prostate cancer activity, not PSA production. PSA requires cancer cells (or benign prostate tissue) to shed antigen into the blood, which often lags behind true biological recurrence. It is worth having that discussion with a doctor who understands the test.

clevelandguy | @clevelandguy | May 20 7:08am

Hi,
Probably a good idea if your insurance will cover the cost. With the slower growth of most prostate cancer the time to earlier notification might not be needed?

Dave 3+4

heavyphil | @heavyphil | May 21 6:05am

There are no stupid questions - especially when it comes to this crap! There really is no way a rise in WBC’s or other lymphocyte class is going to point to PCa at this time. Only specific markers relating to the prostate such as PSA, PSE and some urine tests can show a reason to look further.
But have no doubt that someone down the road will find ‘molecule X’ in the blood or urine of all men who have higher grade cancers and require treatment.
Phil