PSA Question

You have PC, so you have your prostate removed completely.
Lets say one year later your PSA is 1.5
This is an indication that the cancer has returned, correct?
However, if your prostate is removed, how can your body produce a Prostate Specific Antigen?
I'm just a little confused on this.

As explained to me by my Medical Oncologist, the adrenal gland produces about 5% of all Prostate Specific Antigens and will sympathetically start to produce more in the absence of a prostate gland. Additionally, metastasized lymph nodes and bones can manufacture more tumors.

Mitch128

Post Edited (Mitch128) : 3/2/2011 4:55:08 AM (GMT-7)

Bitman, not true. My understanding is that all prostate tissue generates PSA with diseased tissue (e.g., cancer, BPH) generating higher amounts more rapidly. If the prostate is removed and the external nerve bundles are spared, benign (non-diseased) tissue can be left behind and will generate PSA. Since the PSA from healthy tissue is generated slowly and gradually, it often dies off on its own.

A PSA of 1.5 12 months after surgery is a sign that the surgery was not successful in removing all diseased tissue. The usual protocol for PSA testing after surgery is to check the PSA every 3 to 6 months for the first year or two (depending on the final pathology report). Hopefully, your question is a hypothetical one.

Adrenal gland can make some 'T' which can fuel PCa, . Once PCa moves anywhere in your body(it is always PCa, bones, lungs, whatever) it can set up shop and generate a PSa number. There are some variants or aggressive PCa's that don't give off much PSa to measure(more of an exception in PCa)...so this is why you need onco-docs to monitor various things to determine what is going on. This is far from simple science.

Post Edited (zufus) : 3/2/2011 10:46:45 AM (GMT-7)