HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

PSA creeping up

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 1/13/2012 3:01 PM (GMT 0)
4 months ago (and more) it was at 0.10. Yesterday's test was 0.16.

Erwin and Tim said it's still not high enough that we need to take action. But I think I need to get more ready, mentally. I know a lot of guys here have been through the same thing.

DJ
Posted 1/13/2012 3:06 PM (GMT 0)
DJ,

By your signature it looks like you had positive margins. I think you should consider salvage radiation. Don't wait too long.

Posted 1/13/2012 7:05 PM (GMT 0)
I put my finger on the radiation trigger when my PSA hit 0.1. When it hit 0.2 I'd already decided what I was going to do, who my doctor would be, and the outcome. I just pulled the trigger as fast as the paperwork would allow. Still don't know if I got the third one right but the other two panned out okay.
Posted 1/13/2012 8:40 PM (GMT 0)
DJ, I am right there with you, waiting for it to reach the trip the radiation cycle. My recent ones are:

05.11 .08
09/11 .14
02/12 ??

Looks like we are almost matching each other. Maybe we can get a '2fer' when the time comes.. devil In any case, my team says no radiation until the standard second above .2. Some start earlier, some I've seen start when it changed from .04 to .06. I guess it depends on the docs and the patients risk acceptance factor.
Posted 1/13/2012 10:06 PM (GMT 0)
DJ,
Did you ask when they might want to take active steps. Amazingly, after I walked out of Tim's office he was certain that I needed to take additional steps before a PSA rise. Also when he came out to speak at our group he pointed out that early intervention is a key to successful disease management after a rise in PSA post prostatectomy.

Tony
Posted 1/13/2012 10:31 PM (GMT 0)
DJ, my friend, sorry to hear of this rise. If it were me, I would wait one more testing cycle, and if it goes any higher at all, I would begin the process of talking to the SRT folks. You have gotten almost 3 years out of your surgery, I only got 9 months, so you have done pretty well considering that you show a positive margin.

You don't want to jump the gun, but when and if needed, SRT might be your future. It's possible your numbers may be more like JamesC and Sephie's husband John were dealing with. Pulling the trigger is always the hardest decision, I mean, when to pull the trigger.

Good luck,

David
Posted 1/13/2012 11:02 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks to everyone for responding. I guess the one silver lining is that the rise is so long after surgery, that the rate is still pretty low, so I don't feel bad about waiting for the next test. But I will be thinking about it.

James, good luck on your upcoming test. If you're lower than me, all the better for you!

Tony and Dave, I'm thinking about emailing you directly.

DJ
Posted 1/13/2012 11:03 PM (GMT 0)
Kewl. Or you can call me too, it would be nice to chat...

Tony
Posted 1/13/2012 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
Would love to hear from you DJ, and we can talk by phone later if you wish.

david
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply