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PSA climb after radiation

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Posted 10/15/2013 5:28 PM (GMT 0)
I had IMRT, and my psa has been slowly rising at each 3 month check. 0.3, 0.9, and now 1.1. I heard it bounces, but this seems to be just going up. I also had hormone therapy just during radiation, which is finally out of my system and my testosterone level is up around 500 now - maybe this is a factor. Should I be concerned about treatment failure?
Posted 10/15/2013 5:53 PM (GMT 0)
When HT is combined with RT, it really muddies the waters..The HT is what brought your PSA way down, not the radiation..We need more information to give you any kind of answer..Was radiation your primary treatment? What was your PSA to begin with? Gleason score?

Hey, welcome to the club, glad you found us but sad you needed to find us...

One thing to remember..unless you have had surgery too, you still have a prostate gland and it's still going to produce a little PSA..You may just have to give it some time...
Posted 10/15/2013 6:12 PM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW. Sorry you need to be here but it's a good place to be.

Like Fairwind mentioned, the HT is a confusing factor here. Radiation will get the PC but the prostate is still there so rising to 1 or even 2 might not be unexpected. Keep watching the PSA and I'd bet the number will level off at some point. It can take a couple of years before you hit a stable point after IMRT.

The rise does seem to be slowing which I'd take as positive sign.

Have you asked your RO about this?

Andrew
Posted 10/17/2013 1:07 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys that helps. I have an appt with my RO and Uro this month..

Dave
Posted 10/17/2013 2:06 AM (GMT 0)
Dave,
I hate to recommend hormones to any man, but your 3 month course does seem very short--when you talk to your uro ask him about it. The increase may be a bounce but a short course might not hurt. I was told it takes 1/1/2 years for radiation to kill the buggers so maybe the hormones could help.
Strictly my uneducated view!!!""
Bill idea
Posted 10/17/2013 12:39 PM (GMT 0)
And just to help understand why it takes time - the RT does not directly kill the PCa cells. It damages the dna in them such that they can not replicate. So as they should naturally be dividing more than dying off, the effect is to stop the division. But those older ones still have to die off, and you will still have them out there producing PSA until they do.
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