Post RP PSA and exercising

You have no prostate so you have nothing to stimulate. Shouldn't be a factor anymore.

You're using an ultra-sensitive test on which you have to expect some variance. It's possible some tissue was left behind. Testing every 3 months seems prudent.

I just registered here because I liked what read on an old thread while surfing the web.

I had radical DaVinci prostate surgery last September that removed the entire prostate, the nerves around it, 11 lymph glands and "reconfigured" my lower bladder. My three month psa was 0.013, and 6 months was 0.041. The surgeon asked me to have another test in 30 days; 3 weeks from now.

Has anyone here had similar numbers to the above? I have also read today that 30% of us that had prostate surgery have to continue on to other means of killing the cancer; true??

I am 65 years old and wonder what some of you have actually experienced. I will be asking my doctor(s) questions too, but wonder what you guys that have been through it in real life have experienced.

Tom, I was put on Hormone therapy for three months prior to the operation therefore a Gleason score could not be reliably given post operation.

Originally biopsies indicated 3+4 70%, 4+3 32%, 3+4 100%, 4+3 60%, 4+3 40%, 3+4 17%.

The previous three years PSA level went from 4 to 7 to 17. My GP didn't seem to put very much weight on the PSA level at 7, so I took no action. At 17, he directed me to a urologist the same week.

I'm kind of floundering, but am hoping that someone who had similar experience has gone through. I meet with the surgeon, in person, again in June if not before.

Thanks Peter,

I was very happy to hear from you, the moderator, and put a little extra weight on what you have to say.

I was given a four month injection of Lupron prior to surgery. I did so for a couple of reason, but the main one was the availability of Dr James Porter of the Swedish Urology Group in Seattle. He has an outstanding reputation as a DaVinci surgeon and has had DaVinci prostate surgery himself!

The post op pathology report regarding the "Gleason's pattern score: see comment". Comment says "Diagnosis comment: The previous Lupron treatment makes grading unreliable".

The edge samples found two places where the cancer went right up to the tumor edge, so he was very interested to see my PSA level each time.

I have a lot of faith in Doctor Porter and I'm looking forward to our next sit-down face to face meeting. But, while he did tell me that radiation therapy would be a possibility if needed, he didn't tell me that there would be up to a 30% chance I would be faced with it. He simply may not have wanted to unnecessarily worry me, but I want to know what to expect. That is why I made the original post here.

If there is another guy who had the hormone therapy, then radicle prostate surgery, I would be very interested in what they experienced over the following year or two. I also know each of us is different.

Thanks again, I appreciate any input you and other "experienced guys" have to offer.