HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

PSA Rise immediately following radiation?

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 3/22/2019 9:26 PM (GMT 0)
I've had a steady PSA decline the past 18 months (see sig below). Taxotere last year; Currently on Lupron, xgeva and Zytiga/prednisone. The past four months, PSA had settled to 0.4. This month I had 10 RT sessions to zap a bone met on my hip, and one other spot in the same area that a bone scan saw as suspicious. All that went went, then the week after RT, PSA rose to 0.8. I've heard that RT can "shake things up a bit," and that a PSA reading may not be as accurate until later on. Does anyone have any info on that? Trying not to worry.... Thanks, Steve
Posted 3/22/2019 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
The theory is that when PC cells are zaps, the release the PSA they had. PSA stays in the blood for a while before it's flushed out of the system, so killing a bunch of PC cells all at once can temporarily raise your PSA.

PSA post RT can be a bit bouncy before it settles down.

All you can do is watch and wait.

Andrew
Posted 3/23/2019 1:38 AM (GMT 0)
I was doing monthly PSA tests and my doctor stopped my PSA testing during my radiation since he said the numbers wouldn't be accurate while that was going on. Unfortunately, I can't recall when I restarted taking PSA tests. Did your RO give you any guidance?
Posted 3/23/2019 5:51 AM (GMT 0)
Thanks guys. Appreciate the feedback. My RD defers to my OD for future scans, etc. My OD ran labs plus a psa when I was there for lupron and xgeva shots, 5 days after last of ten RT sessions. I’m not sure he knows how much RT can mess with PSA, which is kinda disappointing. I use three ODs, so I’ll consult the others for their opinion. Thanks again!
Posted 3/23/2019 4:16 PM (GMT 0)
After salvage radiation my psa went from .19, .10, .08 to .11. So we keep testing and wait .
Posted 3/23/2019 4:28 PM (GMT 0)

Hello!

I had nine weeks of radiation every day for nine weeks, last year ...

At that time, my radiologist said he did not believe in giving PSA tests during the series of treatments, because he did not want to cause undue worry or anxiety, waiting for the treatments to be over and for PSA levels to "settle down" ---

Stay in touch with your doctors, be proactive, and hopefully, your PSA will level off, now that your treatments are over.

Handshake from a comrade, from across the miles, wishing you my very best,
CYCLONE ~ Iowa State University
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply