Data first, drama second.
PSA monitoring on active surveillance is a bit like running. You know your PB, you’re desperate to beat it, can it be lower this time. The expectation creates anxiety. Having control of the data helps. I’m a bit of a maths geek so have created spreadsheets for monitoring and predicting progress. PSA velocity using linear regression and PSA doubling time using exponential regression. It will predict when I’m 12 month from my PSA reaching 20. We’ll have some fun where you can!
A Week after choosing AS. I got a call from the surgery. A blood test is required within two weeks of the 18th Feb. Booked for the 24th so now I have my first monitoring appointment. The hospital will not be involved in monitoring. The GP surgery and TrueNTH will do that. For now the mind meanders:
• Best case: “Still flat. Another victory lap.”
• Worst case: “It’s doubled overnight. Pack the bags for radiotherapy.”
• Most likely case: “Up 0.2. Could be inflammation, lab variation, or just because it’s Tuesday.”
All good, then you read a post on the forum about someone whose PSA jumped from 12 to 25 in six months and suddenly you’re convinced yours is doing the same. The truth is, for most men on AS (even the higher-risk CPG 3 ones like mine), the PSA doesn’t rocket upwards. It creeps, plateaus or even dips. And when it does move, we’ve got time to react. We are now on a slow boat and the journey continues…
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