Hi,
Just wondering what a good PSA results would be after finishing hormone treatment 6 Months ago, for prostate cancer. And had radiotherapy 3 years ago. My recent test came out as 0.12 which was up from 0.03 the previous test. Not had any feed back yet so not sure how I'm doing.
Hi Roger1,
Thanks for getting in touch and welcome to the online community. I hope you are finding it useful.
My name is Fiona and I’m one of the Macmillan cancer information nurses.
I’m sorry that you haven’t had any feedback on your prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels yet.
After radiotherapy treatment for prostate cancer, it can take up to 2 years to reach the lowest level of PSA. The PSA level can also rise after radiotherapy and then fall again. This is known ‘PSA bounce’. It can take up to 3 years for this to happen. This is normal and doesn’t mean that your cancer has come back, or you need more treatment.
After hormone therapy, the PSA can remain low for months after the injections stop. The PSA usually rises after this and then stabilises.
Your cancer team monitor your PSA to see how effective treatment has been and as part of your follow up. You would usually need more that one rise in PSA level to be concerned about possible recurrence. The doctors would also look at how quickly it rises.
On the Support Line we are separate to the NHS and do not have access to medical records or NHS systems. Your treatment team are best placed to explain your results and what they mean for you.
I hope this information helps. Please feel free to get back in touch if you want more information or support.
Best wishes,
Fiona P,
Cancer Information Nurse Specialist
You can also speak with the Macmillan Support Line team of experts. Phone free on 0808 808 0000 (7 days a week, 8am-8pm) or send us an email.
Ref: FP/AP
