PSA 3 months after completing radiation tretments.

Hi Ace64 

It doesn’t sound quite right. Can you give some background to how you got to this point; initial PSA and Gleason score and any other information/treatment 

L

Hi Ace64 , are you able to supply any details about your diagnosis (Gleason, TNM & previous PSA readings)?

Snap - great minds think alike…David2017 

• Psa was over 16 before my radiation treatments. Gleason score was 4/3. Had 27 treatments and heading back on Monday to see my Oncologist for my 3 month check up. I received my PSA score for my recent blood test at 2.7. Im not sure what other information that I can give you. I just would like to know what my PSA should be at after 3 months.

• Psa was over 16 before my radiation treatments. Gleason score was 4/3. Had 27 treatments and heading back on Monday to see my Oncologist for my 3 month check up. I received my PSA score for my recent blood test at 2.7. Im not sure what other information that I can give you. I just would like to know what my PSA should be at after 3 months.

Hi Ace64 , it doesn’t look too high to me at 3 months. Unlike having your prostate removed, where the PSA should drop to close to zero, with RT the prostate is still generating PSA.  The low point of PSA (called the nadir) is seldom before 12 months but often up to 18 months after being zapped.

If you were having HT as well, I would anticipate a lower score, but without HT it looks normal. The direction of travel from this point is now important, so I would be hoping for less than 2.7 next reading.  There is also a phenomenon called a PSA bounce at around a year after RT where the remaining cancer cells give off an increase in PSA when they are dying.  Hope this helps and please let us know what the onco tells you on Monday.

Hi Ace 64

I think it's too early to read much into that, mine was 1.33 6 months after treatment finished, what was the reading before treatment started.

Hopefully the next reading will have gone down, mine continued to go down for 8 years after RT was over so u need to give more time 

Best wishes 

Steve 

Radiotherapy does not work instantly its effect is cumulative over a couple of years after treatment. During this period your PSA should decline to it lowest point (the nadir) then settle to a stable value.

As you still have a prostate this value will not be undetectable.

Bottom line is its too early to tell and the main thing is that your PSA is on a downward trend. A PSA nadir of below 0.5 is also a good indicator that your treatment has been effective.

Rob (Sandberg)