PSA after Prostatectomy

[Archives1]

Got my first PSA test back after surgery, and 0.01. Doctor said I was good. But I have a friend who got to 0.2 after 4 years and was told he needed to start radiation.

Just curious what the results were for others.

 

[Archives1]

Mine coming up Feb 17th, I'll let you know.

 

[Archives1]

Did the pathologist report show that they got a clear margin? Mine was not a clear margin. One year later my PSA was .09. Therefore, I went through 38 radiation treatments and hormone therapy. I would wait and monitor it. The radiation caused me to be incontinent.

 

[Archives1]

Yes, everything came back clean after surgery. But was expecting it to be 0.0

 

[Archives1]

My opinion would be to monitor it again in 6 months.

 

[Archives1]

That’s what the doctor said. Just curious what everyone else had on the PSA. Naturally we go through the surgery with the expectation we removed all the cancer. Thanks for your input

 

[Archives1]

Good luck. I think you will be fine

 

[Archives1]

Ideally, your post-prostatectomy PSA will be undetectable, or less than 0.05 or 0.1 nanograms of PSA per millilite. That's an excerpt from an article. They say PSA can be produced by other parts of the body.

 

[Archives1]

https://www.healthline.com/health/prostate-cancer/psa-after-prostatectomy#results Here is a link

 

[Archives1]

Do they check and see did they get all cancer by doing a PSA?

 

[Archives1]

I am wondering if anyone has been told when you are considered cancer free after your prostatectomy? It will be 3 years in April since mine. So far, my psa has come in at .03/undetectable. Am i safe? I am still incontinent, and will probably be so the rest of my life. I am closing in at 73 yrs. on this planet. I am getting used to needing to wear a diaper. My main concern, obviously, is that cancer doesn't return. Has anyone had their psa levels be undetectable for a number of years, and then begin to increase?

 

[Archives1]

My first reading was 0.3 ng. I'm not sure if the units in the UK are the same as the US? Phil

 

[Archives1]

Are folks having their first PSA test 6 weeks or 3 months out from surgery? The PA I met with after having my catheter removed said that 3 months is their standard time interval, but I've seen other recommendations for 6 weeks.

 

[Archives1]

Mayo Clinic Florida 3 months

 

[Archives1]

@derkaiser my first test was about 3 months

 

[Archives1]

Mine was a little less at 2-1/2 months, with another PSA test scheduled in 6 months.

I have seen publications that say if you make it to 5 years without it rising, you are good. My friends PSA rose on the 4th year.

 

[Archives1]

Good to know Kirk, thanks!

 

[Archives1]

Thanks Gkimp, physlink, and Kirk!

Florida - that explains all the walking. I'm thinking walking? On snow on top of ice? No thanks! (I'm in Wisconsin)

They have my PSA testing scheduled every 3 months for the first year, every 6 months for the second year and annual after that.

 

[Archives1]

I had tests at 2 months and 5 months and both were <.01 which the doctor tells me is considered "undetectable". Next up, March test will be almost 12 months.

 

[Archives1]

@Kirk
Even in people with a Negative Surgical Margin (cancer totally confined within prostate) some of them see a rise in PSA after a period of time. You Do want to regularly monitor your PSA. You Do Not want to worry for an unknown number of Months or Years. If the cancer does come back, in most people hormone therapy alone will keep it at bay for several years. Radiation would be a No-Go for me.
Of course, if it gets in the pelvic bone, you're fucked.
Stem cell and other treatments now in clinical trial will be coming online soon.
Just hang in there, live your life, and cross the "my cancer is back" bridge if and when it happens.