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Dad's PSA result received today

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User
Posted 08 Sep 2017 at 14:11
Hi everyone just wanted to say that Dad got his first PSA level today since being diagnosed in Feb. His original stats were G9 N0M0 PSA 19 locally advanced spread into seminal vesicles. He was put on hormone therapy immediately and finished radiotherapy mid July. So the PSA result today was 1.6. Obviously elated it has come down but what should we feel about this level? I was of the opinion it 'might' be 0. something and now I feel confused as to whether this is a good result or not and am just looking for people's thoughts. Love as always to everyone. PenP.
User
Posted 08 Sep 2017 at 19:32

Hi PenP, I think you had set yourself an unreasonable expectation. Men that have had surgery and no longer have a prostate should see their PSA fall to 0.1 or less but it is completely different in your case as Dad still has a prostate which will generate some healthy PSA. The general pattern seems to be that his PSA will continue to fall and you will see his lowest score somewhere round 18 months after the RT finished.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 08 Sep 2017 at 23:49

Hi PenP,

Your Dad was put on HT (and presumably is still on it). It is this that usually results in a quite quick reduction in PSA. (Mine dropped from 17.6 on diagnosis to 1.5 3-4 month's later, that is before I started RT. RT kills some cancer cells quickly but damages the DNA of others so that in the process of dividing they die. This ongoing process can extend for 18-24 months. It means that PSA figures where HT/RT is given have to be considered over a much longer period than for surgery to form an opinion on the likelihood of how successful the treatment has been.

Barry
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User
Posted 08 Sep 2017 at 19:32

Hi PenP, I think you had set yourself an unreasonable expectation. Men that have had surgery and no longer have a prostate should see their PSA fall to 0.1 or less but it is completely different in your case as Dad still has a prostate which will generate some healthy PSA. The general pattern seems to be that his PSA will continue to fall and you will see his lowest score somewhere round 18 months after the RT finished.

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 08 Sep 2017 at 19:51
Hi Lyn thanks ever so much for responding and for the reassurance. Still on the journey of trying to figure it all out! x
User
Posted 08 Sep 2017 at 23:49

Hi PenP,

Your Dad was put on HT (and presumably is still on it). It is this that usually results in a quite quick reduction in PSA. (Mine dropped from 17.6 on diagnosis to 1.5 3-4 month's later, that is before I started RT. RT kills some cancer cells quickly but damages the DNA of others so that in the process of dividing they die. This ongoing process can extend for 18-24 months. It means that PSA figures where HT/RT is given have to be considered over a much longer period than for surgery to form an opinion on the likelihood of how successful the treatment has been.

Barry
 
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