Post RP and External RT PSA

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User

Posted 10 Apr 2019 at 16:44

I have scoured the online community for an answer but am yet to find if it exists here.

I had RP in 2014, my post RP PSA lingered at 0.1 for a few months but then rose and when it got to 0.24 I was offered salvage external RT. This took place in 2016. Thereafter, the result was a satisfactory 0.1 but last October it had risen to 0.2. My oncologist says it could be a mere test variation or indicative of recurrence. Equally, it could indicate urinary tract infection. My next blood test will soon show if this was a one-off or something more worrisome.

My reason for posting is to ask f anyone knows whether post RP sexual activity resulting in dry orgasms can raise PSA as pre-treatment sexual activity is claimed also to do? I am minded to avoid such activity until after the test but it would be helpful to know if there has been any published research on this subject.

User

Posted 10 Apr 2019 at 18:30

Without a prostate I don't believe sexual activity impacts PSA readings.

Lyne may have a different opinion.

Have had bone scans etc??

User

Posted 10 Apr 2019 at 19:38

Since you have no prostate or ejaculatory orgasms, other stimuli like cycling and anal stimulation will have no effect on your PSA.

Cheers, John.

Edited by member 10 Apr 2019 at 21:59 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 10 Apr 2019 at 20:00

It is ejaculation that can raise PSA temporarily, not sexual activity per se. Even then, the rise is thought to be around 10% and it falls back to normal level quite quickly.

There is a separate school of thought that exertion can raise PSA temporarily so many post-treatment men will avoid sex, cycling, heavy gym sessions, etc just before their routine monitoring test. In reality, it is probably just that trying to do the same things each time allows us to believe test results are as reliable as possible - John cycles and / or goes to the gym most days so if he didn’t go before a test and then the test level dropped, we wouldn’t know whether it was a good result or simply because he had missed the gym. Tracking his results, there appears to be a rise every August after a month in France of cycling, eating meat & cheese, etc.

Even if sexual activity could affect PSA in a man without a prostate, it wouldn’t explain the doubling.

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

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