Psa raise 5 years after brachytherapy

User

Posted 26 Jun 2020 at 22:36

I think it would be worth you asking for a full print out of the PSA history as it just doesn't make any sense to go from 0.7 in Spring 2017 to 0.01 at the next test and men simply don't see a PSA of 0.01 after brachy unless they are on hormone treatment. If the decimal point has got a bit muddled and the readings went 0.78, 0.76, 0.7, 0.1, 0.1, 0.1, 0.5, 0.7, 0.9, 1.1 that would be a classic trend post-brachy.

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

User

Posted 27 Jun 2020 at 06:20

My husband usually just phones up for psa results. Like yesterday. Then writes it down. He’s got it all in a book. Then he has to phone it through to the consultant at the hospital. Though last time there was a recorded message saying the consultant or his secretary were not available for the foreseeable future. I am assuming due to Covid so obviously no message left

On one occasion he had a print out because he had cholesterol etc. taken at the same time. I read the print out too. It definitely said 0.01 I will look at his written down figures.

I have suggested he call again with the new results as he may be back now. Hopefully the consultant will pick up on it raising. Though he did say he’d only see him back if it gets up to 2.

That is a good idea to ask for a print out. Thanks. He Can show the urologist then.

User

Posted 27 Jun 2020 at 15:20

Increasing PSA could be due to some regeneration of cells in the Prostate which is quite usual with a previously radiated Prostate or could be a new tumour. If the latter, the chances are small at present of it being found in a scan with a PSA so low. I would not be surprised if consultant wants another PSA test to check whether the last one was a spike for some reason or showing an accelerated upward trend, perhaps in 3 months or sooner. However, we know that consultants can differ in the way they react to PSA results, some seemingly being more proactive in instigating more tests/treatment than others. You have done what you can and I don't think can do more for the time being pending. I think it will be more for an oncologist to take forward if PSA continues move upwards more steeply.

Barry

User

Posted 27 Jun 2020 at 17:29

Thanks for reply Barry. Yes I guess we’ve done all we can. I think the pain he’s getting is worrying him more than the psa raise really. So now we just await an appointment with urologist. GP hasn’t referred him to oncology he will leave that to the urologist.

I suggested he ask the surgery for a print out of all previous psa readings, he said no, there will be a fee for that. He thinks the GP will put all the readings in the letter to urologist.

User

Posted 27 Jun 2020 at 17:48

Hi I had low dose Brachytherapy in September 2016 and it has only just reached 0.18 after 45 months with twelve monthly Psa tests.

Oncology seem happy with my results so far and i feel i have been very lucky with little or no side affects so far.

John .

User

Posted 27 Jun 2020 at 20:00

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I suggested he ask the surgery for a print out of all previous psa readings, he said no, there will be a fee for that.

You GP is not permitted to charge you for access to your patient records. The access has to be free.

User

Posted 27 Jun 2020 at 20:33

Thanks Andy. But if someone has to go through 6 years worth of psa and type it out I’m sure they won’t do it without a charge. It’s a bit different to actually accessing your records. I’m sure there probably is another way to access them.

User

Posted 03 Jul 2020 at 16:35

I have had RT, Brachy and Zoladex.

A year after finishing Zoladex, my PSA has risen from 0.1 to 0.18 and now to 0.22.

The Registrar discussed with the Oncologist and they have said no need for further tests until, or if, it reaches 2.0.

User

Posted 05 Jul 2020 at 18:26

You are entitled to all your medical records free of charge , I got mine which I found every interesting what you could understand , but the basics there history of the 20 fractions , history of psa tests etc , thank you Nhs I didn’t realise so many professionals involved in the treatment process !

User

Posted 05 Jul 2020 at 18:28

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I have had RT, Brachy and Zoladex.

A year after finishing Zoladex, my PSA has risen from 0.1 to 0.18 and now to 0.22.

The Registrar discussed with the Oncologist and they have said no need for further tests until, or if, it reaches 2.0.

all correct procedures AlanM

User

Posted 05 Jul 2020 at 18:31

Thanks.

I should think it would be a book the amount of times my husband has been to see the gp 😉

User

Posted 06 Jul 2020 at 00:47

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I have had RT, Brachy and Zoladex.

A year after finishing Zoladex, my PSA has risen from 0.1 to 0.18 and now to 0.22.

The Registrar discussed with the Oncologist and they have said no need for further tests until, or if, it reaches 2.0.

AlanM,

Raise in PSA is entirely expected as your testosterone level recovers. You still have a prostate, and it still has working cells, which will switch back on and start generating PSA.

It is useful to get your testosterone measured too when you come off hormone therapy, until it's back to normal. Without knowing where you are along testosterone recovery path, the PSA reading isn't very useful.

User

Posted 06 Jul 2020 at 00:51

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

They're not permitted to charge. They probably won't go through 6 years worth of psa and type it out, they'll just print (or photocopy) everything, and you have to search it.

In the case of my GP, they gave me online access, and I went through about 10 years, making sure I had everything (I was missing a few blood test results, which I found in there).

User

Posted 07 Jul 2020 at 11:37

They shouldn't have to go through records at all, they should be on the NHS system, so it's a case of printing out a time frame to get them all. They aren't allowed to charge for access to your records.

I had HDR brachy and EBRT, my PSA afterwards was all over the place for first 3 years but finally settled to <0.1 for the last 2 years. When mine kept climbing and they got concerned as it went near to 2.0, but thankfully still <0.1 at last weeks blood test. They said there could be some bounce as prostate still present and sort of working as already pointed out in a previous post, so that my be what is happening.

Good luck and best wishes in these difficult times.

Mike

Edited by member 07 Jul 2020 at 11:38 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 08 Dec 2021 at 22:28

I thought I’d just update to say psa is still rising. Only slowly. But each 6 monthly test it goes up for the last 8 years. In a post above I said it had jumped from 0.7 to 1.1 but after asking dh to get a printout it was 0.17. I thought he might have missed a zero. But we are now ay 0.9 (0.3 6 months ago)

I am assuming the cancer is returning. But I don’t think they will see him until the psa is at 2. So maybe in about a year. DH’s daughter has just found out she has the BRCA2 gene. We are assuming it’s coming from DH he’s had blood tests but will be a while until we find out.

User

Posted 08 Dec 2021 at 22:43

As per my previous replies to you - 0.9 is a great PSA result, your husband still has a prostate. Absolutely no reason to think the cancer has come back!

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

User

Posted 08 Dec 2021 at 22:48

Hmm. Thanks Lyn. However I’m not convinced. Too many rises. At the speed it is going up it’ll be 2 this time next year. On our printout it’s gone from 0.01 to 0.9 in 4 years. I’ll let you know in a years time.

User

Posted 09 Dec 2021 at 00:24

You are probably over-worrying - 0.01 to 0.9 is perfectly reasonable as healthy prostate tissue will have recovered after the brachy and will continue to do so. The rise in PSA usually correlates with the recovery of testosterone.

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

User

Posted 09 Dec 2021 at 07:51

Thanks Lyn. He didn’t take hormones. So i don’t know whether brachytherapy alone makes any difference to testosterone levels.

The other thing is the fact we know several others that have had the same treatment, plus a couple on here who had private messaged me at the time, all but one have had the psa remain at the low, not increase, the only one who’s has increased is now at 4 and seeking treatment.

I’ll let you all know in a years time. I do often look on here and have a read. But don’t comment.

Edited by member 09 Dec 2021 at 08:02 | Reason: Added something else.

User

Posted 07 Jan 2022 at 13:26

PSMA-PET can be seen as a miracle device. In fact it is incredibly useful but not in all cases. I would have thought yours was a textbook case for it. So if it were my prostate I would be asking for it. I hear the vastly-knowledgeable LynEyre and it is probably benign, but I hear you too and I can see why you think something is off. Given the stakes, for my prostate, I would want more than "probably". A scan would not be definitive but if it did find something you'd be in a great position compared to waiting. The trouble is all these criteria: 0.2 for surgery, nadir+2 for RT, are out of date in the modern imaging world. Imaging is a huge, huge change and these Drs need to adjust accordingly: it might not work but I'd be pushing them. Just my 2¢.

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Psa raise 5 years after brachytherapy

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