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Raised PSA 2 years after Brachytherapy

User
Posted 16 Jun 2022 at 16:43

Hi Everyone,


I haven't been on here in a while, I had Brachytherapy 2 years ago and everything has been going in the right direction but at my 6 Month PSA has come back at 1.79 and thats up from .72 6 months ago, my Cancer Nurse is checking this and is to come back to me but she said that there is some times a bounce in the PSA after 2 years. Has anyone else any experience of this ?

User
Posted 20 Sep 2022 at 08:29

PSA bounces aren't well understood. There is a research paper which mathematically models the effect of the immune system mopping up old cancer cells which fits the observation. That isn't proof this is the cause, but is the best guess we have.


What we do know is that people who have PSA bounces tend to have better outcomes, and it tends to happen in younger patients with better immune systems. PSA bounces are usually hidden by hormone therapy, and so only seen on those not on hormone therapy after radiotherapy.


It helps to understand that radiotherapy doesn't immediately kill all the cancer cells, but does render them unable to divide and multiply, and hence no longer malignant. Those that survive the radiotherapy will then go on to die of old age or be mopped up by the immune system over the next couple of years. This isn't normally how cells die - they normally kill themselves (apotosis) when just past their best so your body doesn't have a lot of old cells in it, but this function is usually broken in cancer cells, leaving them to die much later of old age.

User
Posted 17 Dec 2022 at 15:00

Just to update this post, I have had a further PSA test and my PSA is now 0.59

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User
Posted 16 Jun 2022 at 20:11

That's a sharp rise Dram but as long as your PSA stays below 2.0 + your nadir (the lowest PSA reading you have had since the brachytherapy), there is no problem. You still have a prostate so some 'healthy' PSA will be produced.


 

Edited by member 16 Jun 2022 at 20:13  | Reason: Not specified

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 16 Jun 2022 at 20:23

Thanks LynEyre,


0.72 was my lowest, so it was a bit of a shock. Appreciate your reply.

User
Posted 19 Sep 2022 at 18:35

So just a short update on where I am with this which may help others confronted with the same situation.


I spoke to my Consultant shorty after I got this reading and he advised me that some patients who have had brachytherapy experience a spike in their readings after 2 years, they do not know what causes this.


Had my PSA taken again last week ( 3 month interval ) and it has come down to 1.35 so going in the right direction and as LynEyre says I still have a prostate !


 

User
Posted 19 Sep 2022 at 19:19
👍
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 20 Sep 2022 at 08:29

PSA bounces aren't well understood. There is a research paper which mathematically models the effect of the immune system mopping up old cancer cells which fits the observation. That isn't proof this is the cause, but is the best guess we have.


What we do know is that people who have PSA bounces tend to have better outcomes, and it tends to happen in younger patients with better immune systems. PSA bounces are usually hidden by hormone therapy, and so only seen on those not on hormone therapy after radiotherapy.


It helps to understand that radiotherapy doesn't immediately kill all the cancer cells, but does render them unable to divide and multiply, and hence no longer malignant. Those that survive the radiotherapy will then go on to die of old age or be mopped up by the immune system over the next couple of years. This isn't normally how cells die - they normally kill themselves (apotosis) when just past their best so your body doesn't have a lot of old cells in it, but this function is usually broken in cancer cells, leaving them to die much later of old age.

User
Posted 17 Dec 2022 at 15:00

Just to update this post, I have had a further PSA test and my PSA is now 0.59

User
Posted 17 Dec 2022 at 16:57
Excellent news. I'm delighted for you.

Chris
User
Posted 17 Dec 2022 at 17:27

Very good news DRAMCF, interesting to see one of these spikes played out in real time. Nice to see PSA can go down as well as up.

Dave

User
Posted 17 Dec 2022 at 18:10

Hi Good news on PSA, My PSA took long time to drop over six years compared with people that had Robotic Surgery but as Lyn said with Brachytherapy you still have some prostate left so it still produces PSA.


It's good to here from other Brachytherapy members good luck.


John.

User
Posted 20 Jan 2023 at 20:09
2 years and a bit post Brachytherapy and PSA started rising but seems to be plateauing off. Was non-detectable for a couple of years then 0.02 ug/L, then 0.08 ug/L and now 0.17 ug/L all at three month intervals.

Seems this remains a constant state of concern even after a few years.

If big pharma weren't so concerned with their bottom line I'm sure we'd have the definitive cure through something like Antineoplaston therapy with Dr. Dr. Stanislaw Burzynski.

I'm happy to see others posting good news!!
User
Posted 20 Jan 2023 at 22:41

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
... plateauing off. Was non-detectable for a couple of years then 0.02 ug/L, then 0.08 ug/L and now 0.17 ug/L all at three month intervals...


Carl you still have a prostate. Healthy prostate cells will be producing PSA. I'm five years post HDR beachy, my PSA bounces between 0.1 and 0.2 . I can't see much point in worrying until it goes above 2.1 (in fact can't see much point in worrying then, though I would look into further investigation).

Dave

User
Posted 21 Jan 2023 at 01:39
Looks like a great result to me, Carl!
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
 
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