You have to give everything a chance to work, otherwise you may be measuring a PSA bounce. That's the higher reading you get when Pca cells die they give off PSA.
No need to have PSA sooner. PSA goes up during radiotherapy because of prostate cancer cells dying. I had my first PSA test 3 months after prostate radiation, which is typical.
Seems like your oncologist is right. You are responding well to treatment and your physical attributes are strong ... it does seem that you will be able to keep on keeping on for a good ole long time . The fact that your oncologist is casual with your psa tests demonstrates a lot as well . ( I’m every 30 days and two weeks on some ). I think you can take that deep breath you have worked so hard for ....relax and chill for a while. You doink gud brother ... and it’s working for you.
I am on every 3 months, I did monthly during radiation and I saw a steady drop during that 9 weeks. I later learned here I should have waited for the radiation until I hit nadir but nothing I can do about that now. I got my most recent PSA test result yesterday and I am happy to say there's no change which is good. While I am not seeking upper body size I am also seeing increased fitness, mine is on a bike. I continue to see improvements in speed and distance. I monitor it closely and hope it gets better until if all goes as planned I get off the meds in 10/21. The hope is permanently off meds but even if it is for a period of time I will be looking forward to see what the return of T does for my times and strength. It would be the start of the cyclocross season if covid doesn't stop it next year as it did this year. So looking toward the future and enjoying each day as it comes. Hope your journey stays as positive as it has been up until now.
"Prostate Specific Anxiety" over PSA tests is nearly universal for most men in the beginning.
In my anecdotal experience (click profile name for details), if I had had PSA tests every 3 months and "rounded them off" (at least mentally) to the nearest whole number, it probably would have made little difference in my overall treatment options/decisions. As the months and years pass with relative stability most of the time, a 3 month PSA test interval most of the time can also keep one's calendar more clear for "better things" to do and to think about "in real life" than having 2 or 3 times more lab appointments and needle sticks. It's a trade-off. Keep up the discussions with your doctor.
Had my Dr appt last night and I finally agreed to do all test every 3 months which is what he wanted a while back but I wanted to monitor my bloodwork closer. I agreed to 3 months for everything and realized how freeing that felt after I said it.
I have gone through similar psa anxiety and have had it measured monthly as well as quarterly, even semiannually once. Looking back at it I feel that monthly was a bit unnecessary but certainly helps the anxiety a lot. I mean that is the best sign of what is happening as time goes on and it is the most important thing to know. We need to know if the cancer is progressing or not. PSA as I see it is a measure of the amount of prostate cancer in my body. I don't rely on it as 100 % accurate but I have to know what is going on with it. I do various self-applied dietary and other techniques that I want to know if they are effective. In eight years I have only managed to lower my PSA twice without hormone therapy. And those were relatively small decreases. But it helps to monitor frequently, I think monthly is best for me. Also I have metastasis, perhaps more concerning than your case.
Tall_Allen already said it but to reiterate, any kind of stimulation can increase the PSA reading, including radiation , so you might expect the PSA to be higher after rad therapy, for a few months. I suppose that is why they wait after rad therapy. So you might consider that when you get your reading.
I am becoming a echo: PSA also stands for Permanent State of Anxiety. You do your immune system harm by obsessing over this number. You note many signs of improvement and good health. You see a gratifying fall in your PSA. Do you really want to face this anxiety more often?
After chemo my husband’s oncologist had us come in for PSA every 3 months, to coincide with his lupron injection. After the first rise it was monitored monthly. His oncologist always asked how he was feeling, and said that is just as important an indication to her as any bloodwork numbers.
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