My first PSA after EBRT: What kind of... - Prostate Cancer N...

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My first PSA after EBRT

RenoPatient profile image
11 Replies

What kind of score when I get my 6 month followup PSA after 45 sessions of EBRT?My previous score was 7.8 with a Gleason 3+4.

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RenoPatient
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11 Replies
Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

Mine was about half. No set pattern - just down over time.

RenoPatient profile image
RenoPatient in reply to Tall_Allen

Thanks Allen! I am Howard Hertz' brother by the way--he is in Berkeley and I am in Reno.

Don_1213 profile image
Don_1213

Are you on adjunct ADT? (Lupron or the like..)

RenoPatient profile image
RenoPatient in reply to Don_1213

No, just had 45 sessions of radiation. Thanks!

LeeLiam profile image
LeeLiam

Some have a smooth downward trend with radiation. Others, like me, have a rollercoaster ride with numerous PSA bounces. Radiation kills cancer cells by damaging the DNA but the cell doesn't die until it attempts mitosis (splits). With a more aggresive cancer, the cancer is splitting rapidly and dying quickly and the PSA drops suddenly. With less aggressive, it takes longer to reach nadir. Along the way, a large number of cells may split and die simultaneously releasing PSA and causing a bounce on your blood test. My PSA history is as follows:

Biopsy PSA dx 13.8

seeds 10/23/06

external beam 11/06 - 01/07

3.2 (1/23/07)

2.2 (4/23/07)

2.5 (10/23/07)

3.2 (1/23/08)

3.5 (4/23/08)

5.6 (6/26/08)

7.5 (10/23/08) bounce peak

6.0 (11/23/08)

3.7 (3/15/09)

3.4 (7/23/09)

2.3 (11/6/09)

2.7 (3/23/10)

3.7 (7/25/10) bounce peak

2.4 (10/16/10)

0.8 (2/22/11)

0.5 (10/17/11)

0.2 (5/3/12)

0.2 (10/24/12)

<0.1 (5/3/13)

nadir

0.1 (9/15/14)

0.1 (11/27/15)

0.19 (11/17/16)

0.4 (06/09/17)

0.4 (10/23/17)

0.71 (07/20/18)

1.1 (02/18/19)

1.4 (08/19/19) still bouncing

RenoPatient profile image
RenoPatient in reply to LeeLiam

Thanks for your input.

curtisbirch profile image
curtisbirch in reply to LeeLiam

Really appreciate this info as I haven’t seen anyone’s bounces laid out like this. Everyone says PSA bounce is a good thing after radiation as studies show that those who bounce more and take longer to reach their nadir have very good long run results. But still there can be unease and discomfort as you see your PSA go up, even if your doctor says don’t worry. So thank you very much for this —and if anyone else has PSA numbers to share that show us what a bounce looks like, please post those as well. .

45RPM profile image
45RPM in reply to LeeLiam

wow quite a wild ride to be sure LeeLiam :)

RonnyBaby profile image
RonnyBaby

Nadirs via radiation treatment tend to be a bit higher than those who also have an ADT component in the treatment plan.

I recall reading of examples where a radiation nadir was around or below 1.0, which was considered to be a great result.

When you compare that to numbers others get using ADT (. > < 0.002) and you'll see a different set targets and expectations.

I point to trends or typical results that I've seen published, often enough. Of course, it's not a black and white thing ....

RenoPatient profile image
RenoPatient

Thanks for your help!

fldrifters1 profile image
fldrifters1

I am starting my 4th year after my 45 fractions of radiation ....I also had a 6 month Lupron shot. My first PSA after treatment in early 2017 was a .7 , it has steadily dropped to the new low of .2 So happy with my treatment decision....15% ed now....testosterone in the 500`s.....slow stream , but was always somewhat slow...take generic flomax once a day.....good luck...and happy holidays to you !!....~David

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