Thank you all for all the information you provide, truly a life-saver. First PSA test 3 months after treatment shows 1.54, last test prior to treatment was 4.87. Meeting with Doctor on 10/22 to discuss. Feels a little high, is this within expectations?
Thank you all again!
Congratulations, that's excellent.
Thank you TA, your response is very helpful for my mental health!
If not on ADT along with RT it is good and will probably continue declining in the future.
Thanks Justfor_, yes no ADT. Appreciate the reply!
It’s a very good number - congratulations. Be prepared for it to bounce up and down for a while. I’ll share my chart with you and hopefully it will put you at ease. In retrospect, I’m glad now for the increases in PSA after significant drops because studies show they lead to better outcomes. It’s taken me 3 years to get back down to the result I had 3 months after treatment. I probably have a couple more years to get down to below 1, if I even get there. One doctor, who has years of experience in HDR Brachy (Dr. Chris King who treated Tall Allen), looked at my chart and said my nadir might be 2. He also said I don’t necessarily need to go lower and that my numbers showed no cancer in there. It wasn’t until the last 6 months I was absolutely confident that I was In a really good spot. It can be a stressful journey post treatment but you should feel really good about this first result.
Thank you curtisbirch, your experience is mentally comforting and with others here helps me not to panic if the next few PSA's bounce up. You also re-set my expectations of what my acceptable nadir can be, as you read so much about very low numbers. Glad your treatment has worked so well for you and that you are in a good place!
My pleasure - glad my experience helps you. I feel like there is a serious lack of information on bounces after RT, even from the best doctors. When we are told "expect bounces" or "bounces are a sign of good outcomes", it isn't fully empathetic to what the person being treated is going through. It is a highly scary feeling to see a bounce because there's no way to know for sure, in your mind, what is and isn't a bounce. It's a common theme everyone seems to have here. We all want guaranteed answers and it's just impossible to have that in this situation. Also everyone is saying "just relax" but that doesn't help either. So every time I heard someone going through this and then came out of it with a chart that showed bounces that lead to a lowering PSA (over time), it was a huge help to me. On that note, I'll post my latest chart because it seems to be one that isn't the norm. My PSA has been hovering around 2 -- so that's what Dr. King said could be my nadir. That number seems to be quite a bit higher than what all of us are lead to expect.
That is a great number post procedure! Congratulations! To ease your thoughts a little, I had HDR-BT as a mono therapy a year ago and my numbers are as follows: prior 6.4 ng/ml; every 3 months post treatment: 1.66; .841; 1.080; 1.720. I've been told it should calm down in another 3 to 6 months as I've hit the bounce and not to worry. Regards.
Thanks, your note is really helpful for me to mentally prepare for a bounce also! It feels like at this point after treatment it's more of a mind game to sit tight, be patient, and not get to worked up. Wishing you the best!
A very good result indeed. I am jealous - my recent 3 month PSA after sole SBRT only dropped from 4.9 to 2.98. I did realize later my wife had jumped me a mere 10 hours before the blood sample was drawn, so that may have had an effect. I'll keep her away next time!
The very best reason for a higher PSA! Thanks for sharing and good luck on the next one!
With a high risk Decipher I wonder why there was no ADT for a period of time. Personal decision?
Yes, my doctors gave me a choice of 45 IMRT & ADT or 25 IMRT & HDR Brachy. I also think it depends where you go, UCSF generally recommends HDR Brachy.
PSA 6 months after RT
12 months post HDR Brachytherapy
3rd PSA test after surgery (9 months)
PSA Levels almost 6 years after HDR
PSA Ultrasensitive 0.015 six months after prostatectomy
