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Suggest Treatment For Elevated PSA Levels In A Person With Prostate Cancer
Question: I am 79 and had a radical prostatectomy 16 years ago. My PSA re-emerged a year and a half-later, and I had radiation to the prostate bed. Since then my PSA stayed in a range between 0.2 and 0.8. Six months ago it was up to 0.9, and now it is 1.31. What if any treatment is indicated? What are my best treatment options?
Brief Answer:
antiandrogen therapy/ repeat radiation
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question. I am sorry you are having this experience. The rate of rise is slow and that is a good sign. Still it is concerning that it is rising. On way to slow this down would be anti-androgen therapy. This can be done by removing the testes or by anti-androgen medications. Testosterone (the primary androgen) is the hormone that drives the progression of prostate cancer and decreasing it can decrease the rise. Repeat radiation to the prostate bed is another option. Your doctor may also want to do a bone scan to make sure the cancer has not spread to bone. If it has then chemotherapy may be indicated.
I hope you get a good result with your treatment.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
antiandrogen therapy/ repeat radiation
Detailed Answer:
Hello and thank you for your question. I am sorry you are having this experience. The rate of rise is slow and that is a good sign. Still it is concerning that it is rising. On way to slow this down would be anti-androgen therapy. This can be done by removing the testes or by anti-androgen medications. Testosterone (the primary androgen) is the hormone that drives the progression of prostate cancer and decreasing it can decrease the rise. Repeat radiation to the prostate bed is another option. Your doctor may also want to do a bone scan to make sure the cancer has not spread to bone. If it has then chemotherapy may be indicated.
I hope you get a good result with your treatment.
Regards,
Dr. Robinson
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
No follow up question. Just a suggestion: You may wish to read XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX et al, "Current Controversies in the Management of Biochemical Failure in Prostate Cancer," Clinical Advances in Hematology and Oncology, 10:11 (November 2012). This would help you formulate a more cautious, nuanced answer to the next person who asks the same question I have. In a couple of hours I have gained much more authoritative information from journal articles than you have supplied. I will use this information to ask relevant questions of my urologist. Thank you for teaching me a valuable lesson: don't seek generic advice from services such as yours; do the research yourself, and consult directly with specialists.
Brief Answer:
thank you for that feedback
Detailed Answer:
Unless you request a specialist your questions go to primary care doctors on this service. We give you the best available information that we have based upon our clinical experience and education. We are not urologists or specialists. I suggest that if you seek specialist advice you let healthcare magic know that that is what you are seeking. They do have specialists on this service but you have to ask specifically for them
I hope you do well in whatever treatment you receive
Dr. Robinson
thank you for that feedback
Detailed Answer:
Unless you request a specialist your questions go to primary care doctors on this service. We give you the best available information that we have based upon our clinical experience and education. We are not urologists or specialists. I suggest that if you seek specialist advice you let healthcare magic know that that is what you are seeking. They do have specialists on this service but you have to ask specifically for them
I hope you do well in whatever treatment you receive
Dr. Robinson
Note: For further queries related to kidney problems Click here.
Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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