Psa Bounce After Radiation Therapy For Prostate Cancer: Keeping An Eye On The Ball

prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland. It is measured in blood and is a useful tool for monitoring people who have been treated for prostate cancer. Does PSA elevation after radiation, whether in prostate seed implant and / or external beam radiation therapy, always means disease recurrence?

In the past, PSA elevation after a prostate seed implants or external beam radiation therapy is considered a harbinger of prostate cancer relapse, often prompting expensive tests and invoking a lot of patient anxiety. Then, when the PSA level rose to 10 ng / ml or greater, men were placed on hormonal therapy. Since the latter is associated with a number of unpleasant side effects, it is advisable to refrain from the use of hormonal therapy, unless potrebno.Onda the question: When you rise in the PSA level does not mean that cancer has returned?
This phenomenon is known as a PSA bounce, in which the PSA level jumps up within one to three years after the man ended zračenja.Razina PSA finally returns to the base to be achieved only after treatment. PSA bounce May be caused by the death of the damaged cancer cells to release their PSA.

PSA bounce usually starts with less than one point (less than 1 ng / ml) increase in PSA level. Also, elevated PSA level after three years are less likely to be part of the bounce, and unlike the bounce, rising PSA level more than 1.2ng/ml are less likely to fall back to its starting point.

A recent study collected data on 7500 men treated for prostate cancer with radiation. Almost half of these people have found that the PSA bounce. However, there was no negative impact on their survival. In fact, these people are gone as well as men whose PSA does not bounce. Also, patients who show such a PSA bounce less than two years after treatment May be less likely to have cancer return later.

More good news is that now doctors are aware that the elevation level of PSA does not necessarily mean prostate cancer has recurred, men whose PSA pillows after radiation therapy can be accompanied by their physicians, who can repeat the PSA blood test six months later .