Very High PSA 2 Years after Iodine Seed Implants

Hi. Around one third of all brachytherapy patients experience a temporary rise in their PSA. It is often thought that this is due to radiation damage to the cells resulting in lysis (cellular breakdown), where the cellular contents are released out, which causes the PSA rise. It is more often than not accompanied with a return of the urinary symptoms that were there early on. Also, it usally happens between 18-24 months for most men. All of that points to something like that happening. However, I have never heard or seen anyone having the type of PSA rise that you are having now. Any number that high can't be ignored. I don't know if you see Landis or Eulau, but if it were me, I would have them do a biopsy. But be aware, at this pont, many times a biopsy well still show some so-called viable cancer areas or areas that can't be determined. Usually, given more time, the positive regions and the indeterminate regions turn negative. If you need to see someone in your area I would see either Dr. Peter Grimm (who was one of the original founders of the Seattle Prostate Institute at Swedish), who is in Northgate and Tacoma or Dr. Kent Wallner, who is at Group Health in Seattle and the Puget Sound VA hospital (he is also one of the most published doctors in brachytherapy and he co-wrote with Blasko, Dattoli and Merrick "Prostate Cancer made complicated"). I hope this helps and I hope that it is all just the dreaded "bounce" that sometimes happens. This is, by the by, the one reason why so many men keep away from brachytherapy. It is this uncertain time, which can happen that scares everyone involved!!! Good luck!