Should I be concerned?

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DRT
DRT Member Posts: 5 *
edited December 2023 in Prostate Cancer #1

I’m 67 and was diagnosed w/low grade prostate cancer (3+3 Gleason) early ‘23, had brachytherapy procedure first of June and now, have tested w/ultrasensitive PSA of 2.79. Don’t see my Doctor for more than a week now… what am I likely facing as next steps?

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  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,327 Member
    #2
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    No reason to be concerned IMHO. I didn't go to medical school but I think that your doc will recommend continued testing at three months intervals.

  • DRT
    DRT Member Posts: 5 *
    #3
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    Thank you so much. I was hoping so, but it’s nice to hear, especially from an “old salt” ;-)

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,013 Member
    #4
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    Hi,

    Your PSA should stabilize and then hopefully stay near that number in the future. From what I understand Brachy does not kill the whole Prostate so you should alway have some PSA number. The main thing is that it does not trend upward. The number could bounce around a little over time. Keep on testing……….

    Dave 3+4

  • centralPA
    centralPA Member Posts: 243 Member
    #5
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    Which brachytherapy? LDR or HDR?

  • DRT
    DRT Member Posts: 5 *
    #6
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    Brachytherapy in June.

  • DRT
    DRT Member Posts: 5 *
    #7
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    Not sure which

  • DRT
    DRT Member Posts: 5 *
    #8
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    LDR brachytherapy

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,327 Member
    edited December 2023 #9
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    Concur with Clevelandguy.

    I had extensive radiotherapy. My PSA went as high as 1.8 a few years after treatment, but appears to have settled at 1.0 ng/mL (nine years later). One never knows though what the future will hold. Currently testing once a year.

  • centralPA
    centralPA Member Posts: 243 Member
    edited December 2023 #10
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    I know the LDR brachytherapy is a low dose over time approach. It takes time.

    This paper says that in general it takes 44 months (almost 4 years!) for your PSA to bottom out, with a gradual descent rate throughout.

    https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1538472120301434

    This one talks about how an early bounce can actually be a positive thing. Shows there are some processes at work that likely improve your response.

    https://www.nature.com/articles/s41391-021-00387-4


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