PSA Rising after radical prostrate removal

In your corner
Hopefully your husbands PSA does not rise further. Please post his progress & be assured that prayers are starting for you both

Surgery again?
What kind of surgery? If the prostate is gone, are you talking of lymph nodes removal?

nlward1 said:

Surgery again?
I don't know what kind of surgery - at the time of surgery, the doctor said he got all the cancer and it had not gone into the lymph nodes. His primary Doctor told him that he would probably have to have surgery again because the cancer was growing again. He went back to see the Doctor that removed the prostrate the 1st of this month and he told him also to come back in six months which would be January 2013 and would redo PSA and go from there. The only thing I can think of is that they did not get all the cancer at time of surgery 10 yrs. ago. I am baffled at this. Wish that the physician I worked for for18 yrs. was still alive, I know for sure he could tell me just what was going on.

If PSA at 5.0 and no Prostate
You should be looking for a good doctor that deals prostate cancer. I would not wait for 2013 to make a decision. What was the gleason scores that cause the removal of the Prostate 10 years ago? If the psa is at 4.0, that could be tumors or cancer growth. Don't wait!!!!! Maybe get a second opinion!!!!!

hopeful and optimistic said:

dear NLWard
Generally a PSA reading of 0.2 indicates that secondary treatment is required. A PSA reading of 4.0 is very troublesome. I beleive that your husband needs to see a specialist, yesterday . My layman's opinion is that a Medical Onocologist will be the best person to see, hopefully one who specializes in prostate cancer, at a major center of excellence, that is a major cancer hospital in your area.

I wish the best for your husband.

I hope that you and your husband will find the treatment necessary to help him.

I am hopeful and optimistic for your husband

Waiting may be a waste of time
Nlward

By the info you shared, it seems that you husband is “dealing” with a team of unprofessional doctors, but if your husband got still a portion of the prostate gland (your comment in another thread: http://csn.cancer.org/node/243881#comment-1259898) then the diagnoses may have been related to infection and they want to wait for the next PSA before deciding on what to do (or they are busy).
In any case, if their behaviourism worries’s you then consult another specialist the soonest. You will always need second opinions in matters related with PCa.

I wonder about the type of surgery ten years ago. There are several interpretations when naming “surgery to the prostate”. Probably the surgery was a Transurethral Prostatectomy (TURP) for benign disease. This does not require total removal of the gland but dissection of the inner part that obstructs the passage of urine. Read this;
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002996.htm

There are also cases in prostate cancer surgery that the doctors remove only one lobe if they judge it enough to treat the cancer. In such surgeries the intent is to left the other two lobes (centre, right or left) untouched (probably to keep sexual functions).

Here is a complete explanation of prostatectomies;
http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/healthlibrary/test_procedures/urology/radical_prostatectomy_92,P09111/

Nevertheless, the doubling of the PSA in six months is critical and you should get a proper answer on the problem because the doctors already confirmed the anomaly (as commented by the above survivours).

I would recommend you to get all the data available on his past surgery (pathologist report) and tests results (past and present) because the info will be needed for proper diagnose by a new doctor/s. You can request for past info at the hospital he did the surgery and can inquire for a copy from the present doctors. Do not be shy. Confront any refusal if not given the data or satisfying answers.
I also would recommend you to prepare a list of question to help you when going around. Here is a list you may adapt for your husband’s case;
http://www.cancer.net/patient/All+About+Cancer/Newly+Diagnosed/Questions+to+Ask+the+Doctor

I wish you find the reason for the increase in PSA and peace of mind.

VGama