There is also a phenomenon called a PSA bounce that sometimes happens after external beam radiation and brachytherapy. The PSA rises slightly for a short time within the first couple of years after treatment, but then goes back down. When treatments such as hormone therapy , chemotherapy , or immunotherapy are used for more advanced prostate cancer, the PSA level can help show how well the treatment is working or when it might be time to try a different treatment.
Treatments should lower the PSA level at least at first , although in some cases they may just help keep it from rising further, or even just slow the rise. If the cancer has spread outside the prostate, the actual PSA level is often not as important as whether it changes, and how quickly it changes. The PSA level itself does not predict whether or not a man will have symptoms or how long he will live.
Many men have very high PSA levels and feel just fine. Other men with low PSA levels can have symptoms. During watchful waiting observation or active surveillance If you choose observation or active surveillance , your PSA level will be monitored closely most likely along with other tests to help decide if the cancer is growing and if treatment should be considered.
However, there are several other reasons why a PSA result might be high:. In general, a low PSA is a good result. However, there are several reasons a PSA screening level may be artificially low including taking statins to lower cholesterol, anti-inflammatory drugs and obesity body fat decreases the amount of PSA circulating in the blood stream. Be sure to discuss these with your doctor. This is one measure of prostate cancer risk, since PSA levels can rise rapidly in men who have prostate cancer.
This can be especially useful to find prostate cancer in early stages before the cancer has left the capsule of the prostate. Research shows that an increase of. Research is also showing PSA velocity may be able to predict survivability from prostate cancer as men with a PSA increase of.
The Prostate Health Index was recently approved for the detection of prostate cancer. The PHI is a simple blood test that combines three tests in one. Research has shown that the test is better at detecting prostate cancer than the traditional PSA screening. Because this test is very new, it is possible your physician has not heard of it yet. If you are interested in the test, talk with your doctor and discuss your risk, the test, and how to use the information from the test.
While none of these tests are conclusive on their own, when performed in addition to a PSA test, DRE Digital Rectal Exam , and a biopsy, they can provide each patient with more information about their specific cancer and can aid in both the diagnosis and decision on treatment. Read more on this and further additional testing.
Learn: Webinars and Videos. Learn: Maintaining a Healthy Lifestyle. Learn: Questions for Your Doctor. Learn: Prostate Cancer News. X Search. When prostate cancer is caught in its earliest stages, initial therapy can lead to a high chance for a cure, with most men living cancer-free for many years.
The cancer cells have either been removed with surgery or killed with radiation. But some prostate cancer cells may have spread outside the treatment areas, or metastasized, before they could be removed or killed.
At some point, these cells may begin to multiply and produce enough PSA that it can again become detectable by lab tests. If a man previously underwent surgery, his PSA should be undetectable; after radiation, there are often residual normal prostate cells that still make some PSA. PSA monitoring after treatment is an important way of understanding whether or not all the prostate cancer cells have been destroyed.
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