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Just another PSA question here. Free PSA tests are used to help confirm the possibility of cancer likelihood when checking for cancer at first diagnosis. Why do they not check for free PSA indicators when determining success or failure after treatment. Wouldn't that help determine whether residual detected PSA was from normal tissue or actually from cancer recurrence?
After RP your PSA should be undetectable. If it is not, you are considered to have residual disease. If you have a PSA near undetectable, you are normally monitored with serial PSA's to determine if you need additional treatment. At these near undetectable PSA levels fPSA is not measurable and even if it was it would not be informative for a treatment decision. A rising PSA in this setting is better than 99% at confirming residual disease.
