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Hi guys,
I was a little slower out the gate. Following surgery in 2008, I went until 2021 before any PSA rise. I tried ignoring it and the annual rise until October this year when it was 0.86 and decided I needed to see someone. Only then did I research biochemical recurrence.
I have met with the urologist who did the surgery and had a PSMA PET scam. It showed nothing. The radiologist who reviewed it and my urologist agreed. I still have an oncologist appointment coming up after the new year rolls over ( couldn’t have done it this year since I’ve met my deductible?..🙄).
My fear is the same as others. I have not had any issues with bladder control since the initial recovery (I was 46 at the time) and don’t want “treatment” to address a non-existent problem. I will have to look up the benign tissue causing a PSA rise.
I wish you well and feel treatment should not be approached casually.
Mike
Thanks for your insight Mike! I have doubts too because my urologist keeps mentioning benign tissue possibly causing the PSA increase (biochemical recurrence). On the other hand the radiology oncologist says I may be OK for a while...7-10 years?...nobody knows, then I could be in bad shape. As I wrote, my MRI and PET scans were "clean as a whistle" to quote my urologist.
I am not educated in knowing what low dose radiation does to the lower abdomen in the short or long term. I'm not incontinent bladder/bowl wise, though I can get a few drops expelled with a sneeze, lifting things, etc...
So what it boils down to how much risk do I want to accept...either from treatment or going without treatment. If I were in my late 70's, I would consider no treatment, as the radiologist mentioned, as I'd likely die of something else, since most times the potential for spread is slow. But I'm "only" 65, and I couldn't deal with doing nothing, so I start radiation 12/11/23.
Bill; Glad to see some other insight given on your subject. Mike makes some good points. Treatment for possibly nothing is not wise. Every treatment carries risks and effects and so is not to be undertaken lightly. Each procedure is different for each of us. I would like to think your reading is coming from innocent tissue possibly left behind, and that is completely possible if they were conservative with the first treatment. Hopefully with close monitoring you can get an idea about the source of your PSA reading. No advice here of course only to say I am sorry you have been put into this questionable position - possibly for no serious reason. Sounds like you are watching it and preceding with care. Let's hope it turns out to be normal. Jon.
