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What to Ask When Your PSA Is Rising After Initial Treatment
Last Reviewed: June 10, 2022

For the majority of men, prostate cancer is treatable and curable and does not come back after initial treatment. However, about 25%–33% of men with prostate cancer will experience a recurrence of their cancer after surgery or radiation. Some of these men can still be cured with additional treatment, but some men develop a form of prostate cancer that, while not curable, remains TREATABLE for a very long time.

Below is a list of questions to ask when your PSA is rising after initial treatment.

  • What does it mean that my PSA level is rising?
  • What is my PSA level now, and how will we monitor changes over time?
  • Can we (should we) chart the velocity or doubling time of my PSA? What can this tell us about my prognosis?
  • Am I a candidate for local “salvage” prostatectomy or radiation? Why or why not?
  • Should I get an imaging scan to see if the cancer has spread to my bones or other organs?
  • If you recommend that I initiate androgen deprivation therapy (“hormone therapy”), how will this benefit me and slow down the growth of the cancer cells?
  • When is the optimal time to initiate this treatment? For how long will I need it?
  • What are the benefits and drawbacks/side effects of hormone therapy? Are there things that I can do to minimize the side effects?
  • Should my treatment plan also include androgen receptor pathway inhibitor therapy or docetaxel?
  • If the hormone therapy stops working, what treatment options remain?
  • Are there dietary or other lifestyle changes that I could make to optimize my treatment?
  • Should we add a medical oncologist to my treatment team to gain an additional perspective on treating my disease?
  • Should I consider joining a clinical trial?

Learn More

  • Advanced Prostate Cancer

    Advanced disease refers to prostate cancer that has spread beyond the prostate and is unlikely to be cured with surgery or radiation alone. https://vimeo.com/733684541/108f4ea017 Men...