Let’s start with the basics about prostate-specific antigen or PSA levels.
First, PSA is a protein that’s produced by both normal and cancerous cells within the prostate gland. A PSA test measures your PSA levels in the blood.
Keep in mind, prostate cancer – along with other benign issues – can cause PSA levels to rise in the blood, according to the National Cancer Institute.
A PSA test can be used to screen for prostate cancer, to monitor already diagnosed prostate cancer (before, during and after treatment) and to monitor other prostate issues.
What is a Normal PSA?
According to Prostate Cancer Research, normal PSA levels are age dependent. That means a normal PSA level for a man in his forties is lower than a man in his seventies.
Here’s a rule of thumb:
- For men between 50 and 59 a normal range is up to 3 ng/ml.
- For men 60-69 normal is up to 4 ng/ml.
- For men 70-79 normal is up to 5 ng/ml.
However, if you have a PSA blood test and your levels are elevated, that does not automatically mean you have prostate cancer. Generally, three out of four men with higher-than-normal PSA levels do not have cancer. The increased level is likely because of other common prostate issues like prostatitis or a urinary infection. Sports, sexual activity and even certain medications can affect your PSA level. But if you’re levels are rising, talk to your doctor about additional screening.
A PSA level can also miss prostate cancer. In fact, PSA testing misses one in seven cases.
PSA Levels Pre-and-Post-Cancer Treatment
During and after treatment for prostate cancer, PSA levels are used to monitor how effective the treatment is and detect any recurrence. However, according to the American Cancer Society, PSA levels can fluctuate so they are only one indicator of what’s happening.
PSA Levels Post Prostate Cancer Surgery
For men who opt for surgery to remove the prostate, PSA levels should drop to low or even undetectable levels a few months after treatment. A rising PSA after that point can indicate recurrence. That’s why monitoring is important.
Doctors will watch for how fast PSA levels rise as an indication there could be reason for concern. Research suggests men who have a shorter PSA doubling time – which is the time it takes for the PSA levels to double – have a worse outlook compared to men with a longer doubling time.
PSA Levels Post Radiation for Prostate Cancer
For men who opt for radiation to treat their cancer, PSA levels tend to drop slowly after treatment and may not plateau to their lowest levels until two years post treatment. But the normal cells in the prostate will continue to make some PSA.
With radiation patients, doctors look for trends in PSA levels after treatment. A one-time rise may not mean the cancer is still there or it has recurred. But repeated testing indicating a rise in levels could be concerning. Doctors also watch for those PSA doubling times. The faster the doubling time, generally the more cause for concern.
There can also be what’s called a PSA bounce with external beam radiation. In these cases, the PSA levels rise for the first few years after treatment, then go back down. Doctors don’t know why this phenomenon occurs.
CyberKnife for Prostate Cancer
External beam radiation is very successful when it comes to fighting prostate cancer.
One of the most successful forms is called CyberKnife, which uses what’s called stereotactic body radiation therapy or SBRT, according to the experts at the CyberKnife Center of Miami, the state-of-the-art, free-standing radiation cancer treatment center in South Florida.
- The success rate with CyberKnife for prostate cancer is 95% when detected early.
- It’s noninvasive.
- There is no anesthesia or cutting.
- There are no risks of surgery like infection and long periods of downtime.
- CyberKnife’s treatments can be done in five therapy sessions over 10 days instead of 42 over three months with other types of radiation treatments.
- The CyberKnife radiation beams, which target and destroy the tumor, are exceedingly precise.
- There is less risk of side effects including impotence and incontinence.
So if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer, call CyberKnife Miami for a consultation at 305-279-2900 or go to our prostate cancer website now for more information.