How do doctors know if prostate cancer has recurred? In the video above, Dr. Brian Miles, urologist at Houston Methodist, answers questions about what to expect after prostate cancer treatment.
PSA levels are very important
PSA stands for prostate-specific antigen, a marker detected by a blood test that can help detect and monitor prostate cancer. Following prostate cancer treatment, your PSA level should be nearly undetectable, or less than 0.1 nanograms per milliliter (ng/mL).
"If the PSA starts going above 0.1 or 0.2, we call it a biochemical recurrence, meaning it's in the bloodstream, but nowhere else," Dr. Miles explains.
Your team will work together to decide if and when more treatment is needed.
Additional tests can highlight trends
If post-treatment PSA levels are elevated, your care team will:
- Monitor PSA results every four months to watch for changes
- Take an MRI of the pelvis to check for new masses of cancerous cells
- Order a PET scan if results reach 0.2 or 0.25 ng/mL to pinpoint small volumes of cancer to treat independently
If you need further treatment
Dr. Miles and his colleagues work closely with other specialists to determine if and when more treatment is needed.
"Here we have a team that works well together — medical oncologists, radiation oncologists, urology experts," Dr. Miles adds, "It's really a team approach that focuses on your specific needs."
