Treatment FAQ

what is the normal psa level after hifu treatment

by Jordyn Gibson Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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After radiation, the PSA nadir, or drop in PSA, should be less than 1.0 ng/dL. After whole gland HIFU, the nadir should also be less than 1.0 ng/dL. Because the prostate is not removed physically by either radiation or HIFU, we expect a small amount of PSA to remain.

After whole-gland HIFU, the mean prostate-specific antigen (PSA) nadir was found to be 0.4 to 1.95 ng/mL and the mean time to PSA nadir was 2.4 to 5.4 months. The rate of positive biopsy after HIFU was 4.5% to 91.1%.Oct 9, 2020

Full Answer

Did your PSA rise after HIFU?

I had my HIFU (2015) and have had a near constant PSA rise In the order of 1 point a year. First my US based doctors said the HIFU failed to kill the canser. They prescribed a whole bunch of tests - all negitive. Then they wanted a new biopsy dispit 2 negitive MRIs an a prostate the size of a raisen. The biopsy was naturally negitive.

What should my PSA level be during and after treatment?

Generally speaking, your PSA level should get very low after treatment. But PSA results aren’t always reliable, and sometimes doctors aren’t sure what they mean. Before starting treatment, you might want to ask your doctor what he or she expects your PSA level to be during and after treatment, and what levels might cause concern.

Can the whole prostate be treated with HIFU?

I'm sorry...I did not mean to imply that the whole prostate cannot be treated with HIFU. It can. It typically isn't. Usually the treatment is done focally...that's a "key feature" of HIFU is to treat (ablate) just the specific areas where PC is found and maintain as much of the other prostate tissue unharmed.

What is the success rate of HIFU after surgery?

Using this guideline, Blanca, et al reported a 25% failure rate 5 years after HIFU. (British J Urology, Oct 2009). For HIFU, the recurrence rate is similar to surgery, and less than one half of the recurrence rate for radiation.

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What should PSA level be after HIFU?

The median PSA level after HIFU was 9.91 (range, 0–268.9) ng/mL, and the median PSA nadir was 0.03 (range, 0.03–3.31) ng/mL. Of the 176 patients, 106 (60.2%) had a PSA follow-up of >2 years.

What is the expected PSA after radiation therapy?

Recent studies have shown that for optimal results, PSA levels should be lower than 1 ng/ml, and even lower than 0.5 ng/ml. Levels that are above 1 or 2 ng/ml 12 to 18 months following completion of radiation treatments are very worrisome, because they indicate that the cancer may not have been eradicated.

What is a normal PSA level 3 months after radiation?

Patients were characterized by 3-month post-RT PSA values: <0.10 ng/mL, 0.10 to 0.49 ng/mL, and ≥0.50 ng/mL. The researchers found that a higher 3-month PSA level was strongly associated with biochemical progression-free survival (bPFS), prostate cancer-specific survival (PCSS), and overall survival (OS).

Does prostate cancer return after HIFU?

In the present study, HIFU resulted in local control rates of 82.6%, which is consistent with the results reported for the other therapeutic treatment modalities. Reportedly, the risk of progression after radical prostatectomy is about 20% (19) and the “trifecta” outcome can be achieved in 62% (20).

What is a normal PSA level 6 months after radiation?

The median PSA 6 months after EBRT was 0.1 ng/mL (range, 0-19 ng/mL), and 310 patients (58.3%) had a 6-month PSA ≤0.1 ng/mL. Multivariable analysis (MVA) demonstrated that a 6-month post-EBRT PSA of >0.1 ng/mL was an independent predictor of worse bRFS (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.518; P<. 0001), DMFS (HR=3.743; P<.

How long does it take for PSA to come down after radiation?

After radiotherapy or brachytherapy, your PSA should drop to its lowest level (nadir) after 18 months to two years. Your PSA level won't fall to zero as your healthy prostate cells will continue to produce some PSA. Your PSA level may actually rise after radiotherapy treatment, and then fall again.

What does a PSA of 0.05 mean after prostate removal?

If your PSA level is low and not rising after repeated tests, it's probably not a cancer recurrence. That's because other cells in your body can produce small amounts of PSA. Ideally, your post-prostatectomy PSA will be undetectable, or less than 0.05 or 0.1 nanograms of PSA per milliliter of blood (ng/mL).

How can I lower my PSA level quickly?

Read on to find out six things you can do at home to have a positive impact on your PSA levels.Eat more tomatoes. Tomatoes have an ingredient called lycopene that's known to have health benefits. ... Choose healthy protein sources. ... Take vitamin D. ... Drink green tea. ... Exercise. ... Reduce stress.

How often should you check PSA after radiation?

If you've had radiation therapy, the most widely accepted definition is a PSA that has risen from nadir in at least three consecutive tests, conducted at least two weeks apart, measured by the same lab.

What happens to prostate after HIFU?

A catheter must be worn for 14 days following treatment as there will be swelling and edema of the treated prostate. The catheter drains the urine from the bladder until the swelling of the prostate subsides. After the HIFU treatment, the destroyed prostate tissue is passed in the urine.

What happens after HIFU treatment for prostate cancer?

It can exactly target diseased tissue, leaving non-targeted healthy tissue unharmed. It is an outpatient procedure with a short recovery time. You can usually return to work or normal life in about 24 hours. It reduces the risk of urinary incontinence and erectile dysfunction compared with surgery or radiation therapy.

How effective is HIFU treatment for prostate cancer?

HIFU allows 91% of patients to avoid radical prostate cancer treatment for 2 years. The results suggest the minimally-invasive procedure is an acceptable alternative to immediate surgery or radiation.

What happens if your PSA is higher than 2 ng/mL?

Some medical groups have proposed that if the PSA rises more than 2 ng/mL above the lowest level reached, further treatment should be considered, but some doctors might advise tests to look for cancer in the body even if the PSA has not yet risen this much.

How long does it take for a PSA to drop after a prostatectomy?

Your PSA should fall to a very low or even undetectable level within a couple of months after radical prostatectomy. Because some PSA can remain in the blood for several weeks after surgery, even if all of the prostate cells were removed, doctors often advise waiting at least 6 to 8 weeks after surgery before checking the PSA level.

What does a PSA level show?

When treatments such as hormone therapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy are used for more advanced prostate cancer, the PSA level can help show how well the treatment is working or when it might be time to try a different treatment.

How long does it take for prostate to drop after radiation?

PSA levels after radiation tend to drop slowly, and might not reach their lowest level until 2 years or more after treatment.

Why is PSA monitored?

If you choose observation or active surveillance, your PSA level will be monitored closely (most likely along with other tests) to help decide if the cancer is growing and if treatment should be considered. Your doctor will watch your PSA level and how quickly it is rising.

Why is PSA important?

The PSA level is an important tool to monitor the cancer, but not every rise in PSA means that the cancer is growing and requires treatment right away. To help limit unnecessary anxiety, be sure you understand what change in your PSA level might concern your doctor.

How often should you monitor your PSA?

Doctors tend to follow the PSA levels every few months to look for trends. A one-time, small rise in PSA might cause closer monitoring, but it might not mean that the cancer is still there (or has returned), as PSA levels can fluctuate slightly from time to time. However, a PSA that is rising on consecutive tests after treatment might indicate that cancer is still there. Some medical groups have proposed that if the PSA rises more than 2 ng/mL above the lowest level reached, further treatment should be considered, but some doctors might advise tests to look for cancer in the body even if the PSA has not yet risen this much.

How is HIFU created?

HIFU is created when electricity passes through a curved piezoelectric crystal producing a characteristic vibration. The vibration of the crystal results in waves of energy which, when focused on a prostate cancer cell, converts the energy to heat. Within 4 seconds, the temperature of the cell rises to 85 degrees Celsius, ...

What is a high intensity focused ultrasound?

High Intensity Focused Ultrasound, or HIFU, is a well established and accepted method for treatment of localized prostate cancer. It has been in continuous use in Europe since 1994, and now has been employed world-wide, including the United States, where the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved HIFU in October of 2015.

How many men died from prostate cancer?

In other words, only 3% of men died from their prostate cancer, and only 6% saw the prostate cancer spread to other parts of the body.

What should the nadir be after radiation?

After radiation, the PSA nadir, or drop in PSA, should be less than 1.0 ng/dL. After whole gland HIFU, the nadir should also be less than 1.0 ng/dL. Because the prostate is not removed physically by either radiation or HIFU, we expect a small amount of PSA to remain.

Does HIFU cure cancer?

HIFU was used to treat the entire side with cancer, sparing the side without cancer. After 1 year, all the men underwent repeat prostate biopsy. 96% had no clinically significant cancer (CSC) in the treated side, and 95% had no CSC in the untreated side. At 12 months, continence (zero pad use) was preserved in 97% and erectile function ...

Can prostate cancer be observed without treatment?

Based on this notion, many doctors assume that the vast majority of prostate cancers are rather innocent and can be observed without treatment. In fact, Active Surveillance, or close observation of prostate cancer without treatment, has become the favored first line of treatment for many.

Is HIFU good for prostate cancer?

HIFU has been shown to be an effective treatment of prostate cancer, with the least amount of adverse side effects compared to surgery, radiation, or cryoablation. Still, there remains in the medical community such a high rate of scepticism, that most patients with prostate cancer are not even advised of HIFU as a potential treatment ...

What side of prostate was ablated after HIFU?

HIFU surgeon said previously that she was pleased that post-HIFU MRI showed right side of my prostate (where the tumor was) was well ablated. MRI also showed necrosis (evidence that tumor was killed). I passed red slivers of tissue in my water for 6 weeks afterwards too.

What screening do I need with a PSA of 0.2?

My older brother has prostate cancer, as did our dad. My brother's doctors told him that his...

What to do if HIFU fails?

I mentioned "standard surgery" not "survey". If HIFU fails, your best option is a standard prostate surgery.

Which is better, axumin scan or psma scan?

The PSMA PET/CT is better than an Axumin scan. However, the Axumin scan is payed in the US by health insurance while the PSMA PET/CT is not.

Can you do a biopsy if you have prostate cancer?

If you could detect prostate cancer exactly with an MRI, nobody would do any biopsies.

Is PSA higher than normal?

Yes HIFU surgeon mentioned PSA might be higher than normal due to my prostat e size. But my local (Egyptian but UK trained) urologist talked about PSA at nadir (zero) and that there must be cancer cells secreting antigen which PSA is picking up. Hence must do bone scan ASAP. Looking for place for that now.

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