The meaning of PSA levels after prostate surgery

Reported by Susan Aldridge, PhD, medical journalist

Prostate specific antigen levels may not fall to zero when a man has his prostate gland removed.
Prostate specific antigen (PSA) is a protein produced by the prostate gland. Elevated levels can be a sign of prostate cancer, although this is not always the case. In a new study, researchers from Johns Hopkins University discuss the meaning of PSA levels after removal of the prostate to treat cancer.

They looked at 160 men with detectable PSA after surgery. In 75 of them, the cancer spread to other sites within five years of the operation. But some remained free of such metastatic disease for seven to ten years after surgery, while others succumbed to it in less than three years.

The important factor seemed to be the rate of rise of PSA levels. A high rate could identify those patients with a higher risk of metastasis. These men could, perhaps, be offered extra treatment after surgery to help them beat the disease once and for all.

Source
Cancer 1st December 2004

Please take a moment to give us your comments. For questions about Health matters you may check our "Questions & Answers" Portal and Service.