I don't know, Norma.  I just don't know a lot about brachy.  However, kh
does (AKA:  tchtic, ckh, and hk).  I've got two addys for him, but one is
private and I forget which, so I'll await his response if sees this.

On March 21, Norma replied to Steve K:

Irritation; prostatitis.

Here's what the Prostate Cancer Research Institute says:

"Another potential side-effect of brachytherapy, indeed all forms of
radiation, is called the PSA “bump” phenomenon. The PSA “bump” is a
delayed PSA rise occurring after the radiation finishes. Although the
exact cause of PSA “bump” is not known with certainty, it is believed to
result from irritation of the residual prostate gland by radiation. The
“bump” follows a benign clinical course and usually resolves itself
within a year. The main danger of the PSA “bump” comes when physicians
mistakenly conclude that the rising PSA represents recurrent cancer and
decide to start ADT when no cancer is present."

See,
http://www.prostate-cancer.org/education/localdis/scholz_newlydiagnosed2.html

Strum & Pogliano define it further:

"Approximately 35% of patients experience a temporary rise in PSA
.....This PSA "bump" or "bounce" has been defined as an increase of 0.1
ng/mL or greater above the preceding PSA level followed by a subsequent
decrease below that level. The average time to PSA "bump" is 18-20 months."

See page 103,  _A Primer on Prostate Cancer_ 2nd ed., subtitled "The
Empowered
Patient's Guide" by medical oncologist and PCa specialist Stephen B.
Strum, MD and PCa warrior Donna Pogliano.

Regards,

Steve J

Other organs produce PSA.   Women can/do have a very low level, and
obviously they don't have a prostate.

The info in this thread is exactly what my docs told me.  I'll put it
simply.

With radiation, there's a 90% chance of success.  That also means a
10% chance of failure.

This is very roughly. It might be 93%, 87%, the numbers vary from
study to study.

Some factors are known, such as starting Gleason, PSA, type of
radiation treatment.  Other factors are not.  No one knows how they
interact but docs with lots of experience can make an educated guess.

As other said, with radiation, there's a 20 perhaps 30% chance of a
PSA rise sometime in the 18-48 month timeframe.  It seems more
pronounced with younger men with larger prostates.

There are reports of rises to PSA 20 and more. Those are unusual but
not unheard of.   Most guys who have rises, or bumps, see much smaller
increases.

3, .7, .5, then a 1.4, .7, .4, .3, spaced at 6 month intervals.

The mechanism, as Ron said, is believed to be the cancer and the
normal prostate cells dieing off. When they die, they release PSA.

Since there is a 10% chance of failure,  men should have regular PSA's
and plot the numbers.  Rises after 3 or 4 years suggest that the
cancer is still alive and should be treated.

Rises, the shape and height of the curve, before the 3-4 year bound
should also be watched and evaluated.  The docs might order
Prostascint, PET-scans, or Bone scans.

The problem with radiation is that you don't know whether you're in
the 90 success group or the 10% failure group for several years.

That's my understanding.

-kh