Richard:

I think you made the proper decision to have the psa tested when you
did. Your concern about the U-turn in psa readings appears to be well
founded. You do not provide other important details of your case such
as biopsy results, # of positive cores, and any other relevant
information which you would discuss with your health care provider.
Men who have a successful seeds treatment will have steady declines in
the psa over time, sometimes over as much as several years, and the
nadir will be near your low point (.88) or below, ususally, though
there may be a "bounce" effect sometime in the 12-36 month period from
treatment which may signal nothing more than the final throes of the
dying prostate cells. Your numbers suggest something else is
happening.
Imaging can indicate where the seeds are placed and if maximum
coverage was achieved. A biopsy now can also determine if active
cancer is still in the prostate area. If your blood in urine needs to
be diagnosed and treated, a TURP may take place and this will also
provide material for a pathologist to examine which can add to the
information regarding you cancer treatment status. Your urologist, or
perhaps your new doctor, who should be an oncologist, must assume
active residual cancer until proven otherwise. The numbers provided do
not assume treatment success. This is a layman offering advice, but by
your admission you have concern enough to seek online advice and this
indicates your own suspicions are aroused. They should be. My point is
that you should trust your concerns. They appear valid.
If active cancer is present, your next choices will require an
oncologist. Your urologist and radiologist will likely be superseded,
except for consultations regarding past treatment and advice.
I am a member of this club no one wants to join and I understand your
anxieties.

JohnC (tarhoosier)

Hi,

I just received my PSA results today and have almost the same outcome as
you.  Seeds were implanted May 2005.  My Gleason was 3+3=6, T1C, PSA 6.2.
I'm also 67 years old.

My test results were:

3 mo. 2.9
6 mo. 1.1
12 mo. 1.3
18 mo. 1.6
22 mo. 2.8

I have noticed in the last month that I sometimes have trouble with a slow
urine flow and occasionally an urgency problem.
Otherwise everything is fine.  I take an Indian version of Cialis once a
week.  It works well but I was wondering if perhaps they include testerone
in the formula which would be bad of course.

I'm assuming that this is more than a bounce.  Any thoughts anyone?

Thanks,  Woody

Richard,

Your readings are not normal but I have seen several reports of
"superbounces".

Granted I am looking for these reports as I am at seeding+30 months
and my PSA has climbed to 34. What's startling is that for at least 3
years previous to seeding, my PSA was level at about 10. On a graph,
it's a flat line.

What happened was I clocked a PSA 9-something, the uro did a standard
biopsy. It missed the cancer. Over 2 years later, I had another
physical, PSA 10-something. This time the biopsy found cancer in 5% of
one core.  He almost missed it again, because "it was forward in an
unusual place."

Then there were the meetings and plans, and by the time I got another
PSA, I had a full 3 years of 9's , 10's, and an 11.6.  The 11.6 was 1
month into Lupron and I figure it was the T-flare.

Over on seedpods, http://www.prostatepointers.org/mailman/listinfo/seedpods,
another Steve just inquired about his PSA of 3.4 after 10 months.  He
was diagnosed and seeded at PSA 2.6.

Woody's experience is similar to mine. At seeding+18 months my stream
slowed down and I saw occasional drops of pink in the, er, after-pee.

I have my own theories about what's happening but that's all they
are.  Don't read anything into them.  My theory is that a few years
ago, the planning and mechanics of seeding became more precise.  As a
consequence, the cellular die-off occurs in phase.  We're seeing the
results of that.  This is just my idle speculation.

I'll gut this out for another month, then I'll get another PSA, if the
numbers are still climbing, it's off to the medical oncologist in this
area who specializes in prostate cancer.

-kh