psa bounce looking for information(after radiation)

My husband had this bounce at around that time and we were told it is perfectly normal and usually happens around that time.

We started at 3.74 (pre surgery) then went to 0.9 (post surgery) and then the dreaded bounce back up to 1.8 (gasp) and then back down and we were sitting at 0.39 at the last reading.

Trust me, I know it's scary but I had to believe the oncologist when she said "it's normal" to bounce around 18 months.

I hope that puts your mind at just a little bit of ease ...

Hi:  Thanks for your reply's.  Can either of you tell me how long it was from the rise to when it dropped again?

For Just Julie:

Apparently my experience is more than just a bounce. Pre seed implants - PSA 8.4. Afterwards 3.9, then 1.7.  Then it began to rise: 2.3, 3.4, 3.9 (16 mos after implants). Drs put me on Lupron 30 Mg injection once every 4 mos. First injection on Apr. 21, 2009.  Only side effects so far are mild hot flashes. No sweat - pun intended.  Hope your experience is truly just a bounce. See more info in Signature.

As the others have said the bounce is pretty common and the drop is sometimes very slow compared to surgery. I'm a proton Beam patient and my psa was 6.2 before treatment. Dropped to 3.1 at 3 months and again to 1.7 at 6 months. 50% drops are pretty standard. Then it bounced to 3.0 and back down to 1.9 after 4 months. 2nd bounce to 3.4 and down to 1.7. last test at 3 years or so it's down to .80. Don't fret. It will more than likely drop in a few months.

Ken