What Happens If PSA Is Still Detectable Six Weeks After My Radical Prostatectomy Is Performed?

March 16, 2009 -- Question: What happens if PSA is still detectable six weeks after my radical prostatectomy is performed?

Answer: When we remove the prostate, with time, we do expect that the PSA, which is a value that we check in a patient's blood, looking at certain protein that's associated with the presence of the prostate or prostate cancer, after we remove the prostate, we do expect that PSA to go down -- eventually to an undetectable level. If we see, after the prostate's removed, that that PSA does not go to an undetectable level, it does raise the concern that there may still be some cancer cells left behind, and we need to explore alternatives to aid in the treatment and the cure of the prostate cancer.