The PSA (prostate-specific antigen) test is a blood test used for routine prostate cancer screening. The "PSA bounce" is a rise and then decline in the PSA level following radiation treatment for prostate cancer. The bounce phenomenon occurs in a third to half of men treated with radiation for prostate cancer. Urologists, radiation and medical oncologists have struggled with what a bouncing PSA means for a patient's prognosis, and how or if to offer further treatment.
"Because a steady rise in PSA can mean that cancer has recurred, physicians often interpret a bounce as the possibility that the cancer may still exist after treatment," explained Eric M. Horwitz, M.D., clinical director of the radiation oncology department at Fox Chase Cancer Center and lead author of the study. "Some physicians prescribe hormonal therapy in this situation, but hormones can have significant side effects for the patient, and may not be clinically necessary. For these reasons, it's important to develop clear guidelines."
In this retrospective analysis, data were gathered from the records of 4,839 men treated only with external-beam radiation between 1986 and 1995 at nine institutions throughout the US. The median follow-up was 6.3 years. Treatment during this time period consisted primarily of conventional radiation therapy, a lower dose than is generally used at academic cancer centers today, although some patients were treated with 3D conformal radiation therapy. In thi
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Contact: Colleen Kirsch
colleen.kirsch@fccc.edu
215-306-1211
Fox Chase Cancer Center
6-Oct-2004