After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, many men will undergo treatment with either surgery or radiotherapy. While both of these treatments are highly effective, a cure is not guaranteed. Thus, doctors monitor men following prostate cancer treatment with periodic checks of the PSA blood test (typically every three months for the first year, every six months for years 2 and 3, and annually thereafter). PSA is a very useful marker in men who have undergone prostate cancer treatment. When PSA levels rise following prostate cancer treatment, we call this “biochemical recurrence.”
After being diagnosed with prostate cancer, many men will undergo treatment with either surgery or radiotherapy. While both of these treatments are highly effective, a cure is not guaranteed. Because of this, it’s important to have periodic PSA blood tests after prostate cancer treatment (typically every three months for the first year, every six months for years 2 and 3, and annually thereafter). PSA is a very useful marker in men who have undergone prostate cancer treatment. When PSA levels rise following prostate cancer treatment, this is called a “biochemical recurrence.”
“Biochemical recurrence” is the medical term for an increase in PSA after a man has had treatment for localized prostate cancer. The definition of biochemical recurrence may be different based on whether a man has had surgery (radical prostatectomy) or radiotherapy.