Have you been or are currently being treated for prostate cancer? In such a case, it pays to know the facts to fully understand the importance of medical monitoring. After a diagnosis of cancer, you will normally be followed by your urologist for several years. Depending on your type of cancer and treatment, this follow-up could be in tandem with a radiation oncologist or an oncologist.

In some cases, an active surveillance approach will be recommended as part of the management of your cancer. This approach aims to monitor your cancer and treat it only if necessary.

Medically reviewed by Urologist-Surgeon Dr. Thierry Lebeau on 04/26/2022

Keeping an eye on your cancer

There are several other ways to keep an eye on your cancer, both during and after treatment. First, there is the prostate-specific antigen, or PSA, blood test. Your specialist will measure your PSA level periodically to assess the cancer’s response to treatment.

Your PSA level should be undetectable following radical surgery, as there is no longer any prostate to produce the antigen.

With radiation therapy, PSA levels are expected to drop very low. But they won’t reach zero, since normal prostate cells are still present. Usually, PSA levels go down until they reach a plateau. They should then remain stable.

Your PSA plays an important role in your medical care

At each follow-up appointment, your doctor will check to see if your PSA level has increased. If it has, he will assess the time it takes for this level to double.

A significant increase over a short period of time could indicate a recurrence, with or without metastasis. That’s why your doctor monitors PSA levels closely.

If your doctor has recommended hormone therapy, the PSA measurement will be sometimes combined with an analysis of your testosterone level. An increase in your PSA despite a very low testosterone level usually indicates that the cancer is growing.

And what about imaging or genetic testing?

Your doctor may also order imaging tests to monitor the disease or to determine if cancer cells have grown elsewhere. This is common practice with cancer that is already aggressive upon diagnosis, has progressed quickly after treatment, or no longer responds to treatment such as hormone therapy.

This may involve an abdominal and pelvic scan, magnetic resonance imaging (or MRI) or bone scan, among other things.

These tests help measure the size of the tumour, determine whether the cancer is spreading and, if so, find out where this is occurring in the body.

If you’re experiencing bone pain or if your cancer is aggressive, your doctor will usually order a bone scan to see if the cancer has indeed spread to the bones.

If your family has a significant history of cancer, such as breast or ovarian cancer, your doctor may recommend a genetic screen. You may carry a genetic mutation that could make your cancer respond to novel targeted therapy.

The importance of your test results and your medical follow-up

Your test and exam results will impact your treatment recommendations, as will the location of your cancer, the rate at which it’s growing, your age and your overall health.

Whether during your treatment or after, medical monitoring is essential. Your appointments provide an opportunity for you to talk to your specialist and report any new symptoms that are of concern. Do not hesitate to ask your healthcare team for advice.

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Take the time to visit each of our pages on this website, as well as our YouTube channel, in order to get familiar with the disease, our expert lectures and webinars, our section on available resources, the support that is offered to you, our events and ways to get involved in advancing the cause.

You have questions or concerns? Don’t hesitate. You can chat with us or contact us at 1-855-899-2873 to discuss with one of our nurses specialized in uro-oncology. They are there to listen, support and answer your questions, as well as those of your family or loved ones. It’s simple and free, like all of our other services.

Webinar to review
Biopsy, understanding your report

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Written by PROCURE. © All rights reserved – 2022