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Risk of Recurrent Prostate Cancer

Ivanhoe Broadcast News

     Researchers reviewed the medical records of more than 2,700 men who opted for a radical prostatectomy to treat prostate cancer that has not spread. They found detectable prostate- specific antigen (PSA) levels in more than 800 men years after undergoing a prostatectomy. PSA is the standard blood test used to detect prostate cancer.

     Horst Zincke, M.D., from the Mayo Clinic, says, "We found the highest rate of recurrence during the first three years after radical prostatectomy." He adds, "A significant number of men also had disease progression ... five years after surgery."

     Doctors say a radical prostatectomy is the most effective surgical treatment for prostate cancer, as it involves the removal of the entire prostate gland as well as nearby glands. After a patient undergoes the procedure, doctors may continually check their PSA levels. They use the PSA test to determine how much of the protein is in the blood. If the PSA level is detectable, it is likely that there is a recurrence of the prostate cancer. Results of this study showed detectable PSA levels as late as 10 years after surgery.

     Dr. Zincke says, "These findings prove it cannot be assumed that because the cancer has not recurred within five years after surgery that a man is continuing to be entirely cancer free and can forget about it." With this risk of recurrence, doctors recommend men who have undergone a prostatectomy have their PSA levels checked annually for the rest of their lives.

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