I’ve had conversations with both my radiation oncologist and urologist in the last few weeks, and we all seem to be on the same page.

Both agreed that the bump up in my PSA from 0.05 ng/mL in November to 0.13 ng/mL in March was simply a result of the Eligard wearing off. They also agreed that the downward movement from 0.13 ng/mL to 0.11 ng/mL was a good sign, and that it was still too early to see the full effect of the salvage radiation therapy on its own or to establish a nadir that we can use as a baseline for future monitoring.

We also talked about the side effects that I experienced during and after the radiation, and how they’ve pretty much dissipated over time.

The urologist did explain that if radiation was my primary treatment, that they would wait until my PSA rose to 2.0 ng/mL above my nadir before attempting any further treatment options. But given that I’ve had surgery and salvage radiation, she said that we would be looking at action if my PSA rose to 1.0 ng/mL above my nadir. Something to keep in the back of my mind.

She also said that it’s pretty common for the PSA to fluctuate a bit after salvage radiation, so it may be a tad difficult to establish a trend over time.

Bottom line: Both were pleased with where I was at; both were cautiously optimistic that my PSA would continue to trend downward; and both recommended another PSA test in six months. That means I’ll be back in the urologist’s office on 5 December 2023.

I made a quick trip back to my home state of Illinois over the Memorial Day weekend for our annual gathering with family and friends. It was a great time with perfect weather.

This post originally appeared on Dan’s Journey Through Prostate Cancer on May 31, 2023. It is republished with permission.