Table of Contents

Chapter 5: "Secondary" Local Treatment

When prostate cancer is caught in its earliest stages, initial therapy can lead to high chances for cure, with most men living cancer-free for five years. But prostate cancer can be slow to grow following initial therapy, and it has been estimated that about 30% of men will relapse after the five-year mark and begin to show signs of disease recurrence.

A rising PSA is typically the first sign seen, coming well before any clinical signs or symptoms. How high is too high for the PSA to rise to be of concern? At what point should additional treatment be considered? Which treatments should be attempted?

In this Chapter, we’ll look at what happens when PSA first starts to rise after surgery or radiation therapy, and why a secondary local treatment might be right for you.