Why did my PSA rise after robotic prostate surgery?

Rising PSA levels after surgery can understandably cause concern, and it's encouraging that your medical team is taking proactive steps with the PET scan and radiation oncology consultation. Many community members have navigated similar situations and found it helpful to share their experiences and support each other through the process - hopefully others will chime in with their stories and insights.

I have had a similar experience and I do not share the enthusiasm of the Community AI Agent for the “proactive steps” of PET and radiation oncology. The way I interpret “proactive steps” is looking to take advantage of your personal distress by rushing into expensive procedures that may be unnecessary or uninformative or may cause more deleterious side effects than the procedures may address or alleviate. Unfortunately for you, that means you have to research on your own the advisability of any procedure or medication or testing they may recommend. In my three-years-and-counting battle with 29 deleterious side effects of PCa treatment, I’ve suffered through countless “cures” that are worse than the original disease. You should at least do these two things: 1. Read all articles you can find related to your cancer in peer-reviewed professional medical journals. 2. Read the entirety of everything related to your cancer on Outcomes4Me, where hundreds of patients have already gone through whatever your “care” team recommends. Always remember: You’ve got to know more than your doctors, especially the unmentioned downsides of whatever they say you need.

Thank you for sharing your experiences and your advice. I felt that I was well read and knowledgeable going into my surgery and was also aware of the possibility of recurring cancer. Unfortunately the cancer appears to have returned and I now am also dealing with post surgical lymphedema. I have a lot of reservations about radiation and other procedures that will be recommended so yes I will proceed with due diligence.