Re: Re: Is it a bounce or is the beast on the rise

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Based on Terry Herbert's recent email with a reference to a very interesting article (http://prostate- help.org/ psa.html# labs), I think the maths explains the variability and not Bob's condition. The testing just isn't precise enough to justify the second decimal place, and even more so the third. Had you been told (as would be the case in the UK) undetectable, 0.2, 0.2, and 0.1, you'd have been happy. You might well take the view that probably nothing has changed in three quarters and quite possibly all four.

Again, only a layman's view, but isn't it likely that transplanting small objects into the prostate will cause irritation from time to time long after the radioactivity has decayed to almost nothing? Isn't a degree of minor prostatitis almost inevitable? A bit like grit in the oyster?

To: ProstateCancerSupport Sent: Tuesday, 13 January, 2009 11:42:08 AMSubject: Re: Is it a bounce or is the beast on the rise

Bob had seeding Sept 07. His PSA history since then has also been erratic and we have been advised (as recently as last week when he had his annual follow up at the clinic that did the seeding) to relax and expect fluctuations for three years.Pre treatment PSA was 10.1seeding took place 9/12/07 (after six weeks external beam radiation)Date PSAMarch 08 .004 (much celebration)July 08 .19 (slightly less celebration) Oct. 08 .17Dec 08 .14We are tempted to just put the envelopes aside and not read the results for a year, like with our 401Ks.All best,Audrey