title: [PSA recurrence following radical prostatectomy and radiotherapy].
abstract: Relapses after curative therapy for localised prostate cancer using radiotherapy or radical prostatectomy occur in a significant percentage of cases, even in times of continually improving patient selection. The definition of a biochemical relapse after surgery is a PSA value of >or=0.4 ng/ml. After radiotherapy with maintenance of the organ and residual PSA production the definition is more complicated. The current algorithm is based on the ASTRO consensus of 1996 and defines a relapse as three consecutive increases in PSA above the post-therapeutic low. A biochemical relapse can indicate a local relapse, systemic metastasising of the disease or a combination of both. The differentiation of these two possibilities can be made, apart from imaging modalities, primarily on the basis of variation in PSA kinetics, whereby a short PSA doubling time and early PSA increase after primary therapy indicate a systemic problem.
authors.affiliation: Urologische Klinik des Klinikums Niederrhein, Johanniter-Krankenhaus Oberhausen, Steinbrinkstrasse 96a, 46145, Oberhausen, Germany. jan.fichtner@ejk.de
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Fichtner
mesh_terms: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000097:blood* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen / Q000097:blood*; D011468:Prostatectomy; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000097:blood* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy*; D018714:Radiotherapy, Adjuvant; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D014408:Biomarkers, Tumor; D017430:Prostate-Specific Antigen