Salvage Radiotherapy Improves Prostate Cancer-specific Survival

Radiation therapy following a recurrence of prostate cancer may reduce deaths specifically caused by the disease. These results were recently published in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among American men. Often, men treated with initial therapy will experience a biochemical recurrence. This refers to an increase in prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels, which are small proteins shed into the blood by the prostate. Levels of PSA often indicate either the presence or recurrence of prostate cancer; therefore, follow-up after initial therapy includes PSA readings. PSA doubling time refers to the duration of time it takes for PSA levels to double; this measurement is often even more important than the absolute levels of PSA.

source: CancerConsultants