Prostate Cancer Recurrence Fear: The Prostate-Specific Antigen Bounce

Prostate cancer is the most common cancer in American men. Those who choose external beam radiation therapy or ultrasound-guided prostate brachytherapy (seed implant) as treatment for early-stage prostate cancer may experience a benign rise in prostate-specific antigen (PSA) values after treatment. This phenomenon has been identified in the literature as the "PSA bounce," which can be mistaken for a rise in PSA resulting from biochemical failure. The PSA bounce can be a major source of anxiety for patients and families and can create diagnostic challenges for clinicians. Additional study is needed to explain its occurrence. Clinicians should be aware of this complex phenomenon, observe PSA values, and account for the PSA bounce in post-treatment management of their patients. Patient education and psychosocial support can be helpful for patients and families when PSA values rise after radiation treatment.