If prostate cancer returns
For some men, prostate cancer does come back after treatment. This is known as a recurrence or relapse.
If your PSA level starts to rise and the cancer has not spread beyond the prostate, this may mean you still have cancer cells in the prostate area. If this happens, you may be given more treatment, known as salvage treatment.
It is difficult to do surgery when cancer comes back if you have already had surgery or radiation therapy, both of which cause internal scarring (fibrosis). However, surgery may be an option in particular cases. More often, if you originally had surgery, you may be offered radiation therapy, and if you had radiation therapy, you may be offered ADT or another form of treatment. If the cancer has spread beyond the prostate, ADT is usually recommended. Sometimes people have palliative treatment to ease their symptoms.
It is possible for the cancer to come back in another part of your body. In this case, you may have treatment that focuses specifically on the area of your body where the cancer has returned. Talk to your treatment team about the options. You can also call Cancer Council 13 11 20 for more information.
– Neil
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This information was last reviewed in March 2018
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