BAFANGUY
I wish your friend well. It’s a worrying time for sure so hope he is treated well. Re the PSA test my understanding is that it can be unreliable in both senses. A high score doesn’t necessarily mean one has prostate cancer and a low score does not guarantee that cancer is not present.
The PSMA PET scan you asked about involves an injection of a radioactive isotope that will, if present, attach itself to any prostrate cells present. What the scan provides is a cross sectional image where prostrate cells appear a different coiour to the surrounding tissue. Hence the PET scan is a useful tool in aiding detection but is not part of the treatment as such.
BBK,
Yes, the PSA is just a heads up for potential prostate cancer and there are several benign(even normal)reasons it might be elevated.
What makes the PSMA PET so intriguing is its
potential for being a treatment mechanism by delivering cancer-killing agents directly to the prostate cancer itself. That would sure be a game changer but much more needs to be done to make that happen if it even can happen. The medical people where my friend got his PSMA PET were very encouraged at the prospect.
The males on both sides of my family lived to be absolutely ancient. While many may have died
with prostate cancer (if the possibility was even considered back then), none of them to my knowledge died
of it. Sure hope the stats mean something for me.
