<s>[INST] My father-in-law had prostate cancer 20 years ago and had radiation pellets which made him outlive everyone else in his study. We just learned his PSA is now at an 8 and we re heading to him, but can you tell me what exactly that high a number means? [/INST] Hello and Welcome to ‘Ask A Doctor’ service. I have reviewed your query and here is my advice. Definitely first you should consult the doctor. If that result does not show progressive disease then, maybe the increased level is due to radiation. Hope I have answered your query. Let me know if I can assist you further. </s>