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Panic over!

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User
Posted 26 Apr 2018 at 06:28
My take on it ( and I may be wrong) is that whatever assay/ equipment is used i.e < 0.1, < 0.01, < 0.03 etc when the < disappears that means the PSA is detectable and means a recurrence is more likely but not necessarily inevitable. Only relates to post Prostatectomy cases though of course.

Regards

Ann

Edited by member 26 Apr 2018 at 06:30  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 26 Apr 2018 at 06:52

I think that anything without a < sign must surely indicate that there are prostate cells present. If one has had the prostate removed and then several undetectable results and then PSA is detected, my thinking is it must be PCa cells that have growen enough to produce the PSA. My opinion is that the official level for biochemical recurrance of 0.2 should be regarded as the level for intervention (or at least consideration) as the actual recurrence has begun far sooner. That is not to say I necessarsly agree with that level as each case is different.

Just my thoughts, happy to be corrected?

Cheers Bill

User
Posted 26 Apr 2018 at 07:09
Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
My take on it ( and I may be wrong) is that whatever assay/ equipment is used i.e < 0.1, < 0.01, < 0.03 etc when the < disappears that means the PSA is detectable and means a recurrence is more likely but not necessarily inevitable. Only relates to post Prostatectomy cases though of course.

Regards

Ann

If only! The lab my urologist uses changed their assay to the 0.1 version without telling him - my PSA came back as "detectable but not quantifiable" When pushed by the consultant they changed it to 0.025 (6 months previous it was 0.024 so would have been happy with that!) not happy with this the same blood was sent to a different lab and it came back 0.03!

all less than 0.1 ie undetectable in "old money" but all adds to the PSA anxiety!

I guess I will find out on Monday!

User
Posted 26 Apr 2018 at 16:38
Hi Hope you get good results on Monday.

Yes the PSA results are an ever present menace.😠

User
Posted 26 Apr 2018 at 17:41

This is exactly why so many hospital labs have stopped doing the ultra-sensitive tests. There is no reliable evidence that a result without a < is therefore detectable and indicates more likely recurrence. The average woman has a PSA around 0.005 unless she has an orgasm (0.03) or is breast feeding (0.03) or is in the phase just before menstruating (0.02). Breast milk has PSA in it. Some PSA is generated (for both genders) by the adrenal gland, by other cancers, and / or can be found in the liver and pancreas. So a man could have a post-op PSA of 0.05 which stabilises there and never rises or falls, simply down to the tiny amounts being generated in other parts of the body. Failing to recognise this leads to unnecessary salvage treatment - it is the rise that should be taken seriously ... <0.02, 0.02, 0.05, 0.08 would therefore indicate that there is a potential recurrence, particularly if the pathology had found SVI or positive margins.

Women and PSA - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2033864/?page=3

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 30 Apr 2018 at 22:35
Well I got some good news today - after 2 years of my PSA "ticking up" on the Ultra Sensitive PSA test today I had my first decline since my RP 30 months ago - down from 0.030 to 0.023.

Consultant said 12 monthly tests were now ok as my PSA had been basically stable for 12 months with no treatment.

I realise I am not out of the woods yet but 12 months without a PSA test for the first time in 10 years will be welcome!

User
Posted 01 May 2018 at 08:16
Great news.

Ian

Ido4

User
Posted 01 May 2018 at 17:05
I'm really pleased to hear your great news.😀

Best Wishes

Ann

User
Posted 01 May 2018 at 17:50

Great news francij. Very pleased for you

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 01 May 2018 at 19:39
Good news always welcome Jonathan. Long may it continue. Tom
 
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