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PSA Numbers

User
Posted 04 Apr 2017 at 21:01

I simply cannot understand PSA numbers , I was concerned when informed my number was 5.8 but then I see numbers of 125 and even 700 can somebody explain what is a dangerous level .

User
Posted 05 Apr 2017 at 01:06

It's not that simple Moocher - there isn't a dangerous level. The PSA simply indicates that there might be a problem so a man in his 50s with a PSA over 3.1 should be referred to a urologist to check everything is okay. However, a man with a very enlarged benign prostate can have a PSA of 60 - 80 but biopsies find no evidence of cancer.

My husband had PSA of 3.1 and it was already spreading into his bladder, Si had a PSA of just over 3 and it was in his bones, Trevor was 13,000 at diagnosis and is still here some years later (against all odds it sometimes seems) while some men have PSA of 20 / 30 or more and it is due to prostate infection.

Just to complicate matters, professional cyclists and very keen amateurs are likely to have raised PSA levels but are not at an increased risk of getting prostate cancer.

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

User
Posted 05 Apr 2017 at 06:24

Therefore the level itself can be a very inaccurate way of detecting cancer. And this is why there is constant research into finding a more accurate test. Some men can have a high psa then go through all the unpleasantness then find they don't have cancer , and vuca versa.
BUT psa values can be valuable by estimating the rate of change. Ie if you do have cancer and the psa is rising quickly , it's fair to say you have a quite aggressive cancer growing. If you are put on a medication and the psa drops well it's normally a good indicator of treatment success. Hope this helps

 
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