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Third rise in psa

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User
Posted 25 Nov 2019 at 17:13

Hi guys 


So today I have my latest psa results and its risen for the third time.


The rise as always been minimal 0.31/0.33/0.35 don't know if I should be worried or not?


Also blood pressure is abysmal at 183/115.

User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 10:55

Hi Stacey


There are lots of guys on here with a detectable rising PSA after surgery. Your husband's young age is a shock but this seems to be happening more and more.


I was reading some research on young onset prostate cancer and it points out that young onset does not infer any greater risk so you should have hope that your husband's treatment will be as successful as it is for older guys.


It would help contributers if you could update your profile with staging, Gleason and PSA readings.


Cheers


Jon


 

User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 22:22

Jeff it all depends on the type of test ie how sensitive it is. Some hospitals will do sensitive tests to various decimal places eg 0.03 etc. However, lots of hospitals don’t do the sensitive tests nowadays so you often see <0.1 because that’s the lowest they test do. 
Anyway, <0.1 is classed as undetectable so nothing to worry about


Have a great xmas πŸ‘


Bri 

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User
Posted 25 Nov 2019 at 17:57

Gaz


The rises are small but in our area a rise above 0.2 after RP would trigger an appointment with the consultant surgeon. Has the been any talk of further treatment, can't find any reference in your previous posts.


It would be better to have one conversation and keep adding to it. It makes it easier for us and you to follow your progress.


 


Thanks Chris


 

User
Posted 25 Nov 2019 at 18:18

Hi Gaz, As Chris says the rises are very small.  As was written in a recent post slow rises usually mean some cells remain locally and Radiotherapy is offered if it's over 0.2. 


As you're only a few months after the op I don't know if they wait a bit.  Although Adjuvant RT is meant to be done very early.


I'd be asking to see an oncologist as adjuvant or salvage RT can be very successful and they might give you hormones first.


Yes, your blood pressure is high, have you a history of it or is it new.  I don't think it's normally associated with a Prostatectomy.   When I was in hospital I was amazed that everyone had BP around 100 for the higher reading, mine was 96 which I thought worrying.


Good luck.

Edited by member 25 Nov 2019 at 18:20  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 25 Nov 2019 at 19:38
Gaz, can you just confirm that you have typed the PSA results correctly and it isn't 0.031 / 0.033 / 0.035? I f the results are 0.0something then these tiny rises could ust be your body settling into a new norm with some healthy PSA floating about.

If the results are as you have stated, i think you should be more than concerned - if you were my husband or dad we would be camped outside the urologist's office until we got a referral to an oncologist. A post-op PSA of over 0.1 with no prostate is very worrying, small rises from undetectable are classic for cells left in the prostate bed but to not get down to undetectable suggests that your cancer had already escaped the gland. Your post op pathology wasn't very good - they found cancer in a lymph node, which makes the 0.3 all the more concerning. I may have remembered it wrong but didn't your surgeon tell you after the op that you were cured? I would have a healthy scepticism about him - if he has a big ego, he may be reluctant to refer you to oncology because he will have to record it in his outcomes data.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 25 Nov 2019 at 20:09

Hi Gaz


Totally agree with Lyn .  Can  you  post dates and values of those  3 PSA tests please ?


Who are you seeing and again  dates? 


Are you on any meds ?  Ie  BP is high.  How and when was that done ? 


Gordon

User
Posted 26 Nov 2019 at 11:24
If those figures are correct you should be getting a PET scan followed by targeted radio therapy.

Who was you surgeon? Was it PC? Whoever it was wants reporting for using the word cured when you had lymph spread and a post op PSA of 0.3.
User
Posted 27 Nov 2019 at 14:25
Hi guys
Thanks for the replies been to see gp re high blood pressure she has put me on ramipril while I was there I asked about my psa.
Sorry I put it down wrong the figures are
July 0.031
September 0.033
November 0.035
Ive got oncology appointment on the 2nd of December hopefully I will get some answers.
Cheers everyone
User
Posted 27 Nov 2019 at 15:11
Well guessed, Matron (Lyn).

With a cursory glance at your PSA figures, they are so low that you need to worry more about your blood pressure than your PSA until at such time it exceeds 0.1 on three successive PSA tests.

My local hospital and others only test to 0.1 so that tiny increases such as in your newly-corrected figures do not cause the kind of alarm and anxiety that you seem to have suffered.

Best of luck.

Cheers, John.
User
Posted 27 Nov 2019 at 18:04
Not sure what questions you are expecting answers to at the appointment - it seems there isn’t any problem. Be thankful and celebrate.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 10:41

Hi Gaz67, my husband is 38 and was diagnosed April this year, he had a radical prostatectomy in June. His PSA is also traceable and raising. He is currently on Hormone Therapy and his radiotherapy introduction is in February.


It is such an emotional roller-coaster, you think after having the surgery you'd be due some good news. 


My husband is struggling to cope with the current diagnosis and it would be good to talk to someone who was experiencing the same issues. 


Keep us updated on how you are doing. 


Stacey πŸ˜€

User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 10:55

Hi Stacey


There are lots of guys on here with a detectable rising PSA after surgery. Your husband's young age is a shock but this seems to be happening more and more.


I was reading some research on young onset prostate cancer and it points out that young onset does not infer any greater risk so you should have hope that your husband's treatment will be as successful as it is for older guys.


It would help contributers if you could update your profile with staging, Gleason and PSA readings.


Cheers


Jon


 

User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 11:04

Thank you Jon, I have updated my bio now. I'm new to this, not that you haven't guess that already πŸ˜‚

User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 16:33

Hello All,


I had RP on the 1st October and had my first PSA last week resulting in <0.1


Was told this was now undetectable so next blood test will be in 6 months.


After reading your stories with lower readings than mine, should I be worried?


Jeff

User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 22:22

Jeff it all depends on the type of test ie how sensitive it is. Some hospitals will do sensitive tests to various decimal places eg 0.03 etc. However, lots of hospitals don’t do the sensitive tests nowadays so you often see <0.1 because that’s the lowest they test do. 
Anyway, <0.1 is classed as undetectable so nothing to worry about


Have a great xmas πŸ‘


Bri 

User
Posted 18 Dec 2019 at 22:42

Thanks Brian.


Feeling better now after your comment.


Merry Christmas!

 
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