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0.07 PSA

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User
Posted 13 Oct 2016 at 19:49
I had a prostatectomy in 2012.The cancer had travelled to tip of my prostate which worried me.I was a Gleason 7 before it was removed.
Since then I have had 'less than 0.05 PSA' on blood tests which is expected and good.
I suspect 0.05 is the baseline level of detection for the test.
However 4 weeks ago I had a result of 0.07.
The doctors surgery said this was OK as it's below 2.0 and wouldn't let me have another PSA test.
Bring worried I found an old PSA blood test request and submitted amother one myself !!!!
This result is 0.07 PSA as well.
Does anyone know if PSA can go up a bit without it being cancer after a prostatectomy.
I know it is only 0.02 higher but I am worried.
Has this happened to anyone else?
Thanks for your help
Steve
Preston
UK
User
Posted 13 Oct 2016 at 23:45

It's not just the assessed PSA but the doubling time. You may find this interesting - it carries the name of the well respected John Hopkins http://urology.jhu.edu/newsletter/prostate_cancer52.php

Barry
User
Posted 14 Oct 2016 at 02:14

Take a look at my profile - John's wanders from 0.05 up to 0.09 and back again without any major concern. The hospital may have re-calibrated the machines or bought new ones, you may have been a bit more active recently, it could simply be the normal machine tolerance.

Our hospital is busy replacing all the machines over a 12 month period so we were warned to expect some variation.

I do think that if you get the opportunity you could help the doctor's receptionist with a bit of professional development by explaining to get that 2.0 would definitely not be normal for a man without a prostate!

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard
User
Posted 14 Oct 2016 at 07:51
S

My six week post op consultation and follow up letter said if my PSA breached a threshold of 0.1 I would be referred back to the consultant. Due to ongoing problems I have not got past three monthly testing yet. Some guys are told a referral would be triggered at 0.2, so I wonder if your surgery is getting a decimal point mixed up.

Technically you are still classed as undetectable but I share you concerns. My PSA had a few fluctuations but overall has risen over the last 27 months since RARP, the last two tests being 0.13 and the next test in January. Even at 0.13 I keep being told it is still quite low and no one is panicking yet.



Thanks Chris
User
Posted 14 Oct 2016 at 13:13
Hi Steve,
I had an operation 11 months ago to remove prostate, my Gleeson score was 7, my PSA was 14, since then I've had 4 blood tests , first 0.01 second 0.2, third 0.3 and fourth 0.5
My consultant has now recommended radiotherapy as some of the cancer cells have moved somewhere else, I was hoping that this condition had been put to bed when I had the robotic surgery but not the case, more visits to the hospital .
Hope this can be of some help.

James
User
Posted 15 Oct 2016 at 21:08
Hi James
My journey has been much the same as yours but I finished the salvage RT in June. I read on this site about everyone's experiences of RT so prepared for the worst but followed the instructions I was given by the good folk at the Churchill in Oxford and came through it with no real problems. I had a couple of days towards the end when the bowels loosened a little but dry toast seemed to fix that. I won't pretend that having to hold a full bladder for the RT was easy or fun but you will meet other guys there at different stages who will support you. If you are uncomfortable then talk to the radiographers as they have more experience of this and will help. In the last 8 days I was getting a bit tired but it was a 94 mile round trip every day and so it might have been a contributory factor. I had no problems to speak of
and nearly 4 months on this is still the case. I saw the onco on the 19th September and the PSA has gone up from 0.5 to 0.6 but everyone has said that it can take up to 18 months for the PSA to find its nadir. I have a PSA test in Dec and another in March before seeing the onco again. These readings will give an indication of how things are responding to the RT.
This is simply my experience and yours will be yours. I was apprehensive but all is good and I feel very relaxed about things now as though I have a 6 month holiday.
All the very best for your RT.

Kevan

Edited by member 15 Oct 2016 at 21:09  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 13 Jan 2017 at 18:47
My psa is now 0.09
Thankyou Barry for the article it has made me feel better.
I am going to see doctor to arrange consultant opinion anyway but hopefully after 5 years as it has only gone up to 0.09 things will be OK
Kind regards
Steve
Preston
U
K
User
Posted 13 Jan 2017 at 19:50

Kevan I was informed the RT will work for up to 2 years. It certainly took my PSA this amount of time for my PSA to reach its lowest point after adjuvant RT.

Good luck with the consult Steve

Bri

User
Posted 13 Jan 2017 at 20:20
Thankyou
Steve
User
Posted 13 Jan 2017 at 20:24
Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

I do think that if you get the opportunity you could help the doctor's receptionist with a bit of professional development by explaining to get that 2.0 would definitely not be normal for a man without a prostate!



Steve

To follow on from Lyn's comment my PSA has just hit 0.2 thirty three months post RARP and I am now waiting for a date for my salvage RT to start. Your PSA is rising slowly so hopefully you will be okay.

Thanks Chris

User
Posted 13 Jan 2017 at 20:28
Thankyou and I am sure we will both be OK
Good luck
Steve
 
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