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PSA anxiety2

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User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 06:19

Hi

Not sure if my previous post went on line, so sorry if I made a duplicate.  Basically, I was diagnosed with Bladder cancer two years ago and had a radical cystectomy  which included removing my prostate.

The histology revealed that I also had incidental prostate cancer and up to now everything has been fine. I am under two London Hospitals and have blood tests at each one. In Aug, I attended my 6 month follow up at Hospital 1 and was told everything was fine. We don't talk about the blood tests.

Last Thursday I attended Hospital 2 and again, usually we don't often review my bloods. I saw a different consultant who noted that my PSA level  had risen from .001 in May to .002, but that it was nothing to worry about and he would me again in 6 months.

I am aware that this very low and below the 0.1 level, but the fluctuation has bothered me, is it common? I know that despite the absence of a prostate the body still produces PSA and that this could and may have fluctuated in the past. I think the Consultant let it slip, as usually I have my bloods done after the meeting, but on this occasion I had the tests done prior on an unrelated visit.

 

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 09:05

This is insignificant - your measurements are right down at the resolution limit if the test. It might be that you've gone from .001999 to .002000 (or wherever the rounding boundary is) if it was possible to measure that accurately. It only becomes significant if it goes up every time.

It would be useful to have all your readings (I recommend you keep a record of them yourself), and you might see it bounces a little from one to another with such high resolution readings.

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 09:16
This is a trivial random fluctuation and absolutely nothing to be concerned about. In most cases your PSA would be reported as "<0.1" and you'd never even have known about it.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 18:56
In a piece of research done recently at our hospital, one of the urological cancer specialist teaching hospitals, they found that the average woman had a measurable PSA reading, if she had just had an orgasm it rose to about 0.06 and breast milk also contains PSA. Many labs have stopped offering PSA tests to more than one decimal place because it is becoming clear that readings below 0.1 can be unreliable and cause unnecessary anxiety and over-treatment.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 21:20

Thank you xxx

User
Posted 17 Nov 2019 at 09:07

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
In a piece of research done recently at our hospital, one of the urological cancer specialist teaching hospitals, they found that the average woman had a measurable PSA reading

Tiny amounts of PSA are generated by the adrenal glands and pituitary gland. Significant amounts are present in breast milk and amniotic fluid. It's also present in (but not secreted by) salivary glands.

It's badly named, as in it's not "prostate specific", but was identified there first. It's an enzyme to break down mucus (in semen, it causes your semen liquify after 5 mins or so, allowing the sperm to swim freely), but there are other places the body wants to break down mucus too, and also uses PSA to do so. The concentrations in semen are vastly higher than found anywhere else though.

Edited by member 17 Nov 2019 at 09:09  | Reason: Not specified

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User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 09:05

This is insignificant - your measurements are right down at the resolution limit if the test. It might be that you've gone from .001999 to .002000 (or wherever the rounding boundary is) if it was possible to measure that accurately. It only becomes significant if it goes up every time.

It would be useful to have all your readings (I recommend you keep a record of them yourself), and you might see it bounces a little from one to another with such high resolution readings.

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 09:13
Andy 62 thank you. I think the reason it came this time was usually I have the blood test after the consultation, so I'm usually notifed by letter and they regard the results as insignificant. It was never explained that I could still produce PSA after the prostatectomy and the levels could vary slightly from time to time. Only found out via this site.
User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 09:16
This is a trivial random fluctuation and absolutely nothing to be concerned about. In most cases your PSA would be reported as "<0.1" and you'd never even have known about it.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 11:34
At my multi-billion pound super-hospital, they only test to 0.1, so <0.1 is classed as undetectable. Even the Royal Marsden Hospital, the top cancer centre in Britain, only tests to 0.04, so worry about something else!

Cheers, John.

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 12:22

Thanks, I suspect it's just UCHL showing off. Normally, they don't mention the bloods, as unlike Barts,  I take the test after the consultation and I'm informed by letter. 

The thing is that a lot of these are not explained when you are having treatment and quite often during it your thinking of follow ups. On top of this, I didn't know that you still produce PSA after surgery, or what is meant by undectable.

Much obliged

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 18:56
In a piece of research done recently at our hospital, one of the urological cancer specialist teaching hospitals, they found that the average woman had a measurable PSA reading, if she had just had an orgasm it rose to about 0.06 and breast milk also contains PSA. Many labs have stopped offering PSA tests to more than one decimal place because it is becoming clear that readings below 0.1 can be unreliable and cause unnecessary anxiety and over-treatment.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 16 Nov 2019 at 21:20

Thank you xxx

User
Posted 17 Nov 2019 at 08:57

Hi

Just like to say thanks to everyone for the posts it really has been a great help and relieved a great deal of stress. I have a better understanding of PSA levels and why you cannot get an absolute 0 level PSA.

Unfortunately, none of this was explained to me after/during treatment and I didn't even know that I had incidental Pca  until my first check up.

Anyway, thanks again.

User
Posted 17 Nov 2019 at 09:07

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member
In a piece of research done recently at our hospital, one of the urological cancer specialist teaching hospitals, they found that the average woman had a measurable PSA reading

Tiny amounts of PSA are generated by the adrenal glands and pituitary gland. Significant amounts are present in breast milk and amniotic fluid. It's also present in (but not secreted by) salivary glands.

It's badly named, as in it's not "prostate specific", but was identified there first. It's an enzyme to break down mucus (in semen, it causes your semen liquify after 5 mins or so, allowing the sperm to swim freely), but there are other places the body wants to break down mucus too, and also uses PSA to do so. The concentrations in semen are vastly higher than found anywhere else though.

Edited by member 17 Nov 2019 at 09:09  | Reason: Not specified

 
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