PSA beware of false negatives

My father had Prostate Cancer when he was in his 70s, which put me at relatively high risk.
So I started having PSA tests three years ago..
My levels came back us 1.7 ug/L - I was reassured, a good reading as the cutoff then was 4ug/L.
But it turned out to be a false negative.

A year later I had another test. When I called the GP a week later, I was told the results were 'fine'.  I was not given a figure. But I felt reassured. In reality the PSA had risen by 20% in under a year, and that should have triggered further investigation. But two good results in a row gave me a false sense of confidence. I did not even bother to get a PSA test the following year.

In November I visited the GP because of a knee problem, and asked, while I was there, for a PSA test. The result was 4.1 - marginally above the old threshold. But the PSA had doubled in 2 years. MRI and then Biopsy showed an aggressive tumour Gleason 4+5, and I did a RARP on 27/1/2020. As I reported in another thread surgery was far easier than I could have imagined.

My full PSA results are:
18/10/2016 1.7 ug/L
23/8/2017 2.1 ug/L
11/11/2019 4.1 ug/L

In retrospect my prognosis would have been far better if I had been diagnosed one or two years ago. I did have a symptom - dribbling after urination. But it never occurred to me that this was connected this with prostate cancer. In fact my early PSA tests gave me a false sense of security.

So my conclusions are:
1) PSA tests results can be misleading. It is dangerous to assume that a single low PSA reading means you are in the clear.
2) Always insist on getting the actual figures, and keep a record
3) Gradient is far more important than absolute level. Any significant increase should be investigated.
4) Be aware of symptoms. Any change in urination or ejaculation is reason for further investigation

No point in dwelling over what I should have done. But I hope my observations help others.

Edited by member 16 Feb 2020 at 12:28  | Reason: Not specified