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Minor Variations on a PSA Theme

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User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 16:44

Dear All

Post RP in 2018, all my PSA readings were undetectable, until July 2019, when I had a 0.03

February this year, undetectable again, and then July 2020, 0.03 again.

At these lowest of integer levels, minor fluctuations, but has anyone else experienced this?

July 2019, February and July2020 were all taken from the same hospital lab.

Just a little perspective before I begin worrying.

Thanks in advance

 

Just a little perspective before I start

 

User
Posted 21 Jul 2020 at 03:16
The lab here in Coventry only tests to 0.1, so <0.1 is classed as “undetectable”. Two oncologists and my surgeon told me this is for the best in nearly all cases, so as to avoid the kind of worries and anxieties mentioned above.

Cheers, John.

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 21:07

Hi Antony, I had RT so our psa stories are not really comparable. At my lab, tests are only reported to one decimal place, and when the receptionist says 0.1 I never know whether it is 0.1 or <0.1 as not everyone knows that < means "less than". As far as I know labs that report two decimal places report down to 0.03 and anything less than that is undetectable so reported as <0.03 .

So the first question is are you absolutely sure that all the results are not undetectable ie. Less than 0.03. If some of them have just about managed to get to the lowest limit they can detect, then fare enough your have something to think about. If your tests were being processed at the same lab as mine they would still all be classified as undetectable.

So I would say that with all your results either at or below the lowest limit which the most sensitive test can detect, it is extremely unlikely that you have a problem. 

Dave

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 21:27

Antony 

Your PSA last July was 0.03 and this year is 0.03, so I would not be getting stressed about it. The difference between July 19 0.03 and the previous test <0.03 could be as little as 0.001.

My last blood sample was tested twice and had a difference of 0.01. 

My post op PSA was 0.03 and only took just over two years to get too around 0.15, so your results look fairly stable.

If I were you I would have a beer to celebrate your latest result.

Thanks Chris

Edited by member 20 Jul 2020 at 21:35  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 21:34

My thoughts come from my surgeon who made an awful lot of sense - don’t spend your time in between blood tests thinking about stuff you have no control over. There is virtually nothing you can do to make PSA go up or down. Just enjoy every day - through the skill of our surgeons we have been given a get out of jail card!

as an aside my RP was done sept 2018 every blood test has been ‘undetectable’ after my sept blood test I am on annual testing. I went in as T2 after histology 3 months later I was T3b Gleason 9. That scared the heck out of me (And wife) - this is when I was given the advice about don’t dwell on PSA. I have no leakage and slowly improving ED. I am more thoughtful about COVID!!!

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 23:02
It is nothing - possible machine noise, possible that one or more tests were done just before or after the machines were recalibrate, possibly someone forgot to type the < sign or, as suggested above, the person reading the results didn't know what it meant. It could be healthy PSA settling to your future normal level - John has no prostate but his 'normal' seems to be around 0.1 - because tiny amounts of PSA are also produced in other parts of the body. Your current PSA is slightly lower than a woman who has just had an orgasm and slightly higher than is found in breast milk!
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 23:37
Mine has gone from <0.008 to 0.014 to 0.020 to 0.03 to 0.024 to 0.03 then this year it's <0.1. I finally gave up worrying about supersensitive after 5 years!
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User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 21:07

Hi Antony, I had RT so our psa stories are not really comparable. At my lab, tests are only reported to one decimal place, and when the receptionist says 0.1 I never know whether it is 0.1 or <0.1 as not everyone knows that < means "less than". As far as I know labs that report two decimal places report down to 0.03 and anything less than that is undetectable so reported as <0.03 .

So the first question is are you absolutely sure that all the results are not undetectable ie. Less than 0.03. If some of them have just about managed to get to the lowest limit they can detect, then fare enough your have something to think about. If your tests were being processed at the same lab as mine they would still all be classified as undetectable.

So I would say that with all your results either at or below the lowest limit which the most sensitive test can detect, it is extremely unlikely that you have a problem. 

Dave

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 21:27

Antony 

Your PSA last July was 0.03 and this year is 0.03, so I would not be getting stressed about it. The difference between July 19 0.03 and the previous test <0.03 could be as little as 0.001.

My last blood sample was tested twice and had a difference of 0.01. 

My post op PSA was 0.03 and only took just over two years to get too around 0.15, so your results look fairly stable.

If I were you I would have a beer to celebrate your latest result.

Thanks Chris

Edited by member 20 Jul 2020 at 21:35  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 21:34

My thoughts come from my surgeon who made an awful lot of sense - don’t spend your time in between blood tests thinking about stuff you have no control over. There is virtually nothing you can do to make PSA go up or down. Just enjoy every day - through the skill of our surgeons we have been given a get out of jail card!

as an aside my RP was done sept 2018 every blood test has been ‘undetectable’ after my sept blood test I am on annual testing. I went in as T2 after histology 3 months later I was T3b Gleason 9. That scared the heck out of me (And wife) - this is when I was given the advice about don’t dwell on PSA. I have no leakage and slowly improving ED. I am more thoughtful about COVID!!!

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 23:02
It is nothing - possible machine noise, possible that one or more tests were done just before or after the machines were recalibrate, possibly someone forgot to type the < sign or, as suggested above, the person reading the results didn't know what it meant. It could be healthy PSA settling to your future normal level - John has no prostate but his 'normal' seems to be around 0.1 - because tiny amounts of PSA are also produced in other parts of the body. Your current PSA is slightly lower than a woman who has just had an orgasm and slightly higher than is found in breast milk!
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 20 Jul 2020 at 23:37
Mine has gone from <0.008 to 0.014 to 0.020 to 0.03 to 0.024 to 0.03 then this year it's <0.1. I finally gave up worrying about supersensitive after 5 years!
User
Posted 21 Jul 2020 at 03:16
The lab here in Coventry only tests to 0.1, so <0.1 is classed as “undetectable”. Two oncologists and my surgeon told me this is for the best in nearly all cases, so as to avoid the kind of worries and anxieties mentioned above.

Cheers, John.

 
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