Just diagnosed with multifocal 3+4 T2Bn0m0

Hi Jeremys - I think we are in the same boat. After 2.5 years of <0.01 (after RALP) I was discharged back to my GP. First test at 3 years comes back as "0.03".  GP didn't bother telling me and I found out by chance. That really hit me hard.  Repeat after a month comes back as "<0.03". So it seems the assay used by the lab the GP uses has a lower limit of quantification of 0.03 ng/mL (same as micrograms/L), rather than the 0.01 I was used to. I'm beginning to suspect that some muppet at the lab missed off the all important <. Second repeat in a couple of weeks.  If it's another <0.03 I may get myself a more sensitive private test just to be certain.

I spent 20 years developing and validating bioanalytical methods and my gut suggests we may both be victims of the inherent variability that bioassays demonstrate at their limit of quantification (and/or lab staff cock up).  Doesn't fill us with confidence though, does it?

Cheers
Ian

Edited by member 12 Jul 2024 at 12:32  | Reason: typo

Many hospitals now only test down to 0.1, as Addenbrookes in Cambridge do when testing my post surgery PSA. Initially, it was tested to 0.01 but they changed to 0.1 on the basis that any small changes from 0.01 were probably meaningless and  caused worry when such small increases were reported. My next 6 monthly test is tomorrow and, hopefully, that  will come out at less than 0.1.

Ivan

Edited by member 16 Jul 2024 at 10:15  | Reason: Not specified

Thanks for that and I will mention it to the specialist nurse when I speak to her after my test.

Ivan