recurrent psa 0.2

.i had maybe 10 incrementally increasing psa test results before breaching the 0.1 level which is deemed detectable in newcastle...but fair play to consultant at the level 0.083 he recognised slowly rising psa...12 months later and here i am at 0.21...i wonder if those incremental changes couldve been a guide to future action.?

.anyhow thanks again.your advice is invaluable, keep yer feet still, unless your dancing, joe

a paper which indicates a genetic test can determine how likely recurrent prostate cancer is to metatize.

this looks interesting.anybody got any views on if, or when ,genetic testing to determine desirability of use of hormone therapy in addition to salvage radiotherapy for recurrent cancer is available in nhs? is it worth raising with oncologist or is it prohibitively expensive for nhs?

anyhow, keep yer feet still ,unless you're dancing

I'm in a similar situation to many of the posts above with a climb from 0 to 0.2 in just under two years since my Op. I have an oncology appointment next week to discuss go forward.

I'm curious to know how effective RT can be if the cancer cells can not be picked up by a scan at 0.2

Is it just a case of 'carpet bombing' the area as opposed to a guided missile after a scan gives better location info?

Having escaped serious side effects from the op I'd be loathe to risk RT collateral damage.

Appreciate any thoughts

Basically, treatment earlier when there are fewer cancer cells is more likely to be effective than waiting until later. Whereas scans are not good at picking up small numbers of cancer cells. There is a risk waiting until the cancer is bigger and visible on a scan means RT might not work as effectively. LynEyre summarises the issues extremely well.

Hi Joe,

My psa started to rise within months of my RALP which was 3 and a half years ago. I was monitored after that with my psa continuing to rise slowly, my consultant happy to wait until my psa had risen to 1.0 as a petscan would then pinpoint the problem more clearly.

I've since had HT which has dropped my psa to undectable, the petscan has shown no spread out of the prostate bed and I've just started RT to hopefully zap the baddies lurking there!!

Good luck with your treatment, whenever that maybe

Rob

anyhow i wish you all the best,will update after my oncology appointment.joe

I have asked medics and research staff about the timing of blood tests and testing. My last few blood tests were all done in the trials room and were in the lab within a few minutes. The pattern was a slow increase.

Previous tests were done at a phlebotomy department of a regional health centre they all went to the same lab as my trials tests. I would have my blood taken any time between 9.0am and 12.30, the blood sat in the health centre until 13.00 when it was taken to my hospital to be tested. My previous test results have frequently  fluctuated. Does the PSA decrease in the time between taking the blood and testing it. 

None of the medical staff seem to be able to confirm whether there has been any research into variations in results linked to testing timings. 

I came to the conclusion we are more interested in our results than the medical staff that treat us.

Thanks Chris