PSA Level advice

User

Posted 22 Sep 2022 at 18:07

My husband is 55 years old and had been having the usual symptoms of prostate cancer for a while now. He had his PSA levels checked yesterday and they have come back at 3.02. He hasn't spoken to his doctor yet but his NHS app says it is within normal levels and no further action is needed. I am concerned that this result is a little high, can anyone advise on this please. Also is there anything else he can ask the GP to check please. Thanks

User

Posted 22 Sep 2022 at 19:05

What matters most isn’t the PSA “number” (unless it’s really high, which this isn’t), but how it changes. A steady increase in PSA is a flag that further investigation is required. Suggest that he gets it tested again in 6 months’ time and see what it is then.

Prostate problems are common as a man gets older (because the prostate carries on growing a man’s entire life), but that’s not a symptom of cancer. The actual cancer usually has no symptoms at all.

Best wishes,

Chris

Edited by member 22 Sep 2022 at 19:07 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 22 Sep 2022 at 19:06

PSA is not really accurate enough to be used for diagnosis, but it can help a bit. Having a PSA test once a year and keeping a track of how fast it changes is much more useful.

You say he has the usual symptoms of prostate cancer, I presume you mean slow flow and frequent urination. They can be caused without any cancer so treatment may be useful for those, but don't jump to conclusions.

The only test that could be warranted at the moment is digital rectal examination (DRE) or have another PSA test (six months if really worried) and see if it has risen.

Dave

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 13:42

My PSA was first tested in 2018 when I was 60 and my reading then was 3.58. I had no symptoms and the DRE by the doctor found nothing untoward- other than a slightly enlarged prostate. Fast forward to March 2021 when I was tested again my reading was 5.32 and when I was tested again in April 2021 it was 5.76. I was then put on the cancer pathway (Biopsies, scans etc) and after my PSA again increased in September 2021 to 6.01 I moved from AS to undergoing treatment. This culminated in my prostate being removed in December 2021.

Ivan

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 13:56

Thanks all for your replies. My husband has been having trouble peeing for over a year now. He wants to go to the toilet but takes ages to get started and then it takes ages, the flow isn't there. He also finds that he thinks he has finished going but his body has other ideas and he starts up again, he finds he dribbles a lot too. He has recently started to have to go through the night as well.

Although his level seems fairly low I have read on some sites that 3 is the upper limit for his age. It's a worry and I am concerned that his GP will dismiss it as normal when something might be going on inside.

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 14:09

As said above the change in psa over time is a good measure. Although, rarely, some men don't get much increase in their psa.

The symptoms could be other things and many men have an operation to widen their urethra as the prostate has expanded to block it.

I had symptoms of urgency but that is also a symptom of an overactive bladder for which your brain needs retraining.

So having another psa test in a few months will be a useful step. Once you start on the prostate cancer treadmill you can find it hard to get off as there are so many ambiguous symptoms. It takes several different sorts of tests to be certain and even then it might not be 100% certain of what is the best course, for example: watch and wait, active surveillance, biopsy etc.

As also said above a DRE might give an indication although at 3.2 it might not. You'd think a GP would do that as a matter of course if you've had a blood test.

All the best, Peter

User

Posted 23 Sep 2022 at 14:21

Further to my earlier comment and to your latest one, if I knew back in 2018 when my PSA was 3.58 what I know now I would have not have left it another 3 years before undergoing further tests etc. When my prostate was removed in December 2021 when my PSA was around 6.01 the cancer was found to be bulging slightly from the prostate and though it was still contained within the prostate and I had negative margins ( which means that there is a very good chance that all the cancer has been removed) a longer delay in undergoing treatment might have meant that surgery was not a viable option.

Based on what I have just said, and taking account of the fact that there is evidence to suggest that 1 in 5 men of 40 have signs of prostate cancer and that most men of 60 have it, I would have certainly have had another PSA test taken 6 months after the first one in 2018 and would probably, based on that reading, have pushed for a biopsy being undertaken.

Ivan

Edited by member 23 Sep 2022 at 14:23 | Reason: Not specified

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