PSA test after prostatectomy

Thanks Peter, I agree, I ll stay on the safe side and avoid 3 days prior test any strong activity. Though right now there is not much I'm doing apart walking. 

Eric, I have asked medically qualified people about how some actions effect PSA results after surgery and other treatments. There does not seem to be detailed analysis of all situations of what actions effect results. I assume that is because the medics do not feel the need to get the information some of us would like to see.

There have been a few studies on the pre surgery PSA effects caused by cycling, some of which say the PSA was elevated for as little as 48 minutes.

As already said consistency before the test us probably the way to go, but how far do you go. My PSA has often fluctuated, many of my blood tests were taken at the hospital, so the blood was tested with an hour, other tests where done at our regional blood service, did the four hour delay and five mile journey to the lab affect the blood sample.

Not confirmed,did the COVID vaccine have an effect on the PSA results. There are some drugs that affect PSA reading, do we know what other food or drink affect the results.

My oncologist thinks it is our blood samples that are unreliable.I had my blood taken and put in two separate vials and sent to the same lab at the same time they came back with a difference of 0.01.

Thanks Chris

Some people are more risk tolerant or deny there are risks but we each decide for ourselves.  I'm fortunate in having a lucky pair of underpants that I wear at psa tests, although they let me down last December.

I wish someone could set up a tour of a lab and demonstrate a psa test and the calibration of the instrument.  I'm a bit obsessive about it and worked out trends if my psa had varied by 0.001.  That's the difference between say 0.06 and the next higher or lower result.

I've read that some surgeons leave behind tiny bits of prostate and that very low levels of psa can be generated outside the prostate.  If you have a psa test down to say 0.02 or less it might show up although I've also read that below 0.03 a change of 0.01 could be within bounds of instrument error.  My hospital tests to <0.05, the neighbouring hospital <0.06 and others are <0.1.  As my psa reached 0.09 I felt some relief in knowing some people wouldn't even know that, so it should be OK.   I'm pleased I'm aware as I'd have been discharged last December and then tested only annually, i.e. next December.

There are people with a stable psa at higher levels such as 0.09.   If that was mine I'd be trying for consistent conditions.  Not going to the gym or having a few drinks for the previous few days isn't much, I'd do more if I knew what was worth it.  I try to go at 9.30am and have the same breakfast along with a cup of water to help the blood come out and perhaps dilute it.  The phlebotomist told me to have the drink as the blood didn't come out.

One of the great things of this forum is the different attitudes people have towards their treatment choices.  I'm aware of 2 people who've gone a lot further than I'd tolerate and they marched on defiant as examples, one has dropped out, perhaps as an example of composure or sang froid as they say, or perhaps other.