AT home PSA testing

dancalton
dancalton Member Posts: 5
edited March 2014 in Prostate Cancer #1
My prostate was removed 9/20/07. I've had PSA tests done by the urologist every 6 months since then with the same results...always less than 0.04. I got tired of waiting at the doctors office so I went online an ordered a home testing kit. Essentially prick your finger, 5 drops of blood on a collection swab and mail it in. The test results just came back and indicated a score of <0.60<

I am assuming that means 0.60 and that would not be good news. Does anyone have any experience with these home tests for PSA? I am hoping to hear see a flood of email that they are not reliable.

Tomorrow I am scheduling regular blood work at the Urologist.

Thanks for your help.

Gleason 6 (3+3)
pT2b
no prostatic extension, margins free, no invasion of seminal vesicle

Comments

  • hopeful and optimistic
    hopeful and optimistic Member Posts: 2,346 Member
    #2
    My guess
    probably not accurate since there is a considerable wait time before the PSA analysis.....
  • dancalton
    dancalton Member Posts: 5
    #3
    hopeful and optimistic said:

    My guess
    probably not accurate since there is a considerable wait time before the PSA analysis.....

    At home PSA testing
    according to the lab report I received 10 days elapsed between finger prick and receipt of the sample at the lab. I don't know why the mail took so long to get there but appreciate your thoughts that the elapsed time affects the results. I had not heard or thought of that.

    thanks for your response
  • 142
    142 Member Posts: 169
    #4
    dancalton said:

    At home PSA testing
    according to the lab report I received 10 days elapsed between finger prick and receipt of the sample at the lab. I don't know why the mail took so long to get there but appreciate your thoughts that the elapsed time affects the results. I had not heard or thought of that.

    thanks for your response

    Precision
    Also, what precision do they propose to provide? If they are using old equipment or "cheap" lab work, you might be getting a marginal "product".

    "<.60" sounds to me like their bottom limit?

    The internet is not always the best place to "shop".
  • dancalton
    dancalton Member Posts: 5
    #5
    142 said:

    Precision
    Also, what precision do they propose to provide? If they are using old equipment or "cheap" lab work, you might be getting a marginal "product".

    "<.60" sounds to me like their bottom limit?

    The internet is not always the best place to "shop".</p>

    I temporarily saved $50 and
    I temporarily saved $50 and 2 hours of time. In exchange I got a weekend to be worried before scheduling the office visit I hoped to avoid. Thank God for the chance to live and learn. And thanks for your post
  • YTW
    YTW Member Posts: 67
    #6
    lab tests
    I have been told by my family Dr. and two Uros that to have accurate PSA test results, it is very important that all tests are done and rated at the same lab. Anyone out there agree or disagree???..............................Jimmy
  • Kongo
    Kongo Member Posts: 1,166 Member
    #7
    YTW said:

    lab tests
    I have been told by my family Dr. and two Uros that to have accurate PSA test results, it is very important that all tests are done and rated at the same lab. Anyone out there agree or disagree???..............................Jimmy

    Agree
    Hey, Jimmy, good to see you again. I agree with you on the PSA testing. Frankly, I think they jump around so much that they should always be taken with a grain of salt. When this first post came out I tried to find some kind of information about the specificity and degree of accuracy and couldn't locate any, even from the manufacturer sites.
  • trfouts
    trfouts Member Posts: 14
    #8
    YTW said:

    lab tests
    I have been told by my family Dr. and two Uros that to have accurate PSA test results, it is very important that all tests are done and rated at the same lab. Anyone out there agree or disagree???..............................Jimmy

    Agree
    I had my surgery on Sept.09,2010 and the Dr. Wants my to go back to the same lab that has been doing my PSA for the last 1 1/2 years. He says that each lab can come up with different results from the sample samples.
  • YTW
    YTW Member Posts: 67
    #9
    Kongo said:

    Agree
    Hey, Jimmy, good to see you again. I agree with you on the PSA testing. Frankly, I think they jump around so much that they should always be taken with a grain of salt. When this first post came out I tried to find some kind of information about the specificity and degree of accuracy and couldn't locate any, even from the manufacturer sites.

    Hello Knogo
    Just returned from a two week trip to eastern Canada. Saw New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Cape Breton & P.E.I....What beautiful places and the lobster was great. My wife was born in Scotland (we have been there three times) and it remindes us of her home. As far as my
    future PSA tests go, the PHd who supervised my Cyberknife is also my new URO and he will be scheduling all my tests. I think it is very important to have PSA done at the same lab.
  • dancalton
    dancalton Member Posts: 5
    #10
    update
    My sincere thanks to all of you who responded to my initial inquiry.

    I just got the PSA results back from my Urologist and am relieved and ecstatic to say the PSA was undetectable at less than 0.04!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    You may recall that in September I ordered an at home PSA test and the results mailed back indicated: <0.60<

    I assume that either that test was not accurate or that 0.60 was the low limit of their equipment. When I tried to call the company for confirmation no one answered the phone and I could not get a reply by email.

    Needless to say I will never do a "mail-in" PSA test again.

    Thanks to you all for you support

    DC

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