Confused about PSA Number

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Charlie6067
Charlie6067 Member Posts: 4 Member
edited February 2022 in Prostate Cancer #1

I had an RP in 2017 and my PSA has since then been <0.1. Last October (2021) the PSA changed to 0.04 and the doctor was concerned that the cancer may be comimg back. This month February 2022 my PSA again tested 0.04. I'm confused because isn't 0.04 less than 0.1? Isn't that a lower score?

Thank you

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  • lighterwood67
    lighterwood67 Member Posts: 381 Member
    #2
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    Yes, .04 is less than .1. Is that the same doctor that did your RP? If it was me, I would just ask the doctor and if he says .04 is greater than .1, I would be getting another doctor. Good luck on your journey.

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,038 Member
    #3
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    Hi,

    Kind of confusing, yes .04 is less than .1, did your doctor switch to a more sensitive test? As long as your PSA is .04 and does not go up, it does not sound too serious. I don’t know why your doctor would be concerned as long as your PSA does not increase on future tests.

    Dave 3+4

  • Charlie6067
    Charlie6067 Member Posts: 4 Member
    #4
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1693497#Comment_1693497

    Thanks!

  • Charlie6067
    Charlie6067 Member Posts: 4 Member
    #5
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1693484#Comment_1693484

    Thanks

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,668 Member
    #6
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    Hi,

    Your doctor may be mistaking the measuring units. For instance, 0.03 nmol/L equals 1.0 ng/dL when measuring Testosterone. There was a period in the past when the PSA was also measured in nmol at some places, but nowadays all laboratories use the ng/ml to measure the PSA serum. You can call to confirm it.

    Best,

    VG

  • Charlie6067
    Charlie6067 Member Posts: 4 Member
    #7
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    https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1693511#Comment_1693511

    Thank you. I hadn't thought of that. Here's the results for last 3 years. Is ng/mL the same as ng/dL you listed? Before, the test couldn't register a number. The last two tests registered 0.04 ng/mL. I hope radiation is not recommended at next week's visit. (Tried to add a screen shot but I'm too new in this form.)

    DATE PSA Total < OR = 4.00ng/mL

    3/25/19 <0.1

    9/27/19 <0.1

    4/30/20 <0.1

    9/29/20 <0.1

    5/13/21 <0.1

    10/27/21 0.04

    2/9/22 0.04

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,668 Member
    edited February 2022 #8
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    Hi Charlie,

    You should call the clinic or laboratory doing the test to confirm the values and the units of measurement used by them. In any case, I believe that your results are all in ng/ml (Nanogram / Milliliter).

    The unit of ng/dL (Nanogram / Deciliter) is typically used to measure the Testosterone (and some other serum proteins). Surely you can convert mathematically ng/ml into ng/dL multiplying it by 100, which in the case of a value of 0.04 ng/ml it would be 4.0 ng/dL. Surely a value of 4.0 is higher than 0.04 or <0.1, when using the same units of measurement.

    However, in my opinion you may have misinterpreted your doctor's comment. I believe he told you that the PSA is increasing. The fact is that the initial values of (<0.1) using the less than sign is the term used by the laboratory when the test value is lower than the assay's reading capabilities ( LLD=low limit of detection). Those not indicated with the lesser sign represent a value that can already be read by the assay, and therefore higher, for the same type of assay.

    In any case, your last PSA of 0.04 ng/ml is still very low in remission levels (<0.05) and far away from a value indicating the need for a salvage treatment. Recurrence in surgery cases are typically declared when the PSA gets above 0.2 ng/ml and treatment is recommended when the PSA gets higher above 0.4.

    Relax and enjoy 😉 life.

    VGama

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