Rise in PSA

Tico14

Pushing 79. Have been getting semi-annual PSA's. Until the last 18 months, PSA was "virtually undetectable". Then .04, .06 and this week .07, (sans the <). Not worried, but wondered if there was a formula or something that could predict where my PSA might be in two or three years.

Clevelandguy

Hi,

By your readings if they are consistent your semi-annual PSA should go up about .01/test or .02-.03/yr mathematically if you had your Prostate removed. If you had radiation it could jump around a bit more. Hard to say how “consistent “ your readings will be thus hard to predict. At that low level the cancer might not show up on a scan for several years.

Dave 3+4

Tico14

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1720179#Comment_1720179

Cleveland, I had it removed and sort of thought that the PSA would never go up after over four years of being "virtually undetectable" before it started its glacial pace upward. Thanks.

On_A_Journey

Hi again @Tico14,

You would have to register consecutive PSA readings above 0.20 before you would be officially experiencing what is called a biochemical recurrence. What would probably happen then is quartely tests, and further down the track, a PSMA PET scan to try and detect where the cells are. But at your present level and rate, that is years away! Keep getting your tests, but don't worry.

As far as predictions go, I'll tell you what your PSA will be in three years' time if you tell me what the Dow Jones index will be! 😂 It's not possible to predict. My PSA nadir after surgery in 2015 and salvage 'mop up' radiation in early 2016 was 0.04 in May 2018, and it took until January 2022 to reach 0.20. My PSA is presently 0.67. I have had some scans, all negative, and remain on surveillance only. Sometimes my readings spike and sometimes they flatline. Sometimes, they even reduce. I have no physical symptoms of cancer whatsoever.

Your medical team will generally consider three factors - what your Gleason score was at surgery to determine your risk level, your PSA now, and your PSA doubling time worked out by a calculator app known as a nomogram. These things will determine the timing of future treatment, if any. I'm pretty confident that you will sail through the next bunch of years without any worries at all.

Tico14

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/comment/1720190#Comment_1720190

O-A-J, thank you. I was just wondering if there was a study showing what my PSA would be in the next couple of years when I posted. I didn't think there was, but it was worth a shot.

Old Salt

What matters is the increase in your PSA; not some study that reports 'averages' of a select group of patients. I recommend that you ask for tests every 3 months, or an interval that you are comfortable with.

JackWest

https://csn.cancer.org/discussion/328885/rise-in-psa

Similar for me. Radiation treatment completed in spring 21, now PSA has small increases. Doc says do not to be concerned. Thanks.