How do I read the PSA Levels after Prostatectomy & External Beam Radiation?

Nudels2u
Nudels2u Member Posts: 2 *
edited December 2022 in Prostate Cancer #1

My PSA TEST Level read 0.1ng, 6 months post my last External Beam Radiation. My doctor says it should be <0.1ng or less.

Is there somewhere I can get a guideline chart to better understand these results?

In my case I understand that we are all looking for Undetected PSA. So where is the guideline with all of the different Levels that would show Undetected/Detected Levels so I could better understand what these number look like. As I am no good at all in math I would like to see the samples, with explanations next to them, and what each Level means.

So far I started out at 12.3ng BAD=Detected

0.1ng=Detected 0.2ng=Detected Higher Level <0.1ng NOT Detected-Great

So my question is there a chart or something that shows the rest of the guidelines, or tolerances with values of good or Bad.

Comments

  • VascodaGama
    VascodaGama Member Posts: 3,701 Member
    #2

    Hi,

    There is no chart on PSA levels because its values are unpredictable. Malignancy (bad) or benign (good) differ depending on several conditions and on the type of cells producing the serum. For instance, larger prostate glands tend to produce higher values. High Gleason rates tend to produce lower values.

    However, the PSA is used as a marker to judge the status of prostatic issues, treatment successes and progression of the disease, because there is no other as reliable as this serum.

    Doctors use it to evaluate the situation, by experience, comparing its values with the values collected from other previous similar cases. The Guidelines from their institutions also recommend certain thresholds on PSA values based on the results from clinical trials, fixing these values on the higher number of obtained cases.

    Similarly, doctors use the terms Undetected/Detected Levels based on their experience. There is no fixed value to represent a situation.

    Some doctors use the term "undetectable" when the value of the PSA in a test is lower than the threshold value they use (by experience) to recommend treatment. For instance, the common PSA in remission RP cases vary from <0.03 ng/ml, to <0.05, to <0.10, all considered "undetectable" two weeks post surgery.

    In your RT case, the doctor's PSA threshold representing remission is the common PSA <0.10 ng/ml, but this value rarely gets that low at six months post radiation.

    A great majority of cases in radiation therapies experience bounce initially that increases the PSA. It starts decreasing much later, taking two years to reach "remission" (undetectable) after treatment.

    Can you describe here your PSA histology?


    Best wishes

    VG

  • Clevelandguy
    Clevelandguy Member Posts: 1,177 Member
    #3

    Hi,

    Vasco is correct, I would look at trends to see if your PSA is stable,rising, or going down. To see if your cancer is in remission your number should somewhat stabilize but that can take several reading to note the trend. To get a good trend it could take reading over a year or two to determine what’s going on. The reading of 2ng/ml is usually considered the number when your cancer has reoccurred over several PSA tests.

    Dave 3+4

  • Old Salt
    Old Salt Member Posts: 1,505 Member
    #4

    A PSA of 0.1 ng/ml after prostate removal and follow-up radiation is not a good sign, unfortunately. Nevertheless, I agree with the earlier comments that further data are advisable to detect a trend or not.

  • healthysupplements
    healthysupplements Member Posts: 1 *
    #5

    Age is one of the many factors that impact prostate health. Prostate disorders, such as enlarged prostate, inflammatory prostate, and prostate cancer, are greater frequent in older men.

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