detectable PSA 8.5 years after RP

crhoads said:

Not to worry
Will first, how do you know that your PSA hasn't been .03 for a long time if your old lab only went to .04?

Second, I frequent another forum with a lot of people using the ultra sensitive PSA test. I can't tell you how many times I see this test fluctuate. I have seen people get one reading at .04 and the next at <.01. There are a lot of Dr. That won't use the ultra sensitive test because of the anxiety it causes from fluctuations.</p>

VascodaGama said:

Hi OB66, PSA alone is not a trigger for Treatment
Hi OB66
Please do not interpret my words wrongly but the information you posted on your case, places you in the group of guys that may have experienced “PSA Anxiety”. I say that because of your comment of “…0.05 rise to 0.07 was the basis for having RT”.
I believe that there were several other factors (not only a rise of 0.02 in PSA) which contributed for you and your doctor in embarking on an earlier RT.
Surely your choice was very well decided and I respect your way of thinking; however we should note about the many reports of unnecessary treatments taken place because of PSA Anxiety.

The ultra-sensitive PSA tests on the two decimal places are excellent to diagnose earlier prognosis of recurrence cancer. But that alone does not accurately serve the purposes to trigger a treatment. There exits protocols based on realistic data collected and sorted out by scientist from the whole medical fields, which serve as guide lines for treatment practice.
We just follow what we most trust and we are not doing something wrong by lining on the side lines, however, the information given by respected sources are definitively more balanced.

I know of a guy that had is PSA tested in two different assays during one year after RP, and he was surprised for the differences in the results done on the ONE SAME SAMPLE; A Siemens assay would give a PSA=0.04 whether a Roche assay would give a PSA=<0.01. This is a typical case where if one had used a Roche assay followed by a Siemens 3 month later (indicating a non-existing increase of 0.04) which could be taken mistakenly as recurrence and therefore leading to an unnecessary treatment, if using PSA as the only trigger.

I wish you the best and hope all goes well in 2011. Have a good New Year.
VGama</p>

ob66 said:

Vasco, and Ultrasensitive PSAs
Yes, there was more to it than my 0.02 rise in PSA. My pre daVinci numbers were Gleason 7, post surgery Gleason 8. I have a Stage T3b nomx (no metatstatic) number to boot. The rise was after 10 months, and I do feel that my MD was possibly being overly careful for I am a fellow medical practitioner (the this can't happen to my buddies syndrome). In addition, I was not unwilling, for when first diagnosed with PCa I was all for "getting the CA out of me" and opted unwaveringly for surgery. I have followed with RT and had an AUS so you can see that I am a pretty Type A, proactive individual. My mindset is much better when I am doing something about my own destiny. In addtion I have gone on a no red meat, no dairy, and minimal sugar diet, along with exercise which I have been doing for 35 years (Aerobic and weight lifting, plus walking, cycling, etc.).
Similarly wishing you a happy new year and all the best in 2011. Bob

ps. And again, if anyone has a good source of current ultrasensitive PSA readings, I would appreciate it.

FreddyJoe said:

PSA Test
I found out my PSA was high by accident,my Dr retired and the new one ran a bunch of test. I had a biopsy a while later and started treatment about 1 1/2 years ago. A man I worked with had what his Dr called high PSA scores, he had biopsy done twice and nothing was found. There does seem to be a varaition in who does the testing.

I am new to this Forum, I just found it today. I have looked at a few of the threads and saw nothing on the treatment I had. My Dr called it GPS for the body, little seed like things are implanted in the prostate to guide the radiation machine like a GPS.