PSA Now Detectable After Surgery??

Davisal,
I and many others here would strongly encourage you to get copies of all pathology reports and results and keep your own file. As Jetlagged has pointed out the < symbol means 'less than', as in 4<5 (i.e. 4 is less than 5). Conversely when the symbol is this way > it means greater than i.e. 5>4 (i.e. 5 is greater than 4). It all depends on the way the symbol is facing. that ends todays maths lesson boys and girls

In PCa treatment most urologists consider a reading below 0.1 as undetectable which is written up as <0.1 (i.e. less than 0.1 ) Then we can get into ultrasensitive testing and its associated reports............. where readings using generation 2 (extra sensitive) equipment, when getting an undetectable result, will be written as <.01 or, if using the latest generation 3 (extra, extra sensitive) equipment an undetectable PSA may be reported as <0.003 (this is claimed to be the absolute lowest limit of detection)

When the prostate (seminal vesicles included and often some local lymph nodes) is removed it is sent to the pathology lab where it is frozen and sliced into thin sections and looked at under a microscope. If there is no cancer seen outside of the prostate gland then the cancer is said to be organ confined i.e. negative margins. If there is cancer outside the edges of the gland itself, then that would be reported as a positive margin and also the extent of the positive margin may be detailed (eg 1 mm). The seminal vesicles are also microscopically examined for cancer spread (this is a common location when there is local escape) and the report will also detail whether seminal vesicles are positive or negative for cancer. Local lymph nodes if removed, are also looked at to see if the cancer has invaded them and this is also reported on. Finally when the prostate is removed the surgeon does not try to exactly trim around the edges of the gland..........he will take extra surrounding tissue (especially if the tumour appears close to the edges of the gland).........if this tissue is clear of tumour then the report will state negative surgical margins or, if the tumour is through where the surgeon cut, then the surgical margin is said to be positive. In PCa speak, negative is good, positive is bad.
Bill

The surgeon said my pathology report was negative margins and explained that meant the cancer was confined within the organ, which was completely removed.  No lymph nodes were removed.  I don't remember any mention of checking seminal vessles or anything else.

It is puzzling how my first post-op PSA test would be a perfect .00, then the next test 90 days later would come back .01.

I am due to go back in February and will discuss all with the surgeon "again".

Thanks for the moral support and all of the information.  This is truly a life changing event that I am struggling with.

Dave

 

Is the "mix" you speak of the self injection thing?  My surgeon mentioned that as an option if time, pump, and pills doesn't help and if the natural ability doesn't restore itself.  I would like to know more about it if you care to elaborate.

Frankly, sticking a needle in one's self "there" doesn't sound good.  I did give myself alergy injections for years, do all of my hunting dogs, etc. so I am no stranger to syringes and needles.

It seems if my surgery was as successful as it was said to be, I shouldn't be having this problem.

Dave

 

Dave. You can also go to the 2nd topic on the thread list (prostate cancer rescources..............) and scroll down to ED where you will find several threads that should be informative and helpful. Allan

Dave, It works very well for me and starts with a few seconds after injection. Within a few minutes I am rock hard and that may be what causes a little aching sometimes. If I reduce the doseage to .08ml I can still get an erection with do pain but it isn't as hard and sometimes goes away before we are finished, which means we are finished. I would much rather put up with a little ache once in awhile so we can finish what we started. The aching goes away when the erection starts to leave. The erections usually last an hour or so. The biggest problem is what to do for the next 55 minutes. Little joke. I have had no bad side effects but have heard of some who do. The cost is very low compared to most of the pills. I figure with syringes alcohol swabs and the Trimix it costs less than $2.00 a shot. Makes for a pretty cheap date. You do have to find a pharmacy that will mix it up for you, but that shouldn't be a problem because many of them will ship it to your door. Allan

I had the same change from <.01 to .01. My Uro said not to worry but it's always on my mind. Always <.01 is better than .01.

I will continue taking these ultra sensitive tests every three months for now because I feel that the more information I have the better. I would rather know what's going on even it gives me some anxiety. And you never know...next time it might go down. Why would I not want to know that? I am not one to hide from the facts.