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Three Year PSA 0.05 Good News????

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Posted 10/10/2009 11:44 PM (GMT 0)
Well yes I suppose it is and I am thankful, I feel great and am not sick. I am now 60 years old and it has been three years since my DaVinci surgery October 12, 2006. I am thankful all bodily functions are working pretty well. Impotance is not a big problem I can have intercourse without a pump or any pills or injections but with encouragement and  loving help from a beautiful wonderful wife. :-)   Incontinence has never been a problem peeing works perfectly no runs no drips I can pee at will. So why am I bothered? They were supposed to cut this sucker out and I would be totally cured and I would live happily ever after. Well dang it, the PSA is suppossed to stay the same or go down right? mad My PSA is as follows

pre Surgery PSA 4.0  Gleason 7

10/2006   right after suregery PSA 0.01

10/2007   1 year later 0.02

10/2008   2 years later 0.04

10/2009   3 years later 0.05

This is the first time the lab has sent the results ro me and it says "This is a Hybritech 3rd Generation (Ultrasesitive) equimolar Tonal PSA performed on a Beckman DXi with a clinical sensitivity of 0.008 ng/mL.  PSA results determined with adifferent manufactures assays can vary." 

So what does all that mean? I know one day at a time every day is a blessing etc. but I'm still bothered with the 0.05 since it is an increase. I can't help asking myself what if questions like, what is my prognosis, how long will I live, am I going to die from this stupid disease? Why don't they just say it is undectable until they feel it really is detectable? What the frick is ultrasensitive tests anyway? I don't think I would stress about it as much if they just said undetectable.  The doctor told me after the surgery he didn't care what the PSA was until it reached 1.0 and then we would talk. So anyway this is good news it is only 0.05. Great forum Healing Well most everyone of my surgery mates from three years ago  are no longer posting any updates so I have no idea how they are doing.

Post Edited (56pontiac) : 10/10/2009 5:49:32 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 10/11/2009 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Pontiac, you are doing great. Your current reading is still a "zero". You are a victim of ultrasensative testing, and your feelings are exactly why a lot of doctors don't like to use them. Causes a lot of needless anxiety. For 3 years out, you are in fine shape, celebrate.

david in sc
Posted 10/11/2009 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Greetings, Pontiac.  From what I understand there are so many variables from when they took the blood, how they took the blood, if you had any unusual activities in the preceding 24 hours, the calibration of the machine and on and on.  That is why my doc says he doesn't use the ultrasensitive and anything under .1 is zero.  You are well under that reading.  You are doing great and when I reach 3 years post op and have the same result I'll be doing back flips!  Congratulations.  David
Posted 10/11/2009 12:57 AM (GMT 0)
If you look at the nomograms you will see that three post-surgery years below .1 is where your odds (which were always pretty good) start to rise. With only three data points no statistician would even call your PSA as rising. Worry about heart attack or getting hit by a truck because there is little chance that PC will get you.
Posted 10/11/2009 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
If you had be getting normal PSA they would have been all the same.  Undetectable.  Even Johns Hopkins does not use the ultra sensitive.  Quit using it.....There is no benefit to it.  None...If your PSA ever gets to .2 the regular test would show it...
Posted 10/11/2009 7:01 PM (GMT 0)
Hello 56pontiac. you ask:

"I can't help asking myself what if questions like, what is my prognosis, how long will I live, am I going to die from this stupid disease?"

I think the brutal fact is that if you die of cancer, it isn't going to be this one. I suspect your friends, who have not had the surgery, are at far far greater risk of dying of prostate cancer than you are --- and they aren't sweating it, so neither should you.

You're like the guy I rode beside on a plane a few years ago. We were taking off, there was a huge 'bump' of some sort, I sat bolt up right, and he put his hand on my arm and said, don't worry. I can guarantee you're safe. He was so calm and assured I immediately relaxed (I was a frequent flyer in those days and didn't easly panic anyways.) Afterwards I said to him, how can you guarantee I'm safe? Because you're with me, he said. So? I asked. Well, he replied, do you remember the Air Canada flight that went in off the end of the runway in Toronto a few years ago and people were killed? I said I did. So ??? I was on that flight, he said. I lead a charmed life now. What are the chances of one passenger being in two fatal air accidents on a major carrier?

Like that guy, after three years with the results you have, you're living a charmed life. Go enjoy!


Sheldon AKA Sleepless
Posted 10/11/2009 8:42 PM (GMT 0)
I don't think Catalona uses the ultra sensitive test either.

Honestly, what is the benefit of it??

Posted 10/11/2009 9:02 PM (GMT 0)
Watch very carefully, remember you do not have a Prostate to manufacture PSA, so where is this PSA coming from? Perhaps this is is a question you can ask your Specialist, I would not rely on GP's answer.
Posted 10/11/2009 11:36 PM (GMT 0)
Hey Ray,
Congrats. Still too low to worry about it. Just keep on keepin' on is all you need to worry about. How's the band comin'? I didn't see any new dates on your website...

Tony
Posted 10/12/2009 12:31 AM (GMT 0)
Hey There Tony! Thanks for the post got a couple gigs coming click the link below.  Our other web site nobody (ie: me) is smart enough to make it work. Anyway one day at a time everyday is a blessing.

http://www.myspace.com/56pontiac

Posted 10/12/2009 1:22 AM (GMT 0)
Peter isn't usually very fast at responding to stuff, so it may be a few days before he replies to you posts.  He will get to it eventually.  He's a busy guy with a very large Forum here, plus his everyday life, so be patient.
Posted 10/12/2009 4:18 AM (GMT 0)
Hi Ray,

It sounds to me that you are doing fine.

By the way, I love your 56Pontiac "handle." I owned a 1959 Pontiac Catalina, which was the same body that they built the original "batmobile" on for the original Batman TV series.

I have met Adam West (the TV Batman) personally and he is a great guy. He lives three hours from us in Sun Valley, Idaho.

I wish you continued "zeros!" tongue

All the best,

Barry
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