Worry about PSA results

Hi there, Hopefully someone can help me here. I had PSa of 14.0 and Gleason scale of 8.5. In august I had prostate etc removed and lymph nodes removed(which were negative.) I have been back to hospital now twice for check ups, the first one showed PSA of 0.7 and the second showed PSa of 0.9 should I be worried by these numbers or the slight increase.

Londonjohn

These are not the best numbers, however, salvage radiation may help you if you act now. Your chances for a cure are better if you can get the treatment before it rises above 1.

We need to see the pathology report to see what went on in the surgery, but I agree that an appt with a radiation oncologist is certainbly in order. Usually they like to begin as soon as possible after surgery. Within 4 months is ideal.

Good luck and keep us updated. The guys here will do all they can to help you.

Ar the top of the forum page you will see a button called control panel. From there you will go to edit profile, and update your signature. If you have it, let us know what the pathology rerport was from the surgery. If you don't have it, you shoud call your doctor and get it. It is important in knowing what your next step should be.

Goodlife

Thanks guys. dont know if its a UK thing but they do seem to be information retentive here. Just terrified that its still there and the longer this goes on the worse its going to get. Like a fool I thought that 0.7 and 0.9 were good results given that it was initially 14 no-one at the hospital said these were poor results!! now that is a worry.

I agree squirm, if those numbers are really .7 and .9, thats pretty rapid and serious recurrance, and needs immediate attention before it goes over some point of no return for salvage. Hope we can get that clarified.

Well thats a good point i will ring them tommorow, but I am absolutely sure they said 0.7 and 0.9. well lets hope I have picked them up wrong. thanks again

We will look for your reply tomorrow after you check the numbers again.

Jeff T

London,
While I am somewhat unfamiliar with the U.K. situation it may be somewhat similar to Australia. Patients are simply not in the habit of asking their doc for a copy of their pathology results, so docs certainly don't offer. I remember the first time I asked the doc's assistant for mine.....it was certainly obvious that it was a very unusual request. Now the supply to me of any reports we discuss is routine. Next time you see yours, make a point of directly asking for a copy. If he displays any hesitancy (this may be the case) explain that you want to learn all you can about your disease and the benefits and consequences of any treatment. he may well appreciate your efforts at helping yourself. After all it is you who is being treated not him. We all have to be vitally interested in our own well being and this includes being our own advocate. Nothing like having things in black and white.
All the best,
Bill

Mavica said...
This is the wrong place to seek an educated/meaningful answer to your question. What did your Urologist or Primary Care Physician tell you when you asked the same question(s)?

Why would you say that? The whole purpose of this forum is to give support, explain the meaning of many of the terms and describe the different treatment options as well as giving a more honest outlining of some of the pitfalls and side effects of treatments (all this by people who have actually been through the mill). By all means seriously take on board what your "urologist or primary care physician" advises, but as we all know here, 3 different docs will give you 5 different opinions (often dependent on their speciality). And this does not even begin to look at the range of competency of those very urologists and primary care givers. Remember, in a study published this month ( I can find it if you wish) it was reported that 80% of all procedures in the US for example, are carried out by doctors who do less than 10 procedures a year and that more than 25% of procedures are carried out by doctors who only do one procedure a year. (do you really want to be that one?) Advice that you should carte blanche do what your doctor says, really is not much help. I would in fact bet that there are many patients on this site who know more about PCa than the average GP. (and this is no reflection on the GPs.........they cannot know everything about every disease, nor all the latest developments)
Bill

Mavica, that was a silly answer. This is a guy that turned to us fro some advice and we all said get with yout tx. team and make sure you have your numbers right. Not sure why you would bother to post here if that is your mindset.
Michael

Worried Guy - just curious. You have a new doc now?

This is a great place to seek information and counsel but not diagnoses.
I figured out over 10 years ago when I had a brain tumor that most doctors have one hammer and you are a nail. You need to seek as much other information as possible.

The sum total of the knowledge and advice on this forum are, in my opinion, beyond the range of most PAs, GPs, urologists, oncologists, and surgeons, taken singly that is. If I have a big problem in the future with whatever issue pertaining to PCa the first place I would turn is right here. THe advice that would follow would surely get me thinking, deciding and acting on the right track. If you doubt this, go back and re-read all the advice and support that was recently given to Complier, an intelligent person who arrived here scared and confused and made his way through the PCa maze by asking great questions and getting great council right here on HW. He would never have been given that by a huge percentage of physicians in the field of PCa treatment, for whatever reasons, i.e., difficult to contact, lack of time, tunnel-vision on treatment options, prejudice by speciality, etc.

Happy Holidays to all the brothers,

Steve

LondonJohn,
You just made my Christmas brighter. Thanks for letting all of us know.
Enjoy the holiday!
Jeff