Latest PSA -- stable!

Saw the uro today and my PSA remains stable at 0.05 after RP 2 years ago. That's 3 readings in the last 5 months at 0.05 after rising from <0.014 a year ago.

On a personal note, this was by far the most anxiety-producing of all of my PSAs. I just knew that it was going up and I mentally prepared for SRT and ADT. Which may still happen, but I get another 2 1/2 months hopefully without anxiety. I was so high strung this time that my blood pressure, which is usually below normal, was up to 160/90 when the nurse took it. I told her it was my nerves and, sure enough, by the time I got home it was down to 120/80, still a little higher than my normal.

I don't remember a lot after he told me the PSA reading, but here's some random mental notes:

- He thinks my 0.05 is a good outcome, and has many patients who have stabilized as high as 0.1 after RP. He wants to recheck it in 3 months.
- He doesn't automatically refer patients to SRT based on any number, he looks at individual cases and histories but if he thinks it's a definite recurrence, he doesn't like to wait either, the earlier SRT is done the better.
- He also doesn't automatically use ADT with SRT because of SEs. It again depends on individual cases and how aggressive he thinks the cancer is.

He said much more but, frankly, I don't remember it :)

Reachout,

Good for you, at 0.05 you're doing better than I am! I get tested today, and if I'm lucky it will be 0.1 or less. The last 3 were right around that.

DJ

Ozbob, good luck with your first PSA, that's a big one. I was very anxious at my first one, which was undetectable <.1, and I almost forgot about the next couple of ones. Then at the 6 month mark they did (without my knowing) an ultrasensitive, which was <.014. Again, I didn't have much anxiety until the 18 month point when for some reason I became very anxious and, wouldn't you know it, I got a 0.05. Maybe anxiety raises the PSA?

DJ, your numbers are in the category that my urologist referred to when he said he's had guys stay around 0.1 for many years. I hope that's the case with you.

Just got my results-- Still 0.10. For almost a year now.

So Reachout and patterson, good idea, let's call it the Stable Club! Doesn't have the panache of the Zero Club, but it beats some other options.

DJ

Tony, I said hello to Dr. Tim for you.

Congratulations, DJ, and welcome to the newly chartered stable club :)

And good luck, Ed. By the way, your numbers look really great, for any Gleason but especially for a Gleason 8 with EPE. It was probably good that they removed your bundles, sometimes I think mine should have been taken out. Even though they were left in, I still have little if any action from them, and maybe that's where my residual PSA is coming from.

Congrats, a stable to you is a zero to us, so welcome to the club...