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Posted 1/9/2012 11:15 PM (GMT 0)
  HELLO IAM NEW TO THIS WEB SITE. AFTER ROBOTIC SURGEY TWO YEARS AGO. MY PSA WAS .01 TILL THE LAST TWO TEST CLIMED .02

 MY UROLIGIST, HAS SET UP FOR RADITATION, ANOTHER BLOOD TEST HAS BEEN DONE, WAITING FOR TEST RESULTS. TREATMENT HAS BEEN SET UP TO START NEXT WEEK,.I DONT WANT TO TAKE A WAIT OR SEE

 OR AM I JUMPING THE GUN. I WOULD LIKE TO HAVE  SOME HELP ON THIS,   STAN

Posted 1/9/2012 11:28 PM (GMT 0)
SRC61

A PSA of 0.02 ?

Why do anything with such a low PSA?

Bud
Posted 1/10/2012 12:03 AM (GMT 0)
Hi, Stan

I had similar stats as you shared above; conventional wisdom is that it is way too early to do anything, but just to be sure I went to a specialist for a second opinion. All the research I did said "wait" and indicated that low levels of PSA post-op like these are not at all predictive of a recurrence. Sure enough, the PSA went back down to .01 3 months later. I am *so* glad that no one told me to get zapped based on a very small rise off a very low base.

Do you have any special factors in your case which suggest that the ordinary guidelines shouldn't be followed? For example, did you have an unusually poor pathology which would have led you to adjuvant radiation?

For reassurance you may want to get a second opinion from one of the leading prostate oncologists, but I wouldn't jump into radiation without further confirmation that is warranted at this point.

Post Edited (proscapt) : 1/9/2012 6:27:41 PM (GMT-7)

Posted 1/10/2012 12:14 AM (GMT 0)
Welcome to HW.

I couldn't imagine any doctor reccomending you to have radiation because your post surgery PSA rose from .01 to .02. Perhaps there is more to your story? Even at .02, you are so under what we consider a zero at .10. The difference between the .01 and .02 could easily be within the normal testing variance of the particular test you are having.

Unless there is more to this story, my personal opinion is that it would really be jumping the gun, Radiation is a serious step, and after all the trouble it caused me in my personal journey, I would not consider doing it unless it was proven to be truly needed. A second opinion is definitely warranted in your case.

Please keep us posted, or fill in the gaps to your story. Good luck.

David in Sc
Posted 1/10/2012 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
.02 WOW time to celebrate. My friend you are officially a zero. At those decimal points it could fluctuate between .01 to .05 and still be ok. Great test results.

peace to you
Dale
Posted 1/10/2012 1:12 AM (GMT 0)
THANK YOU FOR THE RESPONCE, MY CONCERN IS FOR TWO YEARS READING WAS .01 I WAS TOLD BY THE DOCTOR AT CLEVEND CLINIC SO EARLY YOU WILL NEVER HAVE A PROBLEM, PROSTATE WAS REMOVED READINGS HAVE BEEN FOR TWO YEARS.O1 THE LAST TWO HAVE BEEN .02 TO .023 , I WAS TOLD THIS WOULD NOT HAPPEN. IT DID JUST THE FACT THAT THERE IS NO PROSTATE AND IT IS RISING. FROM WHAT I READ AND WAS TOLD IT TAKES 2 TO 3 YEARS IN OUR BODIES FOR IT TO SHOW UP ON A PSA TEST ITS BEEN 2 YEARS. TO THINK THIS WAS BEHIND ME FOR LIFE, AND PSA RISING TELLS ME THIS IS THE BEGINING OF A PROBLEM. THIS HAS ALL HAPPEND IN THE LAST THREE MONTHS. JUST RIGHT NOW IAM A LITLE ON THE CONCERN SIDE
PLUS THE DOCTORS WANT THIS RADITATION. IAM BETWEEN A ROCK AND A HARD PLACE, ON WHAT TO DO
Posted 1/10/2012 1:13 AM (GMT 0)
Just checking are we talking [.01 > .02] or [.1>.2] big difference !!
Posted 1/10/2012 1:37 AM (GMT 0)
Please share more about your stats and maybe we can understand your situation a little better and help you more. What was your Gleason? What was your pathology result after surgery? What was your PSA before surgery? Is there a family history of PC? Are you sure you are reading the numbers correctly, as NotHard asks above? It is very hard to understand why a doc would rush you toward radiation based only on the information you have shared so far. If you don't have your pathology report you really need to get it and understand it in order to understand your situation and your options. Please post the info and questions here and people here can help you.

If nothing else, I suggest you go back to your doc and ask why he or she is recommending radiation at this point when the usual approach is wait until PSA reaches .1 or .2 or more -- and then post the explanation here and people can offer suggestions.
Posted 1/10/2012 5:02 AM (GMT 0)
SRC61,

To be honest, I scheduled adjuvant RT with not so much as a PSA test. But, I am a Gleason 4+5 and had multiple EPE and positive margins all over the place.

There has to be a reason to do Salvage RT, and I would not be convinced that a rise from .01 to .02 would be enough, unless there is more to the story. You mention increases from .01 > .02 > .023. What were the intervals between these tests? Were they all at the same lab?

By the way - Welcome to HW. We are here to share where we can.

Posted 1/10/2012 5:44 AM (GMT 0)
SRC61

Greetings, I am in kinda of the same position. Here are my statistics.
PSA at DX was 4.1
Surgery Oct 2007 so I am 51 months out
Gleason 3+4
Stage T3aNOMX PIN - Clean Margins- focal Extra Capsular Extension- no lymph node involvement (removed nine nodes) - no sv- 5% tumor involvement - one set of nerves spared
First PSA .005, .017, .004, .003, .004, .008, .016, .004,.004, .006, .011, .008, .021, .008, .011, .016, .022, .02, .021
It has been stable for nine or ten months
My Dr says 30-35% chance I will need radiation
His criteria is two readings over .03
We keep checking it every three months
Praying that it stays or goes down.
I too would be interested in your stats
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