6 Month PSA Results

I had robotic surgery in April of 2016. I just received the results of my 6 month PSA test and all looks good. I still leak a little after a lot of caffeine, doing strenuous work, or when I'm overly tired. ED is still an issue, but hopefully with time, that will work out. I still have reason to smile. I can't say it is easy living with ED, but it's not hard!

Thanks JayMot! Here are my stats. I don't know why they aren't showing up in my signature. (This was my first post.)

60 years old (Born 1956)
Routine physical in December of 2015 showed an elevated PSA of 5.1
Biopsy in February of 2016
Six cores taken: 3 with Gleason score of 6, 1 with Gleason score of 7
Robotic Radical Prostatectomy in April of 2016
3 Month PSA- <0.10
6 Month PSA- <0.4

Hi Cajun Jeff! Yes, I have been taking 100mg of Sildenafil (generic Viagra) 3X per week and using a vacuum pump every other day for 15 minutes. On a side note, my insurance wouldn't cover the Viagra subscription, but I am able to get the Sildenafil for $20 a month through a Plus membership at Sam's Club. I have considered trying the injection therapy, but think I will hang in there with the pills to see if they eventually work. It is still pretty early.

tfsc,

Am I reading correctly that your PSA went up from the three month reading to the six month reading? Do you have the decimal points in correct position? You didn't get the numbers switched , did you?

tfsc, I think what JNF is trying to say is, did you misplace a decimal in the <0.4 PSA? Should it have been <.04? I ask this because on my lab report, there is this statement, "According to the American Urological Association, Serum PSA should decrease and remain at undetectable levels after radical prostatectomy. The AUA defines biochemical recurrence as an initial PSA value 0.2 ng/mL or greater followed by a subsequent confirmatory PSA value 0.2 ng/mL or greater."

Your PSA of <.4 could fall within this definition of Biochemical Recurrance (BCR) if it is <.4 and >= .2.

J

Great report!

and on the ED front: well you never know what will come up...

Andrew

I like your humor: it's not hard.
Why is your family doctor monitoring your psa after surgery? You are not even out of the "warranty" period! Your urologist should be taking care of you.
These others guys are being nice, your test results are not standard in appearance for sure. I point you back to my original question: " Why is your family doctor monitoring your psa?"
If you increased from somewhere <0.1 to somewhere <0.4 in three months after surgery, you need to be talking with your urologist.
Certainly using two different labs could be the issue.
Glad you are past surgery. Hope you can get a reassuring, accurate psa reading, no increases, and then get back to realizing how "hard" life can really be for you and the one that means the most to you. Let us know what happens.

Post Edited (Octorobo) : 11/16/2016 12:52:56 AM (GMT-7)

Clearly your urologist and surgeon owns the prostate follow up until it is shown that either you are cured or that surgery wasn't successful and you move on to a radiation oncologist or a medical oncologist as appropriate. Stay with the specialist on this.

My inital thought was that the numbers were reversed and that it was .4 at three months and <.1 at six months. That is what we would expect to see from a successful surgery. Then I wondered if it was <.1 at three months and<.04 at six months on the ultra sensitive test. That too would be good. If however is was <.1 at three months and .4 at six months, that could indicate a failed surgery and rapidly rising PSA that needs immediate attention. An it would be now out of the hands of either the GP or urologist.

I strongly suggest you get this absolutely clarified immediately. This is serious stuff and both you and, especially, your providers need to treat it so. I don't mean to be alarmist, but it is in your best interest to get it clarified.

i HAD SEEDS PLUS EXTERNAL RADIATION. (25 SESSIONS) MY PSA WAS 5.2 TO 3.9 TO .88 TO .52. IT WILL BE ONE YEAR IN JANUARY FOR SEED IMPLANT AND MARCH WILL BE ONE YEAR THAT I FINISHED EXTERNAL. I FEEL GOOD about MY PSA RIGHT NOW BUT WHO KNOWS.