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First blood test following RALP

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Posted 3/25/2017 1:20 PM (GMT 0)
Good morning, typically when is the first blood test following a RALP. My MD has me getting my PSA tested for the first FU apt 1 month post surgery which seems early to me. Thanks
Posted 3/25/2017 3:47 PM (GMT 0)
Mine was six week post-surgery, but some think that is too early, and that PSA may not have declined to nadir yet.
Posted 3/25/2017 3:50 PM (GMT 0)
Many Surgeons test at 6 weeks but as stated by fiddlecanoe, it can be early. 3 months would be definitive, I think. I think Drs who test at 6 weeks just do it for another datapoint
Posted 3/25/2017 4:36 PM (GMT 0)
It's usually at 3 months in my experience, but some get it as soon as 6 weeks post-RP. You have to wait for all the extra PSA that the surgery caused to dissipate, and you wouldn't do anything before there's been adequate healing anyway. You could maybe argue that 6 weeks would be enough if there was adverse pathology that would be causing you to consider adjuvant RT. Also, because most of the data is at 3 months, there is more to compare it to.

I know that waiting is nerve-wracking but it is even more nerve-wracking to get an artificially elevated PSA reading.
Posted 3/25/2017 6:29 PM (GMT 0)
I had my first post-RP PSA test at 6 weeks. It came in at 0.53. Knowing this was high I started being a little more serious about doing the Keegals and researching radiation therapy.

The second PSA test was at 11 weeks post-RP and it came in at 0.65. For me, knowing it was on an upward trend made it easier to decide on quick action and radiation. So I am glad I had an early test.

I now have 27 fractions behind me, only six more to go.

Post Edited (MaxPhunn) : 3/25/2017 12:46:03 PM (GMT-6)

Posted 3/26/2017 1:09 AM (GMT 0)
The half-life of PSA in your blood is about 3 days. 6 weeks is 42 days, or 14 half-lives.

With (0.5)^14 being a very small number (0.00006) even a PSA of 100 would be reduced to 0.006, so a six-week PSA is quite a reasonable test to do from this perspective.

There may be other reasons to wait until 3 months - including the fact that you will not be able to do much with the number, other than worry.

<D.
Posted 3/26/2017 1:54 AM (GMT 0)
Lots of doctors do the first at 6 weeks (mine did), but they are clear with patients that it only shows the downward trend, but it's not definitive until 3 months.
Posted 3/26/2017 12:15 PM (GMT 0)
My first PSA test was about six weeks post-surgery and it was undetectable (still is - whoopee!)
Posted 3/26/2017 12:21 PM (GMT 0)
As I recall, I didn't get my first "<" until the 3 month check. And, as others have said, further treatment can't start till at least 3 months after surgery anyway, so why bother--it may not be as low as it's going to get, AND you can't do anything about it. So why do it?
Posted 3/26/2017 3:19 PM (GMT 0)
My first PSA test after surgery was at 7 weeks. <0.02.
Posted 3/26/2017 8:36 PM (GMT 0)
Mine was at 3 months. I guess if 3 months is definitive, why do it early?? Unless your doctor had some reason to think there was a problem why put ploloeople through the stress of an elevated PSA because you were tested early. I don't get it.

Tom
Posted 3/27/2017 10:48 AM (GMT 0)
Here in Denmark it's 3 months.
Posted 3/27/2017 11:43 AM (GMT 0)
I had one at 6 weeks and at 3 months, maybe because my pre-surgery PSA was 23.
I surmise if the test came back high (above .20?) we would have immediately started planning the next steps. I like the idea of attacking the PCa quickly.
Fortunately my 6 week result was 0.04 and continued to decline so no further treatment was necessary. .
Posted 3/27/2017 2:35 PM (GMT 0)
First test at 6 weeks, and the next one at 3 months, although it ended up being about 16 weeks. I will have a test at 6 months.
Posted 3/27/2017 2:51 PM (GMT 0)
Like many, mine was at 6 weeks as well.
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