HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

Still Hoping its Benign Tissue...

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 2/17/2021 5:20 PM (GMT 0)
While having undetectable PSA for 7 year post Robotic surgery, it finally started creeping up from 0.04 in July 2018 to the dreaded 0.2 this last November. I had been hoping that it would start going down or leveling out in that time frame. Well, after doing a recent PSA test to see if it went up over the 0.2 mark, which most would consider a recurrence, and doing a Petscan, I got the call today that the Petscan looked great and my PSA had dropped to 0.18! The Dr did say that the lower the PSA was, the less percentage the Petscan showed, in my case maybe 30%, but hey, I'll take it!
Checking again in 3 months and til then, I'll be a cautious optimist.
Posted 2/18/2021 12:17 AM (GMT 0)
It would be good to know what kind of PET scan was used.
BTW, IMHO, a PSA result of 0.18 isn't significantly different from 0.2 ng/ml
Posted 2/18/2021 12:45 AM (GMT 0)
kwoo64,

I am kinda in same boat as you. My uPSA is not moving up as fast as yours has (yet), but I am thinking I will be in your shoes somewhere down the road.

The link below is old now, and be forewarned that there are some who will pooh pooh it. But Dr. Myers was pretty well known when he was practicing, so I value his accumulated wisdom about as much as anyone else's at this point. We are in the twilight zone where scans are just not specific and reliable enough to make decisions, imho.

In the video minute 08:30 - 09:30, he speaks of the leveling off he has seen around the .2 level, *in some patients*. That's what you are hoping for. And what I will be looking for, when the time comes for me. It's a case of maybe, maybe not, only time will tell.

Wishing you good luck in your future tests.

Robert

https://askdrmyers.wordpress.com/2012/12/19/when-recurrent-pca-isnt-cancer/
Posted 2/18/2021 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Robert!
Posted 2/18/2021 2:09 PM (GMT 0)
What percentage is some? It must be less than 50% or he would have said most.
Posted 2/18/2021 7:35 PM (GMT 0)
After 2007 RALP for a G6 and 2010 SRT, my PSA started to rise again but has leveled off in the .20 -> .36 range... I really do not worry about it anymore as it is most likely benign tissue or a very slow growing PCA that I will most likely out live w/o further treatment. Plus I am 14 years out from original dx... smile

Cheers,

pasayten
Posted 2/18/2021 8:59 PM (GMT 0)
I agree that 0.18 is not really LOWER than 0.20, but it is clearly not HIGHER!
Posted 2/18/2021 9:21 PM (GMT 0)
I think some may have misunderstood when I said that it had came down to 0.18 from 0.2. Of course number wise it's not much difference. I was just glad that for the first time it did go in the other direction and hopefully that is a good sign, that's all.
Posted 2/18/2021 9:27 PM (GMT 0)
I just loved the video from our good doctor Myers (now retired, AFAIK).
Thanks Bobbiesan for bringing this to our attention!
Several points that I remember (a day later, and my memory isn't that great):
1. Need for ultrasensitive PSA tests so that a doubling time can be calculated with some confidence.
2. And yes, there is a distinct possibility that PSA test results around 0.2 ng/ml are the result of residual normal prostate tissue.
Let's hope the latter will turn out to be the case for the foreseeable future.
Posted 2/19/2021 12:46 AM (GMT 0)
FWIW, my oncologist has told me that if my PSA ever starts creeping up, don't panic because in some patients the PSA levels off around 0.2 and detectable mets don't develop.

Your situation's a bit different from mine in that you haven't had secondary treatment yet, and 0.2 is the traditional marker for BCR after primary RALP. Still, it's perfectly healthy and rational to be cautiously optimistic, as you say you are. But stay vigilant, too.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply