Is PSA .05 still considered *undetectable*?

My oncologist told me not to get too worked up over small PSA rises post-surgury, post-radiation and post-hormone therapy.  While is it concerning and yout really want a "0", he told me he's seen little rises like this in similar patients, and then it can stabilize or even go back down.

What they're really looking for is a trend --- is the PSA on a constant rise, and how fast is it rising?  A reading of .05 at this stage could just be "noise" --- you find out over time. 

HANG IN THERE!

PSA testing is done with a number of different methods and products. They range in accuracy from "Ultra-sensitive" to "good enough for routine testing". Also, at the very low level you indicate, there can be a lot of variation either + or - when the same blood sample is subjected to three of four tests instead of just once. Most of the PSA testing is done using the "good enough for routine testing" products. If your father's PSA was determined using one of these tests, then anything below the test's proven accuracy range, typically .1 sometimes .2, then .05 would indeed be considered undetectable as the test can't really distinguish between 0 an .1 level. The time to get concerned about your father's PSA is if it show a rising trend over several tests.

Hi All,

I am Kitt and my father and his 5 siblings all died from various cancers so it is a topic that is close to my heart. sad

There is so much information on all the cancers but prostate cancer is the one men fear most.

PSA (Prostate-specific antigen) test results report the level of PSA detected in the blood. The test results are usually reported as nanograms of PSA per milliliter (ng/ml) of blood. In the past, most doctors considered PSA values below 4.0 ng/ml as normal. However, recent research found prostate cancer in men with PSA levels below 4.0 ng/ml. Many doctors are now using the following ranges, with some variation:

0 to 2.5 ng/ml is low
2.6 to 10 ng/ml is slightly to moderately elevated
10 to 19.9 ng/ml is moderately elevated
20 ng/ml or more is significantly elevated
There is no specific normal or abnormal PSA level. However, the higher a man’s PSA level, the more likely it is that cancer is present. But because various factors can cause PSA levels to fluctuate, one abnormal PSA test does not necessarily indicate a need for other diagnostic tests. When PSA levels continue to rise over time, other tests may be needed.

Tim's wife, you said:

I am hoping that .05 is still considered in the undetectable range.

I think you can see that everyone here agrees with you.

Bless you.