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Posted 10/25/2012 9:56 PM (GMT 0)
Just got home from my post three year checkup. Actually 38 months. PSA came back at .2

History is Davinci Surgery in Aug 2009

Gleason Pre surgery 4+3 7

Post surgery 3+4

Positive Margin Noted in surgery.

Doctors plan is to wait 3 months and retest psa on Jan 21.

Any positive comments are welcome

lewvino

 

Posted 10/25/2012 10:01 PM (GMT 0)
Larry, my positive comment is to put it out of your mind for 3 months and go enjoy life. Enjoy the holidays with the family and live the "Bonus Days".

But I am really sorry that this has happened to you. Hopefully, just a glitch.

Sonny
Posted 10/25/2012 10:02 PM (GMT 0)
Lewvino

Good on your Doctor to wait awhile and test again.

Prayerful posted this which I find really interesting

Does the PSA range/level rise with age?

=========

Scientists are refining the way that they interpret PSA results to try to distinguish cancer more accurately from non-malignant situations. For example, an age-related scale has been suggested to account for older men naturally having larger, "leakier" prostates that allow more PSA to flow into the bloodstream. Thus, the upper limit of normal for a 45-year-old may be 2.5, while a 75-year-old man's normal PSA level may be 6.5. Older men typically have slightly higher PSA levels than younger men.

Normal ranges by age group commonly used include:

Men below age 50: PSA less than 2.5

Men 50 - 59 years: PSA level less than 3.5

Men 60 - 69 years: PSA level less than 4.5

Men older than 70 years: PSA level less than 6.5

=====

He provided this link
http://health.nytimes.com/health/guides/test/psa/overview.html

If we accept this is correct - you are well below the PSA limit.

Hugs

Bud

We will beat this crap
Posted 10/25/2012 10:24 PM (GMT 0)
Bud,

Lewvino had surgery just a few weeks before me (we met over on CSN long before HW), so any PSA is too much.

Lew,

I'll second the wait for another test suggestion. You have multiple options remaining, but I would wait for proof that it is a continuing increase before signing up for more treatment. Several here have had increases that then leveled off. Let's see if we can get you into that club.

But I know that .2 was an unwanted bit of news.

Posted 10/25/2012 10:33 PM (GMT 0)
Darn it. Lew.....Well, positive huh? Ok, what Sonny said. I'll be thinking of ya........
Posted 10/25/2012 10:46 PM (GMT 0)
Well Lew if it has returned it is slow moving and has a slow doubling time. Keep us posted.
Michael
Posted 10/25/2012 11:56 PM (GMT 0)
Lab results can sometimes be in error, either because the quality control run with each batch of samples is off, or for other technical reasons.  You can ask your doctor's office to call the lab before they toss the blood sample, and ask for a retest on the same sample at no charge. This might be a smart idea, especially since you've been laying goose eggs on every previous test.  And, too, it may lower your anxiety index for the next three months.

All the best to you.  Take care and hang in there.

P.S. I'm not online much because I'm working full-time and helping to care for my nonagenerean and octagenerian parents, but I think about you guys on this forum often. 

Posted 10/25/2012 11:57 PM (GMT 0)
Sounds like you may have evidence of recurrance, another reading or two should confirm that, and I would wait for that confirmation before jumping to salvage radiation. The good news, is assuming you have BCR, it has taken over 3 years to show up. I had similar situation to you, but had BCR confirmed in 9 months from surgery, also with a positve margin. That should work in your favor if you have to have radiaton. You can always hope its a blip, but if that .2 reading is correct, I would be thinking ahead to find a good radiation oncologist and radiation treatment center.

david
Posted 10/26/2012 12:22 AM (GMT 0)
Lew,

Believe it or not this a time when having a positive margin is a good thing.  You still have a high chance that it is localized and SRT will take care of it.

Chin up buddy......

Posted 10/26/2012 12:58 AM (GMT 0)
Lewvino,

Sorry to hear about your setback. Here's hoping it's just a glitch.

If not, I hope radiation turns things around permanently for you. Sounds like you might have a good shot.

Best,

Jonathan
Posted 10/26/2012 1:02 AM (GMT 0)
Lew, that is not the news we like to hear. I always wondered why after more than 2 years being in the zero club that the PSA starts to rise. I guess we are never really out of the woods no matter how long we are in the zero club. Best wishes moving forward.
Posted 10/26/2012 1:35 PM (GMT 0)
Larry,

All the best wishes. Sure hope your retest comes in zero. 

Posted 10/26/2012 2:19 PM (GMT 0)
Lee, Three years is good news. Positive margins may also mean it is still local, and will respond to SRT; a 3+4 Gleason after surgery is also, relatively speaking, a good thing. The bear can, of course, come back at any time -- I have a friend who was 12 years out from surgery when PSA emerged again. Retest in 3 months seems reasonable. If you eventually choose SRT, find a center with very experienced people in radiation for this disease. You want the best, even if it means camping out for 8 weeks. Best wishes!

NewspaperLover
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