HealingWell
Search Close Search
☰

3 Month PSA..confusing myself

Support Forums
>
Prostate Cancer
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply
❬ ❬ Previous Thread |Next Thread ❭ ❭
Posted 4/13/2015 9:37 PM (GMT 0)
Bob got his 3 month PSA results. It was .02 (no less than in front of it). Jan. was 0.00. Now we are confusing ourselves. I know .02 is still considered undetectable but isn't it going up? We are confusing ourselves on the decimal numbers. So which is MORE PSA .02 or say .08? Is .01 MORE than .02? I know it's not concerning until it gets into the .2 or .1 range....Which of those is MORE .1 or .2? Yes, we've just thoroughly confused ourselves now. (My husband is a college graduate w/ a BA in education and even he is confused) If it wasn't personal he could probably tell you but our minds are spinning too much. ~Miki
Posted 4/13/2015 9:50 PM (GMT 0)
I vote for a retest. You need to confirm a rise in PSA before you even think about it. There are any number of factors that can cause a reading like this - one could be a bad day at the lab so you want to confirm with a follow up PSA test in a month or so.

and from lowest to highest the order of magnitude is: .00, .02, .08, .1, .2

if you get a confirmed reading above .03, you should be talking to your doctor about future plans. Traditional protocol says at .1 start planning for SRT and do it no later than .2. Those numbers are coming down.

Andrew
Posted 4/13/2015 9:55 PM (GMT 0)
Larger number, more PSA.
More decimals? A test that detects smaller amounts.

You are getting ultrasensitive tests, which go to numbers smaller than 0.1.
Regular tests don't report numbers less than 0.1, so your 0.00 and 0.02 would be grouped together as "< 0.1" in one of those. My surgeon does not believe in ultrasensitive, as he sees it causing unwarranted concern.

Most oncologists (and insurance companies) use 0.2 as the floor at which to start considering additional treatment.
Posted 4/13/2015 10:12 PM (GMT 0)
Thank you guys so much! You're calming down already! That's why I come here. You guys know your stuff!~Miki
Posted 4/13/2015 10:37 PM (GMT 0)
As per mod explain,
0.02 is still undetectable, dun be alarmed

all the best to your hubby next Psa test.
Posted 4/13/2015 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
See, all you had to do was email me. They all agree with my answer to you LOL
Posted 4/13/2015 11:48 PM (GMT 0)
@ Prat I emailed you back then fb'd you to tell you I emailed you back lol. I am so thankful for this forum!!~Miki
Posted 4/14/2015 12:15 AM (GMT 0)
If your cholesterol went from 130 to 131 would you be concerned?
Minor differences can always be expected in any test you take due to many factors.
A consistent rise over time is what you should be concerned with.
✚ New Topic ✚ Reply