Annual PSA Test Results

Hi Vince.

<0.0 ng/mL is a rather "informal" (read non-scientific) way of writing (or reporting) a test result. You result of today, <0.04, is the standard way of reporting. It means that the test can detect down to 0.04 but no lower. <0.04 means your PSA could be anything below 0.04-- the test just can't provide any further information since you are below the test's lower detection limit.

We can't take 0.0 to mean a real zero (i.e. absolutely no PSA present). That's obvious because having a "less than zero" PSA is meaningless. I assume <0.0 means that the test probably can detect down to 0.1. That means it should report <0.1 (rather than <0.0) since you were below that test's lower limit. I would say you gained information with your latest test and now know your PSA is not only below 0.1, but, in fact, below 0.04.

(I believe TPSA stands for Total PSA, which is what is measured post-treatment, since the breakdown of Free vs Total PSA no longer has significance.)

If info from your uro at your upcoming visit contradicts what I've said, please let me know.

Djin

mattam said...
I think Dijon is saying you're good to go, and I agree.

Congrats!

Yes, but it's the 2nd time you called me a condiment since yesterday

PS another thing I can blame on ADT.

Lol. I had to look it up. Urban Dictionary. Yes, that grosses me out. Always shake the mustard bottle.

Okay, back to Vince's good news.

So it would seem, Tim.

DjinTonic said...

mattam said...
My apologies Djin. It wasn't intentional. Does Djin refer to a distilled spirit?

A djin (or djinn, djinnee, or various other spellings) is a spirit. DjinTonic is a pun I once came across and liked.

You can call me Dijon, but not a musquirt, please.

######

the Jean Genie

Good new, congrats Vince!

And thanks to Dijon, I've learned something today!

Sorry, gotta go and ketchup on some work.

cheers,
Bill