Ive been having PSA tests every six months after a radical prostatectomy. My score recently increased from 0.003 to 0.004. Should I be concerned?
All elevated PSA levels after surgery should be re-checked to rule out a laboratory error. For practical purposes, it is very difficult to detect PSA when levels are less than 0.1 ng/ml. Therefore, we consider any PSA value less than 0.1 as being negligible. A value of 0.1ng/ml would be considered essentially zero. PSA 0.2 or above is an indication of cancer recurrence, and treatments for recurrence should begin before the PSA reaches 1.0ng/ml. Decimal points are important in interpreting PSA tests after surgery. For example, 0.003 is essentially zero; whereas, 0.3 is a level about which concern should begin. The patient asking this question has a score that is essentially zero. He has no reason to be concerned. Sometimes, patients need to make sure they’re using their basic math skills so they don’t worry needlessly. But if patients have any questions about postoperative PSA results, they should talk to their doctors.
Related Questions
- Is biopsy Gleason score independently associated with biochemical progression following radical prostatectomy after adjusting for pathological Gleason score?
- Ive been having PSA tests every six months after a radical prostatectomy. My score recently increased from 0.003 to 0.004. Should I be concerned?
- Which additional tests are indicated for PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy?
