3 month follow up

@retireditguy
Hay not a problem. As I mentioned the numbers get confusing and seems different labs have and give different numbers. I do not have expereince with labs that give numbers below the .1
I am not sure why some do and some don't. Guess it depends on the type machines and labs used.

What I read and understand that what a urologist and R/O are saying are goal numbers are very different for a person who had RP and a person who still has a prostate. Those numbers will be drastically different goals. With a person wiht a prostate getting a PSA level and a person with RP getting an undetectable level. Again I have no experience with RP, hormone treatments, side affects, PSA numbers, etc.

My R/O a UFHPTI set my goal at below one (1.0). Some get confused but I have a prostate so a number below one is my goal. I and others with a prostate are probably not going to get a non dectable PSA ever.

Those who have had their prosates removed have a totall different goal number than those with a prostate. And from reading post here that number to say is non detectable is not something I can say I know to comment on.

Then we get labs with abilities to give lower numbers or that is their program. Mine at Mayo Jacksonville PCP stated their lab does not list numbers below .1 I am not going to a period and the end of that sentence as can confuse readers of the number being given is .1 not something with a period at other end.

I see other labs give numbers below that .1 and I think that is very good information. But a undectable number (however a lab denotes that) would be goal for those with RP. A number like I was given which was below 1.0 Again watching perios is a good goal I am told for a person with still having thier prostate.

Before I had any problems with prostate (incresed urnination, etc.) my PSA was .75 Again watching period. PSA below 4.0 are considered normal but does not mean you don't have cancer. My PSA rose year after year since 2017 rising from the .75 to 3.75 over a 6 year period.

My PCP was and is a person who researches prostate cancer, treatments, and diagnosis and did not like the rising numbers and thus referral to urologists.

Re: “since 2017 rising from the .75 to 3.75 over a 6 year period.”

That seems to be a fall, not a rising number. Did you just type them in backwards or were there different results?

@jeffmarc
Here you go again. Look at the numbers again!
.75 means the PSA is less than one 1.0. I posted my PSA for many years when I was younger. It was .75. Which means less that one 1.0.

Now look at the climb I posted: .75 to 3.75. 3.75 means three (3) times higher as it went from exactly what I posted .75 to 3.75 and steady increase over 6 years.

3.75 is an increase of 3 full points over the years.

Please if you are going to fact check others really look at what you are referring to!

It is a rising number over several years from exactly what I posted .75 to 3.75. My PCP at Mayo then said we have looked at many causes and still keeps rising and referred me to urologist with my last test showing 3.75

I'm 71 and had NS RARP in late June 2024 at Mayo Phoenix. At this point I'm continent and pretty much back to normal except for ED. I do have enough firmness for intercourse (but just barely) and I'm hopeful it'll continue to improve, but time will tell. How are you doing?

@jeffmarc
Here you go again. Look at the numbers again!
.75 means the PSA is less than one 1.0. I posted my PSA for many years when I was younger. It was .75. Which means less that one 1.0.

Now look at the climb I posted: .75 to 3.75. 3.75 means three (3) times higher as it went from exactly what I posted .75 to 3.75 and steady increase over 6 years.

3.75 is an increase of 3 full points over the years.

Please if you are going to fact check others really look at what you are referring to!

It is a rising number over several years from exactly what I posted .75 to 3.75. My PCP at Mayo then said we have looked at many causes and still keeps rising and referred me to urologist with my last test showing 3.75

I had NS RARP in 06/2024. At 3 months it was .04 while at 6 months (which was last week) it came back as < .1 Both were done at the same lab, but the psa reports identified that that they were done on different types of machine. The .04 was the bottom of the scale for that machine, while < .1 was the bottom of the scale for the 2nd machine. So as near as I could determine, I believe both my readings translate into some version of "too low to detect". But I'm no medical professional and this is what I gleaned from reading, so I could be wrong. BTW, to see the machine I had to go into the lab portal and choose a different report viewing option as the standard view didn't show the machine used to perform the test. I have no idea if other labs offer similar information. I used Quest lab. Best wishes.

Assuming you have had no other therapies besides surgery….If it were me, I’d definitely want to be checked again with the lower threshold assay. If you were indeed 0.04 on the first test, without a less than sign, it makes no sense why they would’ve tested you with the higher threshold cutoff of < 0.1 on that next test. You could be a 0.099 now, which would raise a lot of alarms in terms of pushing for further treatment now. I personally would go get another more sensitive test again rather than waiting around, especially if I had a high Gleason or other high risk features, but that’s just me.

Hey JC, so what would a urologist do for you at this point? You had proton beam and it’s been pretty good. Is the PCP thinking surgery?
I would thing some ADT first would be a lesser evil, no?

@heavyphil
My Mayo PCP is not discussing doing anything other than my continued PSA tests every 3 months. I now see my R/O at UFHPTI every year as I passed the 1 year after treatment mark.

My PSA numbers are excellent according to Mayo PCP and my UFHPTI R/O.
My last PSA was .22 It went down from .51 So every one including me is happy. My original PSA was 3.75 It was my biopsies that showed the prostate cancer, and the follow up test of PSMA, bone, scans and Decipher and 3 consultation that I went with Proton radiation at UFHPTI. I am happy and all my medical teams are happy. Now just have to stay that way.

When I last met with my UFHPTI the R/O stated the goal for me was to have my PSA below 1.
and to have it remain that way with the occasional bumps they said would come. I am way below that (at least for me) at .22

So I and all my medical providers are happy with my progress and the successful treatment I got of 30 rounds of proton at UFHPTI.
How you doing?