← Return to PSA 0.06 at one year post RARP

Discussion
topf avatar

PSA 0.06 at one year post RARP

Prostate Cancer | Last Active: 4 days ago | Replies (20)

Comment receiving replies
Profile picture for melvinw @melvinw

Disconcerting and nerve wracking, I know, but ultra sensitive PSA tests can give up and down results due to various factors, including sample quality, instrumental drift, and operator error. That said, if I was in your situation, I would follow with monthy testing (as has been suggested) to see if a trend is developing or not. And there wouldn't be any harm in doing a repeat test immediately, just to see if it was a fluke. I would definitely do that (and I did with my recent PSA bounce, as desfribed below).

Although PSA bounce is usually a phenomenon associated with primary raditotherapy, there is a case of PSA bounce that was documented in a patient who had primary prostatectomy AND salvage radiotherapy.
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7450009/
Following my salvage radiation last fall for a local recurrence (I had a prostectomy in 2015), my first PSA (Feb 2026) was 0.086. Then in May it jumped to 0.113. Very concerning at the time, but since then, my PSA has been slowly declining and is currently at 0.09. Will test again in three weeks.

Hope you are just seeing a bounce or a "lab fluctuation". Regardless, just stay on top of further testing. Keep us posted.

Mel

Jump to this post


Replies to "Disconcerting and nerve wracking, I know, but ultra sensitive PSA tests can give up and down..."

@melvinw Thanks, Mel! I will get another test in 3-4 weeks time.
I went to the doctor’s office to pick up the actual lab reports (the portal only shows the number) and realized that my doctor erroneously requested the regular Quest « PSA, Total » which reports down to 0.04, but is apparently very unreliable at low PSA levels. So, there is hope it might have been a fluke…