T .06 is that castrate level

[Kirklen1234]

T is .06 is that castrate level

[bluepacifica]

Yes. Below 50. ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/237...

[cbc-ppml]

It all depends on the units of measure being used. U.S. labs, except for the Vets Admin, will usually use ng/dL, while the VA tests I have had used ng/ml. Meanwhile, European labs use ng/dL. I have never seen a U.S. lab report values at anything less than whole numbers - all numbers to the left of the decimal point. So I would guess it is likely that your tests are either being done at the VA or in Europe. The conversion factor for U.S. to European values is 0.03747, so a U.S. PSA of 10 ng/dL ( a not uncommon number for a man using an LHRH agonist) would equal about 0.35 ng/dL. This would be a much larger number than you cited, so I would guess your testosterone was done at a VA lab, as I am pretty sure that the measure they use would shift the decimal point to the left two places on the measure used by most U.S. labs - e.g., 10 ng/dL would equal 0.1 ng/ml.

I had tests done at a standard U.S. lab immediately before a test by a VA lab - the standard lab result was 16 ng/dL, while the VA result was 0.1 ng/ml. (Apparently the standard lab was using a more sensitive assay, therefore 2 digits are reported.)

Note that in the abstract cited by bluepacifica, it is stated: "Traditionally, castration was considered to be achieved if testosterone levels were lowered to a threshold of 50 ng/dl (1.73 nmol/l), a definition determined more by measurement methods derived from the use of old assay methods than by evidence. Serum testosterone levels in three-quarter patients after surgical castration drop to less than 20 ng/dl (0.69 nmol/l). Ineffective suppression of testosterone is currently poorly recognized and may possibly have an effect of prostate cancer mortality."

[Hidden in reply to cbc-ppml]

Exactly what i needed to read, the Va posted my t level at .02

[rhbishop2]

You will get confusing answers here because it depends what units you are using. In the US it is measured in ng/dl. The aim is to get it below 50 although in most cases it should go below 20. In the UK it is measured in nmol/L and the equivalent levels are 1.73 and 0.69. I'm on ADT and mine is currently 0.2 nmol/L but my PSA is rising so I'm not a happy bunny.

[rhbishop2 in reply to rhbishop2]

Sorry, that should be ng/dL.

[DenDoc]

Definitely. Usually described as under 10-15 so yours is great. There are all kinds of arguments on this and other boards about what kind of T is being measured but at your level your treatment is working.

[Hidden]

Anything below 50 is considered castrate in the US. Assuming your numbers are correct, the answer is yes. When I did my chemo trial 12 plus years ago, the goal was to have T below 5. I accomplished that for the next six years. My PSA remains undetectable. Today, and with Testosterone therapy, my T is 488.3.

Gourd Dancer

[cbc-ppml]

Darnit, I see now that there were some typos in my poorly-composed, late night message a couple of days ago. I indicated wrong units for European measure - this is not ng/dL, but nmol/L. I also got the conversion factor for converting ng/dL to nmol/L wrong - it is 0.0347. The reason that a conversion factor is necessary is that entirely different means of measuring weight are being used - the European measure is based on molecular weight per liter (litre), while the U.S. measure is based on grams per liter.

If the number of 0.06 for Kirklen1234’s test is for T and is not for PSA, neither the common U.S. measure nor the European measure are likely to have been used. The lowest value my current lab will report using a very sensitive assay is 7 ng/dL, which equals about 0.24 nmol/L. But the units used by the Veterans Administration may be possible. A conventional U.S. lab measure of 7 ng/dL would be 0.07 ng/ml, as reported on VA lab test results. I would be really curious to know if Kirklen1234 had his test done at a VA lab.

Note again that in the study cited by bluepacifica, it was stated that the traditional U.S. standard for castrate testosterone of 50 ng/dl based on less accurate, older assays is likely to not be sufficiently low. Recently published studies have been saying that better survival may be achieved if testosterone is brought down to around 30 ng/dl or less, as measured on modern assays.

Please correct me if I said anything wrong this time.