Psa from labcorp did ultra sensitive assay change again?

[Mikes21]

Hi All,

Five months ago I posted that I went from an ultra sensitive psa of <.006 to <.014 and people experienced the same with their psa test from labcorp changing their assay. Just got my latest psa of <.031 so I am concerned with the doubling from <.014 to <.031. So I am wondering if labcorp changed the assay again or does it even matter since it’s still undetectable? Thanks in advance for your response.

Mike

[LearnAll]

Mike..stop doing ultrasensitive PSA...its waste of moneyt and causes unnecessary anxiety.

Should do plain total PSA. only.

There are two types of assays...First one is Beckman Coulter and second one is Siemens...

The reading is 20% lower with Siemens . Quest uses Siemens. It is more accurate.

[Mikes21 in reply to LearnAll]

My Dr keeps doing them. So if I do regular then it should just be .1 right?

[LearnAll in reply to Mikes21]

Seems like your Doc likes to keep you like a frog on hot plate. Your prostate is absent so anything below 0.2 is considered fine.

[Mikes21 in reply to LearnAll]

Thanks LearnAll. I kind of feel like that frog lol

[leach234 in reply to LearnAll]

Not true Quest in California uses Beckman Coulter and it is less than Siemens

[leach234 in reply to LearnAll]

I for one would want to know if my PSA was trending upward from .01 to .03 to .05 to .08 before hitting 0.1.

[Hidden in reply to leach234]

Same here. There is NIH research that concludes that some therapies are more effective if the PSA threshold is lower than what a standard test can measure. My SOC MO wants me to do uPSA. I don't argue on that one.

[Shooter1]

Mine has gone from 0.008 to 0.13 and back with its bounces. Some even 0.00 in the last year. Don't sweat the small stuff. Last was 0.08

[Mikes21 in reply to Shooter1]

Was that without the < sign?

[Shooter1 in reply to Mikes21]

yes---no < sign

[Mikes21 in reply to Shooter1]

Ok thx. We are in it together buddy

[Tall_Allen]

As long as the "<" sign appears, it means undetectable on that test. There is no doubling, just a different test kit was used.

[Hidden]

You are considered undetectable. Rejoice. As long as you are <0.1 [that is less than 0.1] you are in tall cotton.

Gourd Dancer

[Don_1213]

Just use Quest for the test. They don't do ultrasensitive. My uro always writes the script for ultra, and he gets regular from Quest (and I can sleep at night.)

[leach234 in reply to Don_1213]

Quest Diagnostics where I live ALWAYS does ultra sensitive test using Beckman Coulter machine.

[Mikes21 in reply to leach234]

Does you number bounce around?

[leach234 in reply to Mikes21]

No. For 2.5 years it has consistently been <0.02, the lowest level my Quest Diagnostics lab can detect. I was a Ductal Adenocarcinoma Gleason 8 with a pre surgery PSA of 5.2. Post surgery pT2 with a 2mm focal positive margin.

[leach234]

My GP used a lab that uses Siemens machine when I got my annual physical and my PSA was 0.03. I then used my Urologists normal lab (Quest) that uses Beckman Coulter machine and my PSA was <0.02. Conclusion: Beckman Coulter machines will give you a lower value.

[Don_1213]

@Leach234,

Interesting - here is verbatim the wording from my Quest report:

==========================================

PSA, TOTAL

<0.1 Reference Range: < OR = 4.0 ng/mL

The total PSA value from this assay system is

standardized against the WHO standard. The test

result will be approximately 20% lower when compared

to the equimolar-standardized total PSA (Beckman

Coulter). Comparison of serial PSA results should be

interpreted with this fact in mind.

This test was performed using the Siemens

chemiluminescent method. Values obtained from

different assay methods cannot be used

interchangeably. PSA levels, regardless of

value, should not be interpreted as absolute

evidence of the presence or absence of disease

Performing Sites

QTE Quest Diagnostics-Teterboro, One Malcolm Ave, Teterboro, NJ 07608-1011 Laboratory Director: Lawrence Tsao MD

==========================================

So - ??? I've had probably 12-15 tests done by them - and it's always the same reference to the Siemens machine.

FWIW - I've discussed the significance of this with my med-onc (Dr. Charles Drake) and he agreed with me that the high-sensitivity readings are really unnecessary and can be misleading, especially if you had any treatment other than RP. Ones that are focal can end up leaving a small amount of un-cancerous prostate tissues that will make the ultra-sensitive readouts bounce around.

If I had a choice - I'd still go for the one I'm getting - the non-ultra-sensitive read since I don't need to be kept awake nights for differences that really aren't significant.

YMMV it seems, depending on the Quest lab your samples are sent to.

[Mikes21 in reply to Don_1213]

I had rp so my oncologist likes to run the ultra sensitive one. Thanks

[EdBar]

Interesting, I’m due for labs next week, I always get the ultra sensitive test and prefer to. It doesn’t cause anxiety and I want an early heads up if it becomes detectable again so I can plot a course of action. As several others have said, as long as it’s still < you’re good to go.

Ed

[Mikes21 in reply to EdBar]

Do you use labcorp? If so please let me know how it goes and if you care to share the number that would be awesome. Thanks!

[TJGuy in reply to Mikes21]

Labcorp ultra sensitive PSA test.

Test 140731CPT 84153

This reports down to <0.014

as of January 2021

[TJGuy in reply to TJGuy]

Test 140731

CPT 84153

[Mikes21 in reply to EdBar]

Turns out I don’t have the < and it is now .031 so I have a call into dr.

[EdBar in reply to Mikes21]

Bummer, it’s worth a retest and maybe a little tinkering with your meds will knock it back down.

[EdBar]

Yes I use Labcorp and I’ll let you know.

Ed

[Mikes21 in reply to EdBar]

Thanks Ed!

[j-o-h-n]

I go by taste.............

Good Luck, Good Health and Good Humor.

j-o-h-n Thursday 10/22/2020 6:08 PM DST