My internist did it again.: MSKCC has... - Prostate Cancer N...

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My internist did it again.

dentaltwin profile image
7 Replies

MSKCC has never done an ultrasensitive PSA on me, and just last month they again returned a PSA <.05. But my internist decided to run an ultrasensitive PSA on my last week, and it came back 0.04. I assume with good postop path (my RP was 4 years ago) there was really no reason to run ANY PSA anyway, but he did it (a few other concerning lab numbers as well). Pretty sure the consensus is that this SHOULD be of no concern to me, but then I'm a worrier.

Yeah, I'm not so thrilled by my internist.

Rant over.

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dentaltwin profile image
dentaltwin
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7 Replies
londoncyclist48 profile image
londoncyclist48

I'm no expert but I read somewhere that zero PSA may be impossible because even healthy prostate tissue will throw off a PSA reading into the blood. Anything under 0.1 is considered negligible and anything under 0.05 is considered practically zero. Also, as you point out, depending which machine you test it on, you will get different readings. I'm currently 0.06.

dentaltwin profile image
dentaltwin in reply tolondoncyclist48

Of course, post RP I shouldn't have any prostate tissue, healthy or otherwise. BTW, in the process of looking for a new ride--my primary bike is still my Olmo, which I built up in 1983.

Tall_Allen profile image
Tall_Allen

Stoopid internist! But I think you know the answer - ignore it.

dentaltwin profile image
dentaltwin in reply toTall_Allen

I suppose. And he did this to me a year or so ago--ran a PSA that was read as 0.1 rather than <0.1, prompting a return to MSK for a reading (which was <0.05). My middle name is actually "worrywart".

Thanks,

Steve

WilsonPickett profile image
WilsonPickett in reply todentaltwin

maybe your middle name should be, new internist.

Yearofthecow profile image
Yearofthecow

what I do is when I am getting my blood drawn, that is when I confirm or reconfirm the right test(s) have been ordered

dentaltwin profile image
dentaltwin

Now you tell me! ;-)

The only test I had requested was a blood level of a medication I'm on (requested by another physician). The lab did the assay on my urine. Duh(!) Don't know if the wrong test was ordered, or the lab did the wrong test.

There were other abnormalities in the blood tests, so I've already had some re-done. I don't ordinarily tell the doctor which tests to run, but over the past year or so they've been all over the place, making me wonder just how accurate they are.

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