Ultrasensitive PSA Testing Error Range

I'm not very familiar with the range, but perhaps others here can tell you.

On the other hand, many doctors (including Mayo Clinic) do not perform ultrasensitive PSA tests because they can cause terrible anxiety that often turns out to be unfounded. There can always be microfluxuations in these macro numbers -- and this is perfectly normal and means absolutely nothing.

Just the standard PSA test is all that is really needed.

Take care,
Chuck

Resident of Highland, Indiana just outside of Chicago, IL.
July 2011 local PSA lab reading 6.41 (from 4.1 in 2009). Mayo Clinic PSA Sept. 2011 was 5.7.
Local urologist DRE revealed significant BPH, but no lumps.
PCa Dx Aug. 2011 at age of 61.
Biopsy revealed adenocarcinoma in 3 of 20 cores (one 5%, two 20%). T2C.
Gleason score 3+3=6.
CT of abdomen, bone scan both negative.
DaVinci prostatectomy 11/1/11 at Mayo Clinic (Rochester, MN), nerve sparing, age 62.
My surgeon was Dr. Matthew Tollefson, who I highly recommend.
Final pathology shows tumor confined to prostate.
5 lymph nodes, seminal vesicles, extraprostatic soft tissue all negative.
1.0 x 0.6 x 0.6 cm mass involving right posterior inferior,
right posterior apex & left mid posterior prostate.
Right posterior apex margin involved by tumor over a 0.2 cm length, doctor says this is insignificant.
Pathology showed Gleason 3 + 3, pT2c, N0, MX, R1
adenocarcinoma of the prostate.
Prostate 98.3 grams, tumor 2 grams. Prostate size 5.0 x 4.7 x 4.5 cm.
Abdominal drain removed the morning after surgery.
Catheter out in 7 days. No incontinence, occasional minor dripping.
Post-op exams 2/13/12, 9/10/12, 9/9/13 PSA <0.1. PSA tests now annual.
Semi-firm erections now happening 14 months post-op & VERY slowly getting a bit stronger.

Tom,

I've been tested for 11 years now with tests sensitive to two decimal places, but I have no experience with testing to three decimals. But based on the two decimal test used by my medical center, my Uro tells me he doesn't trust any measurement lower than 0.03 to be accurate because he often sees results reported in that range bounce around from test to test.

Also with regard to anomalous test results, when I was going through a long and very slow rise in PSA between my open surgery and my eventual SRT I had one test that jumped from 0.04 to 0.4 in 4 months. That was so extreme that neither I or my Uro believed it. I had an immediate re-test and the result turned out to be 0.1 -- a significant jump, but a whole lot lower than 0.4.

Even after doing this for 11 years I still get anxious waiting for test results to come in -- I think most of us here do. How long has it been since your surgery? It would help other members here to better understand your situation and make appropriate suggestions if you could add some statistics in a signature at the bottom of your messages, as in mine below. You can do this by clicking the "My Profile" link at the top of this page and then selecting the "Edit Profile" tab.

Jim

Thanks.
I will add my stats ASAP.
Meanwhile I found that both Medscape.com and Drugs.com have helpful info.
They indicate that certain drugs, substances and medical treatments can skew the Ultra tests.
I hope that the information will help those of us who tend to be too optimistic or too pessimistic regarding 2 or 3 test results.

I've been tested with the ultra sensitive PSA test for over 4 years. The lowest result I got was .004. I also had results of <.008. Because of that variation my ZDr. now reports the result as <.01.