rising PSA 12 years after radical prostatectomy

I had a Radical Prostatectomy nearly 13 years ago when I was 55.  I didn’t take any notice of my psa prior to 2007 however I am assuming it was non existent.

I received  a results letter from my the doctor yesterday to say “your  PSA has risen ever so slightly to 1.0 it was 0.5 in 2010, in 2008 it was 0.8, so I will recall this in 6 months to see if this is a fluctuation or a trend”.

This got me thinking  so I turned to Google as you do and scared myself silly now I am worried and not sure what to do if anything. Perhaps I am worried about nothing.

But how come I have any psa at all  if I haven’t got a prostate? I can only conclude that the cancer is coming back. Am I correct with this assumption?

I don’t know the details of the surgery measurements but was told the cancer was contained and that’s all.
.
Here are my PSA readings:

25 Jan 2013, Psa Group
Total PSA: 1.0 ug/L
31 Oct 2011, Psa (Total)
PSA (Total):1.0 ng/mL
04 Jun 2010, Psa Group
Total PSA: 0.50 ug/L
12 Feb 2009, Psa (Total)
PSA (Total):0.7 ng/mL
25 Sep 2007, Psa (Total)
PSA (Total):0.7 ng/mL

My question is what do these psa reading really mean and should I be concerned and what should I do about it?

Many thanks

Chip

[Life360]

Hi and welcome and sorry the late reply. I also had cancer but did the 45 radiation treatments. Since 5 years my psa has been between .08 and 1.
Your increase from what ive learned is nothing to be worried about.
What was your gleason score?

[dlakeman]

Thanks for the your comments. From memory my gleason score was 7 and the surgeon said the cancer was contained within the prostrate. I shall try and gather more information though.

I have been going to the same doctor for 25 years and he tends to be conservative in his approach to cancer. I am a little bit hesitant in approaching him  to explain the reason for having any psa at all.

I suppose I am just being careful about my heath and have some anxiety with the 1:0 PSA.

Cheers

Chip

[dlakeman]

Gleeson score was  6. The tumor is associated with extensive high grade. PIN. Tumor extends to the excision margins of both left & right peripheral zones etc.

[Life360]

Hi, 6 is a relatively slow growing cancer and some say we would die of something else before cancer. Mines a 6 also.
cheers to you also
dave