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Urology (Expert Forum)
PSA and assaying methods
Answered by
Kevin Pho, MD - Internal Medicine
KevinMD.com
Questions in the Urology forum are answered by Dr. Stephen Liroff, affiliated with the Henry Ford Hospital. Topics covered include benign prostate disease, penis curvature, cystisis, kidney stones, pediatric urology, prostate, sexual dysfunction, urinary tract infections (UTI), and urological cancers.
PSA and assaying methods
by JPAS, Jul 20, 2007 12:00AM
I am a 51 year old male with a father who died of an aggressive prostate cancer at 54(1979). My PSA has been rock solid for years at about 1.0 as recently as December '06. I recently decided to get my own urologist in January '07 due to my family history. He did a thorough rectal, a urinalysis and reviewed the PSA from my family MD. I came away with a clean bill of health. In July he sent me for another PSA(he wants to see me at 6 month intervals). This was a completely different lab with completely different assaying methods and my score came back at 2.4. He schedualed me for an ultrasound and possible biopsy in August, which I am all for. In the meantime I contacted my family physician and told him of the differeing scores. He informed me that they had also swithed to a different assaying method in the past few months and were getting values at about 50% higher on average.
My question is can a much more sensitive assaying method account for such a dramatic increase in my PSA, or is the increase too much in too short a time to be attributed to the test methods alone.
My question is can a much more sensitive assaying method account for such a dramatic increase in my PSA, or is the increase too much in too short a time to be attributed to the test methods alone.
Doctor's Answer
by Kevin Pho, MD, Jul 21, 2007 12:00AM
, Jul 21, 2007 12:00AM
The test methods certainly can lead to an increase in PSA. However, before attributing it to that, you have to exclude the possibility of cancer - since that can also lead to an increase in PSA velocity.
The ultrasound and possible biopsy is a reasonable course of action. If negative, and the PSA does not continue to risk, then the assaying methods can be considered as a possibility.
This question should be discussed with your personal physician.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_
The ultrasound and possible biopsy is a reasonable course of action. If negative, and the PSA does not continue to risk, then the assaying methods can be considered as a possibility.
This question should be discussed with your personal physician.
Followup with your personal physician is essential.
This answer is not intended as and does not substitute for medical advice - the information presented is for patient education only. Please see your personal physician for further evaluation of your individual case.
Kevin, M.D.
kevinmd_
