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elevated psa levels

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Q: Slightly elevated PSA level?
Please help me. I recently has some symptoms of prostate problem (frequent urination). I had a PSA test and the result was slightly elevated at 2.7 while the cut off was 2.5 (new range as of 11/16/07). My MD ask me to retake the test in 2 weeks. I am only 36 but I had a PSA test earlier this year and it was 1.9 while the cut off was 4.0. It’s been a week since the symptoms started, but it seemed better last night (I hope that it’s not too early to say). Do you know if those symptoms can go away on their own? I am worrying so much about prostate cancer. Do my PSA level cause a concern? Please help me. Thank you.

A: I have a raised and steady level that was increasing upto 19.2. My age of 58 it should be less then 0.5. I was preferred to an urologist. She (yes a women) performed many tests that can cause increase of your PSA regardless of cancer or not. I was tested for the testicles, bladder, kidneys, and prostate that could increase the PSA. The testicles were an ultra-sound. The kidneys was x-ray filling them up with Iodine. The bladder had a camera up inside my urethra and got see it on a monitor. The prostate got biopsies of 4 so far in 3 years. They put you on your side and insert a probe in the anus and a needle goes in about 12 times in your prostate. It does not hurt at all and I get filled up to numb it. Since my PSA has decreased to almost 6. So far no cancer and I will have to have a blood test often to be sure the PSA is checked. Earlier after 50, had an enlarged prostate and then having urenary problems, including urge contentices. I am ok now though. You can ask me in more detail if you want.

Q: can chronic prostatitis cause an elevated psa level?

A: Yes, as can chronic retention.
A raised PSA although a common indicator for cancer, is not definitive and can be raised due to many chronic prostate diseases.

Usually if there is an abnormality present this will be treated and the PSA repeated after a suitable ammount of time. If it is still raised and there is cause for concern then further investigations will follow.

xxx

Q: I just found out my SGPT levels are elevated to 63 when normal levels are 40. What could be the cause of this?
Only the SGPT levels are elevated. All other levels on liver panel are normal. I do show elevated levels of Triglycerides on the lipid profile and elevated PSA on the blood panel. I don’t feel any pain and my urine function seems fine. My cholesterol is also elevated. I am afraid I may have cancer. My daughter says it may be due to my diet and because of my joint pain, I have been taking aspirin and spraying this chinese analgesic lotion to relieve the pain. Could that be it?

Also I have been taking Move Free to aid my joint pain but it is made with shellfish which elevates my cholesterol. Do you have any suggestions to any alternatives I can take or how I can control my cholesterol while on this medication?

A: How did your physician feel about those results? Many things can cause elevated SGPT levels including heart attacks and liver damage. I would not immediately jump to the cancer conclusion. You could just as easily have hepatitis or some kind of cirrhosis. As for the aspirin, be sure it’s low dose if you’re taking it regularly because higher doses can be taxing on your body. Personally, I am a firm believer in refraining from using medications unless absolutely needed and trying to find a more homeopathic way of resolving the issue.
I recommend consulting your physician and he/she will be able to determine whether or not further tests are needed. Try and modify your diet to cut out red meat, soda and fried foods. Also try and incorporate some low impact exercises such as bike riding or an elliptical machine. Don’t be too alarmed. Just remember, if you take care of your body, it’ll take care of you.

Q: PSA blood test question?
I am going to the Dr. in a few days for a retest on my PSA. The last test was slightly elevated. Nothining in the danger range but a jump from last year. I have a question for any Drs. or nurses on here. I heard that caffeine (I am a heavy iced tea drinker) and spicy food can cause an elevated PSA level. Also I read somewhere recently that your PSA level will be slightly elevated for 48 hours after ejaculation. I was wondering if this is true

A: ——————————————————————————–

PSA – what is it?
PSA or Prostate Specific Antigen is a protein which is secreted into ejaculate fluid by the healthy prostate. One of its functions is to aid sperm movement. Normally, only very low levels of the enzyme are able to enter the blood stream. However, because in cancer the normal structure of the tissue is disrupted, considerably more PSA is able to leak into the blood stream, and for this reason, a raised level of PSA in blood (or serum) can indicate the presence of prostate cancer.

How good is the PSA test?
When we take any test, it is preferable to get a definite answer: “yes, you have the cancer” or “no, you don’t”. Unfortunately the PSA test is not that good. At best, it is an indicator of the probability or risk that you have prostate cancer. This can be very helpful, because it guides the decision about whether you should have further tests. However it does mean that the interpretation

Q: My husband is scheduled for a prostate biopsy on Monday how is this done?
I was not home when his doctor’s office called to set up the appointment so I could not ask them.
Where do they go in from? And will he most likely be awake or put under? And are there any kind of sexual or any other side effects from the biopsy?
He has an elevated PSA level and a family history of prostate cancer so they are doing the biopsy.

A: This is performed in a hospital most of the time but can be performed in some clinics. He will be put to sleep or he should demand he is put to sleep because it can be painful when done awake. It only takes about 15 -20 minutes and is done as an out patient. Usually they will take 6 to 8 needle specimens which are examined buy a pathologist to determined if there is any cancer present. There will be no side affects except for a little bleeding the first couple time he urinates. The pathologist will assign a Gleason score to his results if there is cancer and it can range from 2 to 10. They combine this with his PSA to determine how aggressive the cancer is and how far it has advanced. I had prostate cancer in 2001 with a PSA of 10 and a Gleason score of 6 and was treated at RCOG in Atlanta, GA with radiation. I’ve been cancer free for 9 years now.

Q: Anyone know about PSA test results?
My husband had blood work done by his GP about 3 months ago. His PSA level came back at 2.7. Although that is within the normal range, the GP was a little concerned, thinking it was high for his age which is 41. The GP suggested a re-check in a couple months. He had it re-checked last week and it came back at 3.1. GP is now sending him to a urologist for further evaluation. Anybody have any insight of what, other than cancer could be causing the elevated level?

A: While the PSA test is a good indicator it is not the final word as a diagnosis. The accepted criteria is 4.0 or less. An enlarged prostate can sometimes result in a elevated PSA level. His doctor may be concerned because most men do not see any significant prostate enlargement until age 50. It can occur earlier but not usually. His referring your husband to a urologist is a reasonable precaution. The urologist may want to do further tests such as an ultrasound and possibly a needle biopsy if preliminary tests indicate it should be done.

Q: My dad found out his prostate (PSA) is elevated to a 5.8..scared, worried..need some advice/insight?
My Dad is a healthy guy, never once has he had any health issues besides his back hurting him from working in the yard too much. He had his yearly physical the other day,and they told him his prostate level was elevated to a 5.8 (was a 2.8 a year ago). He went to the Urologist today, whom thought it would be best to do a biopsy, so he has that scheduled for next week. He has no symptoms of prostate cancer, and no family history of prostate cancer. We are all (my mom, me & my Dad) extremely scared, worried, and fearful that it could be prostate cancer..

Just looking for opinions, thoughts, and words of wisdom..Although I’m not a religious person, a prayer would also be extremely wonderful from anybody.

Thank you..

A: Yes, been there and done that. My PSA was 6.0 and the safe range is 0 to 4. Anything above 10 is cause for serious concern so your dad and I are in the “not sure” range.
A definitive diagnosis cannot be made until a biopsy has been performed and hopefully your dad’s will be negative.
In my case, I was given a 15-point biopsy which proved to be positive at 10 points and it was confirmed that I had prostate cancer, which had spread into the seminal vesicles and was quite advanced (Gleason factor 7). Thankfully the MRI and CT scans revealed that it was still localized (not spread to my bones) and I was given curative EBR (external beam radiation) and HDR (high dose radiation) temporary implant brachytherapy. That was 5½ years ago and although it was very stressful at the time, it is now gone (they never use the word “cured” though) and I am leading a normal life. The only slight downside for me, was the fact that when I orgasm now, only a small bead of semen is ejaculated.
I was offered an alternative treatment of prostatectomy, which I declined, choosing the option they had recommended. Having the prostate completely removed can have life-changing consequences, like impotence and incontinence (but if it saves your life, these are relatively minor considerations).
These days, if it is diagnosed and treated early enough, very few men with prostate cancer die from the disease. It is generally only those who are diagnosed at an advanced stage who fail to respond to treatment. Lots of guys die through other causes, including old age, and never know they had prostate cancer.
Good luck to you and your dad, it is a worrying time but I got through it and with his loving family around him for support, I am sure he will too.

Q: Results of PSA tests?
In the past, even up to 1 1/2 years ago, my PSA level has been between .04 and 1.0. This month, two different tests have it at 4.14 and 2.95. First question is, why the different readings with-in two weeks, and how could it elevate so fast in a year and a half? My HMO sucks, and the Doc won’t call me back.

A: Check this out for info regarding the PSA results.

http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/psa/test.html

Q: Human Anatomy 2 case study please help!!!?
A 67-year-old retired male went to his doctor, complaining initially of leg pain that started in his lower back, which then radiated down across the side of his thigh and over the front of his knee. Subsequently, he developed pain that radiated from his back to his front at two different levels: at the chest through the level of his nipples and also at the umbilicus.

What is the diagnosis of this gentleman?
Why would the scan show bone abnormalities?
Which endocrine organs are responsible for serum calcium levels?
Describe a mechanism by which a drug could act on the anterior pituitary to lower the testosterone level in the human body.

His physician performed a history and physical, followed by laboratory tests. He discovered a hard nodule on his prostate and an elevation in several of the blood tests. His PSA (prostate specific antigen), an enzyme secreted by normal prostate tissue (0-4 ng/ml) was 450. Alkaline phosphatase was also elevated at 157 U/L, an indication of bone involvement.

A bone scan was ordered to visualize the bone involvement. (This test uses a calcium analogue attached to a radioactive tag. A special scanner can pick updioactive tag. A special scanner can pick up images of this radioactivity and create an anatomical picture of the skeletal system. The radiation shows up as black spots on the film.)

Usually prostate cancer’s growth is initially influenced by the presence of testosterone. If testosterone is removed by castration, the cancer will often shrink for some period of time before the remaining fraction of testosterone-independent cancer cells grow.

This gentleman was not interested in castration and asked if there was another way to treat this. He was treated was a single shot of a drug which is slowly released into the body over a three month time period. Within that time the patient noticed marked relief in his pain.

What is the diagnosis of this gentleman?
Why would the scan show bone abnormalities?
Which endocrine organs are responsible for serum calcium levels?
Describe a mechanism by which a drug could act on the anterior pituitary to lower the testosterone level in the human body.

A: these links might help.

This one will answer questions 1 and 2.

http://rds.yahoo.com/_ylt=A0oGdE6zQgdMpRMBeWxXNyoA;_ylu=X3oDMTEzdmswdGw2BHNlYwNzcgRwb3MDMgRjb2xvA3NrMQR2dGlkA0g1NDdfMTYz/SIG=12mbk0m6d/EXP=1275630643/**http%3a//www.boneandcancerfoundation.org/pdfs/prostate-cancer-qa.pdf

The answer to number three is there >

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20061125101425AAYNZko

#4 – this is what i put but it might be wrong…
The hypothalamus controls maturation of sperm cells and development of male secondary sex characteristics. A negative feedback mechanism operating between the hypothalamus, the anterior lobe of the pituitary gland, and the testes controls the concentrations of testosterone.

#5-again, this is what i put ….it might be wrong.
By prescribing, an GnRh inhibitor and anti-androgen drug will lower the testosterone level in the body. The drugs use a negative feedback loop.

4&5 are hard i would ask a person in your class for help.

Q: A 67-year-old retired male went to his doctor,?
complaining initially of leg pain that started in his lower back, which then radiated down across the side of his thigh and over the front of his knee. His physician performed a history and physical, followed by laboratory tests. He discovered a hard nodule on his prostate and an elevation in several of the blood tests. His PSA (prostate specific antigen), an enzyme secreted by normal prostate tissue (0-4 ng/ml) was 450. Alkaline phosphatase was also elevated at 157 U/L, an indication of bone involvement.

The physician suggested that the man’s testosterone levels be lowered. He suggested castration; however, the man was not interested in castration and asked if there was another way to treat this. He was treated was a single shot of a drug which is slowly released into the body over a three month time period. Within that time the patient noticed marked relief in his pain.

1. What is the diagnosis of this man? How do you know?

2. How would this man’s disorder have affected his urinary and reproductive abilities?

3. Describe a mechanism by which a drug could lower the testosterone level in the human body.

4. Why would castration reduce testosterone? Would all of a castrated man’s testosterone be gone? Why or why not?

5. How would castration affect a man’s ability to have an erection or ejaculate? Why?

A: ALL OF THE ANSWERS STATED THUS FAR ARE TOTALLY WRONG!

NOW, LET US GET TO THE GOOD STUFF!

1) prostate cancer. i know because he has a hard nodule on his prostate, has classic symptom of pain in lower back and leg, increased PSA and an elevated alkaline phosphatase.

2) prostate cancer causes pain upon urination and ejaculation due to an obstruction of the ejaculatory duct in the prostate, and an obstruction of the prostatic urethra.

3) drugs inhibiting gonadotropic releasing hormone, will inhibit testosterone production in the testes.

4) removal of the testes will eliminate the Leydig cells from releasing testosterone, the fuel for the prostate cancer; the majority of cells in prostate cancer tumors respond to the removal of testosterone. But some cells grow independent of testosterone, and therefore remain unaffected by hormone therapy. As these hormone-independent cells continue to grow unchecked, over time, hormone therapies have less and less of an effect on the growth of the tumor.

5) a lack of the hormone testosterone would cause a decrease in male sex characteristics, a decrease in libido and less volume of ejaculate. castration can cause impotence and definite sterility due to a lack of sperm in the semen.

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