PSA levels can in fact be extremely high in cases of advanced metastatic
prostate cancer.   Most likely, he is going to be put on hormone
suppression therapy.   Certain drugs are used to suppress the production
of testosterone or to make it unavailable to prostate cells.   Prostate
cells, including most cancerous ones, need testosterone to grow.
Unfortunately, in almost all case, eventually this type of therapy
fails, but the time it takes can be quite variable.   Ordinary
chemotherapy attacks fast growing cells and leaves normal cells alone.
But even aggressive prostate cancer grow relatively slowly and is not
much affected by most chemotherapy agents.  There are some new
experimental approaches using chemotherapy in clinical trials, but I
believe most men would be started off on hormone suppressing drugs like
Lupron.  Usually, this brings down the PSA level rather quickly.

I found this article that had this to say:

"Serum PSA counts, by the way, theoretically range from 0 to 100,000
ng/ml. The highest I have noted in medical literature has been around
8000!"

http://www.rifetechnology.com/prostate.htm

Hope this helps,
MrBill

Yes, it is possible.  It means that the cancer has spread extensively and
surgery or radiation will not help.  Is the chemotherapy you refer to actually
testosterone agonists, like Lupron and Casodex, or a clinical trial like I just
went through?  Lupron can knock that PSA way down for a few years.

Hi Rob,

Unfortunately, yes it can be that high or higher.  I have been in contact
with a 27 year old that was at 2200 at diagnosis.  I saw a post above that
shows it goes much higher yet.  I wish your friend the best.  There is a
newsgroup specifically for Advanced Prostate Cancer that he should monitor
and post questions too.  Also see:

http://www.phoenix5.org/
http://www.prostate-help.net
http://www.prostate-cancer.org/index.html
http://home.att.net/~graybeards/resources.html
http://www.wmfurology.com/pcaweb.htm
http://www.yananow.net/
http://www.thecancer.info/prostate/index.htm
http://www.prostatepointers.org/
http://www.llu.edu/proton/
http://www.psarising.com

I hope this helps.

Dwight

Some months ago a fellow posted to this group that his PSA was 4900.
We asked did he mean 4.900 or 49.00, but he confirmed 4900.
Apparently he was still relatively pain free, though other men have
died with lower PSA counts.

It is said that, on average, hormone suppression therapy will stop
the growth of prostate cancer for about 3 years.  Some lucky men
do better, even much better.  Some unlucky men do worse.

There are some experimental therapies that hold the promise of
curing, or at least stopping the growth of, even advanced cancers
like your friend's.  So it's important for your friend to fight the disease
and hold out as long as he can.  There is hope that for those who
live long enough on current therapies, new therapies will come along
in time to prolong their lives much further.

   Alan

Thanks to all who responded - I have a better understanding of things now.

I didn't go into much detail originally but this friend had his prostate
removed about 6 years ago.  He told me once that at the time he was
diagnosed they told him removal or where they put in those radiation seeds
were his two choices and he chose removal.  He has had his PSA level checked
over the years - a year ago it was .1 but recently he had some problems and
that it why it was checked again - that was the reading of 4081.  He did
have his second hormone shot today and Tuesday he is going in to have a
scan - he has to drink something then have the scan done and I understood
him to say they were probably going to start chemotherapy that same day?
Maybe after they see the scans?

I am in the position now that I don't know how much to ask, what to say,
etc.  I don't want to pry or make him talk about his condition if he doesn't
want to.   I did tell him I am here if he wants to talk about it and we did
tell him whatever he needs to do as far as tests, dr. appointments,
treatments, he can have all the time necessary.

I am hoping and praying for a good outcome.  Thanks again to all.

I don't know the max, but we did have one guy on this ng with a 4900.  He
came on under three user names in a very short span of time, and then
disappeared, so I don't know if he was a straight shooter.  But, a few here
have reported in the thousands.