Here's a better answer to your question:
"PSA and Age
"PSA is also age dependent, as we get older the PSA tends to increase and
therefore the normal range varies with age. The following is a guideline
adjusted for age:
Age 40-49 0.0-2.5 ng/ml
Age 50-59 0.0-3.5 ng/ml
Age 60-69 0.0-4.5 ng/ml
Age 70-79 0.0-6.5 ng/ml
"Note: The normal 4.0 ng/ml is no longer recognized as the cutoff point.
=======================================================
So 0.0 to 2.5 would be your "normal" range while 0.0 to 4.5 would be mine.
Mine was 5.94.
Now some VERY GOOD NEWS
I finally got the results of my post- OP pathology.
1) The "margins were all negative" meaning the cancer had not escaped the
prostate through the prostate wall.
2) There was no "invasion" of the seminal vessels meaning the cancer didn't
escape via that route.
3) There was no cancer in the adjacent lymph glands. Another good sign.
4) My first post-OP PSA was 0.03. 0.1 or less is good!
Early indications are that they got it all! WHEW!
The only negative, which is somewhat irrelevant at this time, was that the
cancer was slightly more aggressive than shown by the biopsy. The biopsy
showed 3+4 = 7 meaning the predominate cancer cells were rated 3 on a scale
of 1 to 5 and the secondary cells were 4. The more accurate post-OP
pathology rated it 4+3 = 7 meaning the 4 grade cancer was predominate. But
if they got it all, who cares?
Still not 100% out of the woods because often the PSA increases over time
meaning a few cells did escape and are growing but there are treatment if
this happens.
I'm going for 23+ more years!
Cheers!
PS #1. Played 4 rounds so far with scores still in the 46-47 range but
considering the swampy conditions I think these are good. They'd be in the
low 40s under normal conditions.
PS #2. Show Liz the post-OP results.
Hope to get you out soon but I'm through playing swamp golf ; ) Let's
schedule the first Friday after you're rained out on Thursday --- but not
this Friday since we're headed North.
jimhoney - 19 May 2004 19:12 GMT
Don,
Congratulations on your excellent results.
I don't think you have any cause to think that any cells escaped. All the
evidence is to the contrary.
jimhoney
c palmer - 19 May 2004 20:47 GMT
hi don - it's common for the path report to be slightly different than
the biopsy report because they able to see and examine everything up
close this way.
my path report was also slightly different but gland contained. they
should also listed your stage on the report. if you check, it should
say. mine was T1c going in, but the path report said T2c.
you've got good numbers and good news. that's the important part. just
keep your eye on the ball when you swing............:)
~ curtis
knowledge is power - growing old is mandatory - growing wise is optional
"Many more men die with prostate cancer than of it. Growing old is
invariably fatal. Prostate cancer is only sometimes so."
Alan Meyer - 21 May 2004 21:03 GMT
> Here's a better answer to your question:
>
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>
> "Note: The normal 4.0 ng/ml is no longer recognized as the cutoff point.
Don,
I wish all the doctors knew this. But they don't.
I had a PSA of 3.7 at age 55. My general practitioner
said, Oh, that's normal (under 4). She didn't even
order another one at my next physical exam 2 years
later. An alert lab tech added it to the list of tests
without asking the doctor and it came out 6.3.
My cancer could have been caught two years earlier
than it was, and it's only by the good judgement of
the lab technician that it was caught at all.
Alan