I then

I wonder why they laugh at PSAV when it's been proven that's it's a
better predictor of PCa than static PSA.

...

I don't know about the differences in tests, but from what I
know about PSA, the three decimals are of no real use.
It may be true that you had exactly 1.600 at the moment
of the blood draw, but the next day you might have had 1.523
and the previous day 1.614, and so on.  PSA varies from
day to day.  I'm far from an expert, but my guess is that
only about two decimal digits of precision (1.6 in this case)
are of value in diagnosis.

Your uro knows vastly more about this than I do.  His advice
to get yearly tests doesn't sound bad to me.  Your PSA
is not currently in any way alarming.  The docs are right
that it's possible to get neurotic about things.

On the other hand, getting tested more frequently doesn't
cost much and you did have a larger rise than one would
expect.

Do you have any special risk factors (smoking, obesity,
exposure to carcinogens, PCa in your family?)

If I were you, knowing what I know now, I might want a
test every 6 months.  And making a chart may not be such
a terrible idea because there's a good chance that your
doctor isn't doing it.  But I would also not want to obsess
about it.

    Alan

From: ptoppo@gmail.com (gabachin)

I wrote to this group six months ago after a rise in PSA from .5 to 1.8
in 20 months. I'm 47, and in good health. My stats were:
7/2002 .9     (method unknown)
10/2004 .5   (Hybritech Access)
5/27/2006 1.8   (Hybritech Access)
Since many of you were so kind to give me such helpful advice, I just
wanted to let you know that my latest PSA was
11/20/2006 1.600 (Abbott Asyxm)
I've reported the results to the decimal place given by the lab. I find
it interesting that Abbott's results should be good to three decimals,
while the other results are reported only to one. I've also read in
http://www.diagnosis.prostate-help.org/assays.htm
that in the range PSA < 7, Hybritech and Abbott give nearly identical
results. Any comments?
Six months ago, when I went to my GP, he basically told me I was being
neurotic about the PSA and said not to give it a second thought. I then
went to a Uro who told me the same thing. When I mentioned PSA velocity
he laughed in my face and said, "oh yeah, some people even make charts."
He then said that I might check it again in a year's time. Thanks to
this group, I've learned a great deal about the whole issue of PSA
testing and PCa in general, and I intend to keep checking my PSA every
six months to get a more meaningful pattern.
Thanks again for all your advice and kind attention.

========
your psa rise could be as simple as a minor prostate infection.

if you are in doubt, get a free psa test.  that will help give you more
information about your present situation.

also, you can ask the uro to put you a two week treatment of levaquin or
the something similar.  then take the psa test over again and see what
the results are.

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."
http://community.webtv.net/PALMER_ENT/doc

I don't think you can derive much benefit from tests done by alternating
assays.