Steroids and psa test (XP)

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Zipadeedoodaa - 17 Mar 2007 15:54 GMT

I am currently on 20mg.Prednisolone for my asthma (short term) and during
last week I had a follow up psa test (six monthly) which showed a higher
figure than expected.

I had a radical prostatectomy 11 years ago and in recent years I've shown a
low level of psa. i.e 0.6.

Last week it showed over 1.0 and I cannot see my urologist for two weeks.

Is there any evidence of prednisolone affecting blood test results?

Many thanks,

zipadeedodaa

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I.P. Freely - 17 Mar 2007 21:21 GMT

> I am currently on 20mg.Prednisolone for my asthma (short term) and during
> last week I had a follow up psa test (six monthly) which showed a higher
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
>
> Is there any evidence of prednisolone affecting blood test results?

Google sez prednisone (converted by healthy livers into pednisolone)
lowers PSA by about 33%.

I.P.

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Steve Kramer - 17 Mar 2007 22:45 GMT

>I am currently on 20mg.Prednisolone for my asthma (short term) and during
> last week I had a follow up psa test (six monthly) which showed a higher
[quoted text clipped - 7 lines]
>
> Is there any evidence of prednisolone affecting blood test results?

I have not neard of prednisolone affecting PSAs one way or t'other. You
might want to Google if and see if PSAs are mentioned.

However, your urologist will not be able to tell you anything, likely, in
two weeks either. To diagnose biological failure, you will need three rises
in PSA. So, maybe you'll know in six months, but not now.

I would not worry about it at all at this point. A lab can make a mistake
of 4/10ths of a nanogram (one millionth of a gram).

Signature

PSA 16 10/17/2000 @ 46
Biopsy 11/01/2000 G7 (3+4), T2c
RRP 12/15/2000 G7 (3+4), T3cN0M0 Neg margins
PSA <.1 <.1 <.1 .27 .37 .75
EBRT 05-07/2002 @ 47
PSA .34 .22 .15 .21 .32
Lupron 07/03 (1 mo) 8/03 (4 mo), 12/03, 4/04, 09/04, 01/05, 5/05, 10/05,
2/06, 6/06
PSA .07 .05 .06 .09 .08 .132 .145
Casodex added daily 07/06
PSA <0.04, <0.05
Non Illegitimi Carborundum

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ron - 18 Mar 2007 00:00 GMT

On Mar 17, 3:45 pm, "Steve Kramer" <skra...@cinci.rr.com>
wrote...snip...

> However, your urologist will not be able to tell you anything, likely, in
> two weeks either. To diagnose biological failure, you will need three rises
> in PSA. So, maybe you'll know in six months, but not now.

Hi Steve...My recollection is that "3 rises" is a part of the ASTRO
definition of biochemical failure (DOF) and typically applied to seeds
or RT monotherapies. Surgeons (and rad oncs using seeds + XBRT) often
use other definitions of biochemical failure. Some, like Walsh, use
PSA>0.2, some use PSA>0.4, still others use PSA>0.2 and one confirming
PSA. In any case, many docs don't need 3 rises to call a post-
surgical (or seeds + RT) failure...Best wishes and good health, ron

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Steve Kramer - 18 Mar 2007 00:31 GMT

> On Mar 17, 3:45 pm, "Steve Kramer" <skra...@cinci.rr.com>
> wrote...snip...
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
> PSA. In any case, many docs don't need 3 rises to call a post-
> surgical (or seeds + RT) failure...Best wishes and good health, ron

That is an interesting distinction that I do not recall seeing or reading.
I do not understand what difference it would make as to which method was
initially used to eliminate the primary source. However, flying in the face
of such logic is the fact that surgery patients expect undetectable readings
and radiation patients expect a very low nadir. So, you may be right.

Regardless, your postulate is correct, then he is already past the largest
of the standards. But, he advised that he was at that level for some time.

I myself acted at 0.3 or over even though once it was only the 2nd rise.

I guess my salient point to this rambling is that I concur with the latter
part of your post.

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MAS - 18 Mar 2007 07:16 GMT

Steroids have PCa killing properties therefore lowering PSA. During chemo, I
was on 30 mg a day for six months.

Gourd Dancer

>I am currently on 20mg.Prednisolone for my asthma (short term) and during
> last week I had a follow up psa test (six monthly) which showed a higher
[quoted text clipped - 11 lines]
>
> zipadeedodaa

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Eduardo Bronstein - 18 Mar 2007 11:22 GMT

|I am currently on 20mg.Prednisolone for my asthma (short term) and during
| last week I had a follow up psa test (six monthly) which showed a higher
[quoted text clipped - 6 lines]
|
| Is there any evidence of prednisolone affecting blood test results?

Prednisone monotherapy is well tolerated and is associated with a clinically
relevant response rate in patients with asymptomatic HRPC. Prolonged time to
progression and thus avoidance of more toxic chemotherapy is possible in
some patients.

Looks at this site. I hope it is useful.

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=pubmed&cmd=Retrieve&dopt=Abstra
ctPlus&list_uids=17187697&query_hl=1&itool=pubmed_docsum

Regards.

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