Wednesday, May 30, 2012
Wednesday, February 04, 2009 RUDY asks

Q: My doctor did a free psa and the level was 8.8. Should I be alarmed?

I'm 68 years old and I had a biopsy done last year - it was normal.

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Dan, Editor
2/10/09 4:03pm

Hi Rudy,

 

Thanks for your question.  We can't offer a diagnosis over the internet, but we might be able to provide you with some additional information. 

 

According to Dr. Motola's series of articles on PSA Levels and PSA Testing, there's no hard and fast rule for what PSA level is cause for concern.  Rather, there are a number of factors that should be taken into account.  One of the primary ones is PSA Velocity, or the speed at which your PSA rises between one PSA test and the next.

 

Even if you had a biopsy last year and it was normal, it could be a good idea to have it done again if this represents a significant increase from your last measured PSA.

 

I hope this helps, and make sure you contact your doctor if you have questions on how you should be handling this situation.

 

-Dan

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By RUDY— Last Modified: 12/24/10, First Published: 02/04/09