Psa

How many of you feel doing a PSA is essential before starting finasteride or dutasteride?

» How many of you feel doing a PSA is essential before starting finasteride
» or dutasteride?

I don’t feel it’s necessary. If you’re on Propecia it will lower the the PSA level, but your doctor will make an offset for it in evaluating your result. Unless you are over 45 you don’t really need a PSA test unless you have a family history of prostate cancer.

In patients treated with PROSCAR for six months or more, PSA values should be doubled for comparison with normal ranges in untreated men. This adjustment preserves the sensitivity and specificity of the PSA assay and maintains its ability to detect prostate cancer.

Percent free PSA (free to total PSA ratio) is not significantly decreased by PROSCAR. The ratio of free to total PSA remains constant even under the influence of PROSCAR. If clinicians elect to use percent free PSA as an aid in the detection of prostate cancer in men undergoing finasteride therapy, no adjustment to its value appears necessary.

David please poll that PSA question.
TIA
drca