Living with Prostate Cancer: Meet others & introduce yourself

Thank you for the invite. I currently don’t know if I have prostate cancer, but my PSA has risen from 2.1 to 3.1 last year to 4.2 this year. My GP is suggesting a wait and see with blood test every six months. Is this normal and what would be next step. I’m almost 73 and blessed with good health. Thanx for any advice in advance.

You really need to see a urologist sooner than later.

Thank you.

Carl, I agree with @safari1949 that you should consult with a urologist. A rising PSA can mean several different things, and not necessarily cancer. But it warrants further investigation. Here's more info on PSA:
- Prostate-Specific Antigen (PSA) Test https://www.cancer.gov/types/prostate/psa-fact-sheet

Stay in touch and let us know what you find out.

Will do. I go for another PSA tomorrow.

Hello, I would like to tell you about my experience which started out similar to yours. My General Practitioner by means of a digital exam noticed a rough spot on the prostate gland at the same time my PSA reached just over three. He sent me to the urologist; a biopsy showed cancer with a Gleason score of six.

Hi, the continuing saga of dealing with prostate. Recap: had prostate cancer in 2004 and treated with seed implants and external beam radiation at Sloan Kettering in NYC. Cancer has continued to be gone. Issue: the radiation damaged tissue so now have a fistual(canal) connecting my bladder with my colon and urine and feces are in both places to the extent that I have frequent(every 4 months) bladder or kidney infections. Doctors want to remove the bladder and remove most of the colon and replace with external bags for the rest of my life. I am told my tissues are too delicate to remove the fistual and patch up the bladder and patch up the bowel to keep the two systems separate again. HELP...anyone have this also or run across other ways to treat this fistual other than with organ removal and bags? I am on daily low dose antibiotics which helps hold down the infections. Been dealing with this for 3 years and hoping medical innovation will evolve to give me more options. Thoughts?

@hodagwi, as we wait for others from the Prostate Cancer group to respond, I thought you might appreciate meeting others who have similar circumstances, but not due to prostate cancer side effects. You might consider joining these discussions:

- ureterosigmoidostomy https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ureterosigmoidostomy/
– Ostomy: Adapting to life after colostomy, ileostomy or urostomy https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/ostomy-adapting-to-life-after-colostomy-ileostomy-or-urostomy/

What is a Gleason score and what does a six mean?

Carl, the Gleason score is the grading system that your cancer team uses to determine the aggressiveness of prostate cancer. Knowing the Gleason score can be used, along with other information gathered during diagnosis, to help recommend the best treatment options.

Here's further explanation from the Prostate Conditions Education Council (PCEC)
https://www.prostateconditions.org/about-prostate-conditions/prostate-cancer/newly-diagnosed/gleason-score

"Typical Gleason Scores range from 6-10. The higher the Gleason Score, the more likely that the cancer will grow and spread quickly.
- 6 or less describe cancer cells that look similar to normal cells and suggest that the cancer is likely to grow slowly.
- 7 suggests and intermediate risk for aggressive cancer.
- 8 or higher describe cancers that are likely to spread more rapidly, these cancers are often referred to as poorly differentiated or high grade."