What PSA Score sent you to a Urologist?

It was prior to treatment. Jesus cured me because my PSA has been zero for almost 19 years since robotic laparoscopic surgery in 2005 and I no longer have a prostate.

My PSA went from 3.5 to 4.0 in 9 months so my PCP sent me to a urologist for a biopsy and I had approx 5 of 12 samples positive cancer with a Gleason Score of 8.

My PCP said to get a biopsy because of the increase of the PSA, not because of the value.

The increase was prior to treatment, not during treatment.

My PSA was over 6 when I went for a biopsy. Turned out I was a Gleason 8.

Had Robotic surgery.

You are in charge of your body

It wasn’t my 4.2 PSA ; it was the fact it had doubled in one year!

My PSA was just over 6 but steady for many years. There was a history in my dads family, grandfather, 2 uncles, one cousin died of it, my father had it but died of old age at 95, My doctor retired, and when I went to a new doctor he was reluctant to send me for a biopsy, but in the end he relented, Turns out my gleanson was 9.5 our of 10 of 12 samples. I had no indication. I had robotic surgery. YOU MUST SPEAK UP FOR YOUR OWN SITUATION

My PSA went from over 2 to over 3.
At that time my GP ordered a followup. It was over 4 and he sent me to a Urologist.

I am in stage 4 but it was caught very early so my prospects are good.

This young kid saved me life based on his vigilance. He will remain my GP even though I now have to drive 50 miles to see him.

So you had focal brachytherapy in 2020…is that right? And your Gleason score was 6 and PSA a relatively low 4.14. How many cores were positive and why, in your opinion, was there such a big diagnostic miss?

It was the unanimous opinion of five different doctors that reviewed my MRI results and my biopsy results that the biopsy missed significant cancer. The MRI report read and I quote: “PI-RADS 4 lesion measuring 1.4 x 0.9 cm in the right anterior peripheral zone at the apex of the prostate.” Using inch measurements that means it was about 9/16” by 3/8”. I understood that trans-Rectal biopsies cannot reach the Apex adequately so I transferred my care to another urologist who did grid type trans-perineal biopsies. I don’t know what the grid spacing was. All I know is that that biopsy only showed low risk cancer. Here’s what that report read:

“Prostate core biopsy, right anterior apex (4 cores):
-Adenocarcinoma of the prostate, Gleason score 3 + 3 = 6 (Grade group 1).
-Tumor in 1 of 4 cores, 5 mm discontinuously involving 25% of submitted tissue.”

I asked for genomics to be run on the sample and my urologist/radiologist oncologist told me it was unnecessary and there wasn’t even enough cancer present for them to analyze. He was mistaken.

I received 145 Gy to the right side of my prostate, the great majority of which I recently found out was nowhere near the lesion that showed up on the MRI.

I understand now that cancer that happens in the peripheral zone and near the Apex is extremely difficult to sample. My best shot at having received an accurate biopsy would’ve been a MRI guided fusion biopsy, which was not offered by the medical system I was with at the time.

I’ve learned from this sad experience the importance of getting care through a center of excellence and not just a local community for profit healthcare system that is more focused on volume than patient care.