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.