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Slight PSA rise 9 months after radiation.
Prostate Cancer | Last Active: Aug 28 12:13pm | Replies (55)Comment receiving replies
I'm 65 - (And you may want to really read this comment)
My PSA was like 8.42, then 11+ then 15+....3 years ago, now its 20
Before I went to the urologist, I bought a book called "The great Prostate Hoax"
The author is the doctor who came up with the PSA test, and cited that the PSA (alone) was never intended to be the Gold standard to determine if someone has cancer....but rather in his words "Taken over by the CDC" -
After reading most of the book when The doctor told me I needed a biopsy on my prostate...
I said, I'll think about it BUT before I do, I have a question....
Q1) Have ever had a patient with a high PSA, but NO cancer? - He said Yes! We see it in motor cycle riders all the time....
Q2 ) Have you ever seen ppl with a NORMAL PSA but with cancer....? He said yes
Well, in that case, I'm not going to worry about it unless I have problems.... Most men will die WITH Prostate cancer, than from it....
So never been back
Replies to "I'm 65 - (And you may want to really read this comment) My PSA was like..."
Men can have high (but not super high) PSA from benign prostatic hypertrophy and from stimulation of the prostate from direct pressure on the prostate (cycle riding or sex). But a continually rising PSA or a year over rise of >20% is concerning for prostate cancer. Yes, you are correct that most men will die of something else than their prostate cancer. About 80% of prostate cancers are of the more indolent variety that usually doesn't kill the patient. But 20% are aggressive and are linked to rising PSA. Those cancers will metastasize and kill you. There are very good treatments available today. I hope you don't have the disease but putting your head in the sand, misinterpreting what your urologist is saying is not the best thing for your health.
Good luck whatever you do.
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You sound a lot like me! Just watched my PSA go from 5.75 in 2016 to 17.5 in late 2022. Didn't want to do a biopsy but did 4 MRIs over that time. Saw a tiny lesion of about 5mm (older Tesla machine) grow to about 11mm. At that point PSA was 12.3 and i still resisted a biopsy. My thoughts were that once you are on that track with an elevated PSA and visible lesion on MRI, you were destined for the knife or radiation. both of which terrified me.
I am very familiar with the short-comings of the PSA test and used that as an excuse. However, I did know that in the vast majority of cases, high levels of PSA equate to greater chance of mets. Sure someone may get to a PSA of 50 or so with none but they are the outlier. Dr. Shultz of PCRI.com fame mentioned a few of these cases in a symposium I listened to.
When my PSA got to 17.5 late 2022, I went ahead with a biopsy. I knew if would mean treatment but was also cognizant of the pain with a prostate cancer death as my father passed away from it.
I went with proton beam therapy and now know that my fears of treatment were way, way overblown. No ED, no meed for meds and came away wishing I had moved earlier.
Ultimately, you have to decide what works for you. Have you at least done an MRI?
Wishing you the best.