Interesting comment...."urologist said PSA no longer needed b/c PCa diagnosed". My urologist indicates the complete opposite....get a PSA test at least every 3 months.

I've had 5 PSA tests between February and October, averaging 6.3. One morning in May I was tested at two different labs within 15 minutes of each other...5.87 and 6.57...a clear indication that any particular number is at least +/-0.35.

PSA doesn't exactly correlate to PCa progression, but it's a fairly good (and low cost) proxy....especially when combined with annual mpMRI's.

In my 1st year after diagnosis, frequent PSA checks allowed me to investigate the short-term efficacy of various changes in my exercise/diet protocol.

Found two significant noninvasive test changes in 12 months:

1) PSA dropped from 7.8 (prebiopsy) to 6.0 (four months after biopsy) and has stayed fairly constant (averaging 6.3) ever since.

2) Second mpMRI (same machine, same radiologist) indicated lesions had either disappeared or shrank and the T2 hypointense focus and the DWI/ADC signal were both downgraded from "moderate" to "mild".

Regarding a confirmational biopsy, I plan on going with the recommendation of the expert physician investigators who spent three years studying the question - if PSA and/or mpMRI tests show progression get a biopsy or no later than 3 years from initial biopsy.

I have 2 more years (assuming no progression) for the PCa community to find a SUITABLE alternative to repeat biopsies for AS patients.

All the best in your upcoming biopsy...I'll be praying for a no PCa detected outcome....keep us posted!