@joel . I'm almost 85 and have been on Dutasteride for almost 5 years . NO SIDE EFFECTS WHATSOEVER - NONE . A key piece of advice which I was not given by my family doctor OR pharmacy . WHEN YOU ARE ON DUTASTERIDE , IT CUTS YOUR PSA IN HALF . THEREFORE WHEN YOU GET A " LAB PSA RESULT " You have to double the number to get the true actual PSA . My lab PSA is 8.4 my true PSA is 16.8 My prostate is at 80cc . It will shrink your prostatee slightly . It will not give you aggressive cancer . Your best bet - if you plan to stay on Active Surveillance , PSA every 3 months , DRE and an MRI at 12 to 18 months after your 1st . Concult with your Urologist about a REZUM procedure . You can have this procedure and later have an alternate treatment . Radiation etc . Also investigate Monotherapy SBRT - 5 treatments .
Viewing your situation I would strongly recommend the following .
# 1 Get a 2nd opinion or 3rd opinion of your biopsy slides . My 1st Biopsy results came back negative - A time to celebrate - HELL NO , my MRI PI-RADS 5 was in total conflict with this result . My 2nd Biopsy came back Gleason 3 + 3 = 6 . It took a 2nd & 3rd opinion of the pathology results to finally settle on : 4 Cores G6 and 2 Cores Gleason 3 + 4 = 7 .
#2 Have an MRI ASAP , and check the results against your pre Biopsy MRI . I assume you had a Transperineal or Transrectal MRI Fusion Biopsy . This will determine any changes in your tumor .
What was your MRI RADS Score ? Have you had a Bone or CT Scan "
Have to read Dr. Patrick Walsh's 5th Edition book " Guide to Surviving Prostate Cancer " A highly recommended must educational read .
A 2nd or 3rd opinion of your gleason score is highly recommended .