Cyclists and prostate cancer

Great question. Wonderfully thoughtful answers. I wondered about bike riding and PC for years. Hidden in plain sight was my own aPC (advanced prostate cancer). Love that bike riding feeling. One day my Prostate exploded. Emergency room, PSA 118, diagnosis Stage 4, advanced. Lots of scary tested, scans, 4.10 years from that moment. But, I still ride a bike, it's an e-trike. Love it, extra padded seat.

Looking at Mycahrt scares the heck out of me, no good news, not even hopeful news, just negative vibes. But, my trike give be a gift of hope and feeling good every time I ride it.

I have wondered the sam thing- I am 73-been biking since I was 9 yrs old...suddenly diagnosed with Gleason 8 Stage IV ( two lymph nodes) in late May 2025...my theory is cycling- with some guys- can exacerbate a weak area of prostate wall causing a break and pprostatic fluid leaks out. Lymph nodes do their best to mop up and contain ( which I think they did in my case).

But as we age, tissue gets thinner and prostate is no exception. Instead of not check the PSA - like we saw happen last 10-15 yrs- I think older men should ahve PSA checked every 6 months..a home test would be a great thing..then if a rise is charted, on to urologist to do more comprehensive testing..

it seems there is an epedemic of Stage IV proste cancer being diagnosed these days.

I believe you are right. I now use an IMS touring bike saddle with an open front.
Was on a tour and started passing blood in urine than diagnosed with prostate cancer
Regular seats are bad.

Great discussion, gents. I use an urban commuter type bike, with a padded and wider seat, not a racing bike or seat.
Heading in for my second MRI this month while on the active monitoring program. Biopsy is next, Gleason scores over the past 5 years have been 6, hoping for the same on this next biopsy.
Some of the increases with anyone, cyclists included, are age related. My dr. just told me that PSA rises gradually over time for normal men, such that below age 55 is about 4.0, at age 65 normal is about 5.5, at 75 about 6.5, etc.

@drcopp
The seat you are using helps. But my R/O, Mayo PCP, asked me not to ride a bike for a week prior to PSA test to ensure irritation did not occur to prostate from bike riding. I have a special seat on my hybrid bike that does not have a tonque and is wide with springs below it. I ride on those bones at each side.

However I follow my doctors advise which was lets make sure even with your bike seat you are not irritating your prostate as I ride for 20 miles.

I am a little confuses with you doctors discussion on PSA levels. The present PSA level deemed normal at Mayo is below 4. My PSA at 76 was 3.75 but had been rising every 3 months for over 2 years. That rise not necessarily the number at was something my PCP did not like and referred me to a Mayo uorlogist who did MRI/Contrast, MRI/Fusion biopsies, and got my Gleason Score of 3+4 and 4+3 (totals are 7) and intermediate risk.

I had good Mayo R/O and good UFHPTI R/O and combined they ordered, bone scan, Decipher, and PSMA. Bone and PSMA were negative. Decipher came back low risk not intermediate risk that Gleason score had.

I mentioned this as my PCP, urologist, and two different R/Os were all concerned with steady rise of PSA not the number it was at. I was technically under the normal (below 4) and I was 76 years old when diagnosed. Have you gotten second opinions? I cannot give medical advise but the PSA numbers you mentioned with saying normal at increasing rates is questionable to not address regardless of number if your PSA is rising and rising.

BPH can cause a higher PSA but it too needs to be addressed and is why the standard PSA test is so valuable as it not only shows your current number but if that number is steadily rising over time.

I was far under your doctors 6.5 PSA norm at age 76 with a 3.75 PSA and I had prostate cancer.

I can relay what I was told by my Mayo Jacksonville PCP on PSA tests.

He said several years ago medical professionals felt PSA test being done too much and giving false information and the consensus was to move to voluntary. Then statistics showed an alarming increase in stage 4 PC.

They were mistified and look a numbers and found out the drastic rise of stage 4 started when they moved from standard PSA test for men and certain age to voluntary started showing men showing up with stage 4 PC.

At least Mayo went back to doing the PSA test regurally at much lower age and really did then ongoing if was high or a rise in PSA test each time did. Mayo reported started finding PC is the early stages again and reduction of finding it at stage 4.

@drcopp At age 64 I had a PSA of 4.4 that had been slowly rising. Biopsy of 14 cores. 6 (3+3) 1(3+4).

Incontinence has been a nightmare, sling helped but now I have graduated to heavy pads instead of 7 depends disposable underwear’s a day or external catheter attached 24/7.

Having ProAct implanted in a couple weeks as adjunct therapy.

I am trying to avoid AUS because of issues with riding bicycles.

@jc76
Thanks for your thoughtful reply JC. I'll ask my dr. about bike riding and see what his advice is. The important thing to keep in mind is this order of evidence: #1 is Biopsy trumps all other tests, #2 is MRI, and #3 is the PSA score (specifically the amount of rise from test to test), so he advised me not to worry about the score by itself.

@jc76 that is what I was told for a bout 8 yrs ( when I got my physical from about 2014 onward) - "dont worry about PSA /Prostate cancer..if you get it and are over 65, they usually dont even treat it !"

Also a bike rider ( just 2-3 mi neighborhood rides usually x 2-3 times daily)

@jc76 It seems men's health got the short end of the stick. In my view that was a foolish decision. I also blame men for not talking about their journey enough. It seems as if it is a shame thing. Want to watch a group of men squirm? Start talking about prostate cancer. Women can't raise enough money for BC. It is an endless resource.