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@brianjarvis thank you so much. My PSA last June '24 was 2.8. It ranged between that and 3.8 for the previous six or seven years. I guess that's why I was surprised when it jumped to 5.8 in November and 6.5 in December. My biggest fear is that's an indicator of an "aggressive" cancer, which is what makes sitting around doing nothing all the more agonizing.
The 10.3 number is the % Free PSA. I read that lower than 10 suggests a higher risk of prostate cancer, which is why being only .3 above that marker makes me think I am essentially in the higher risk category. Perhaps that's why my doctor decided on a biopsy regardless of what the MRI might - or might not - show?
As for the free PC genetic test, I clicked the link and tried to sign up, but it said I did not qualify because in the questionnaire, I could not say that I have been diagnosed with PC.
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@jbuscher123 It’s good that you’ve been following your PSA closely and took action at the first indication of concern. (The vast majority aren’t even tracking theirs.)
For now, you just have an elevated PSA; try not to let dark thoughts take you much beyond that.
The MRI will indicate the likelihood of clinically significant cancer being present (as well as whether there is perineural invasion, seminal vesicle invasion, or extracapsular extension). Based on those outcomes, you’ll consider next steps. Take it one step at a time.
Yes, there are a number of markers useful in estimating risk of prostate cancer. % Free PSA is one marker that if below 10, indicates that a biopsy should be performed.
I wouldn’t start using the words “aggressive” and “high-risk” just yet - those terms have specific meaning. The tests you’ve had so far - PSA, % Free PSA, and PSA Velocity/Doubling Time are indicators that further testing is warranted. Even the MRI will only tell you the “likelihood” of clinically significant cancer being present.
If your doctor had done a biopsy within it being MRI-guided, he would be doing what’s called a “blind biopsy” - just taking blind jabs into your prostate, hoping to hit something of interest. That’s not the modern way things are done.
Having an MRI first, identifies suspicious-looking areas to be biopsied. Then the biopsy samples those areas plus a few random ones. (There’s also what’s called a “saturation biopsy” that can be done if an MRI isn’t done first. You don’t want to have one of those…..)
Once you’ve had the MRI and biopsy, you can go always back to the free genetic test if you’re still on that path.