Not Good News after prostate biospy when MRI didn't look too bad
Last month I had PSA of 5.23 when a few months earlier it was 3.2. Then they scheduled me for MRI of prostate. Did another PSA and it was down to 4.16, but still wanted the MRI. Report is below, doesn't look good PI-RADS 5. At one point they say in report Lesions (PI-RADS 3 or higher). If I understand it, it hasn't spread. Wish I could get a plan with doctor!
FINDINGS:
Prostate measurement: 5.7 x 5.0 x 4.9 cm Prostate volume: 68.75 cc PSA: 4.16 ng/mL PSA density: 0.06 ng/mL/cc
Peripheral zone: See below.
Transition zone: No index lesion. Stromal and glandular BPH nodules.
Lesions (PI-RADS 3 or higher):
Lesion # 1: Location: Left posterior peripheral zone extending from the base to the apex Size: 2.4 x 1.3 x 2.6 cm (5.83 cc). T2: T2
hypointense DWI: Marked restricted diffusion DCE: Focal early enhancement, positive Prostate margin: Abuts the capsule without
definite invasion Overall PI-RADS Score: 5/5
Prostatic capsule: Intact.
Neurovascular bundles: Not involved.
Seminal vesicles: Not involved.
Lymph nodes: No lymphadenopathy.
Bones: No acute osseous abnormality.
Other findings: Small fat-containing right inguinal hernia.
IMPRESSION:
1. The prostate gland measures 5.7 x 5.0 x 4.9 cm with volume of 68.75 cc. PSA density is 0.06 NG/mL/CC. 2. Lesion # 1: PI-
RADS 5 lesion in the left posterior peripheral zone extending from the base to the apex measures 5.83 cc. No frank extracapsular
extension. 3. No pelvic lymphadenopathy.
PI-RADS Category 5: Very high (clinically significant prostate cancer is highly likely to be present)
Really doesn't look to bad, one spot that hasn't spread!
Then Bad Update 2/10/2026
Well got biopsy yesterday and results today, doctor hasn't called, just sent biopsy results to MyChart.
The MRI showed only one Lesion like shown above. Had biopsy done yesterday, they did 3 from the Lesion and 6 from each side of prostate. I wondered why they did more biopsy that were outside the lesion, but didn't ask. Got report today- not good. The lesion look better than areas where MRI saw nothing. They took 15 samples total.
Results:
Final Diagnosis
View trends
A. Prostate, "LLB", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 3+4=7 (Grade group 2) in 1 of 1 core, involving 30% of needle core tissue.
B. Prostate, "LMB", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 4+3=7 (Grade group 3) in 1 of 1 core, involving 70% of needle core tissue
C. Prostate, "LLM", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 3+4=7 (Grade group 2) in 1 of 1 core, involving 60% of needle core tissue.
D. Prostate, "LMM", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 4+3=7 (Grade group 3) in 1 of 1 core, involving 60% of needle core tissue.
Large cribriform glands present.
E. Prostate, "LLA", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 3+4=7 (Grade group 2) in 1 of 1 core, involving 60% of needle core tissue.
F. Prostate, "LMA", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 3+4=7 (Grade group 2) in 1 of 1 core, involving 50% of needle core tissue.
G. Prostate, "RLB", biopsy:
Benign prostatic tissue.
H. Prostate, "RMB", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 4+3=7 (Grade group 3) in 1 of 1 core, involving 10% of needle core tissue.
I. Prostate, "RLM", biopsy:
Benign prostatic tissue.
J. Prostate, "RMM", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 4+3=7 (Grade group 3) in 1 of 1 core, involving 50% of needle core tissue
Large cribriform glands present.
K. Prostate, "RLA", biopsy:
Benign prostatic tissue.
L. Prostate, "RMA", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 4+3=7 (Grade group 3) in 1 of 1 core, involving 25% of needle core tissue
M. Prostate, "ROI#1", biopsy:
Prostatic adenocarcinoma Gleason score 3+4=7 (Grade group 2) in 3 of 3 cores involving 70% of needle core tissue
Another thread I posted in a person said "You have a Gleason 4+3 7 BUT you have large cribriform and doctors a UCSF say that puts a 5 in your Gleason score." I believe he picked this up from the biopsy report. I don't know what a cribriform even is, it's not mention in report. From googling around it can only be determined by sieve-like or "Swiss cheese" appearance under a microscope and I don't see that in report? But this is all new to me. Doctors haven't talked to me yet, who knows when they will call or make appointment, took long time to get MRI and even longer to get the biopsy done. Sure were fast getting results, they said 7 - 10 days and they gave them to me the next day. Kind of wish they didn't give me results prior to talking with me.
My first thought is just get the thing cut out, not sure how that is done, as seems they got to leave something in there for urine to flow threw. So they couldn't take 100 percent of prostate out. Then I read about nerve sparing or not and not sure what that means. No doctors have discussed this with me yet. Seems if they take it out there shouldn't be any prostate cancer left? But then I read where people get it out and still have a PSA level, so like I said earlier, they must leave some in there, even when they call it total. Had to drive 150 miles to get MRI and biopsy They could have done that in Topeka, but KUMC is ranked as number 50 in top of prostate treatment so I went there Topeka doesn't have a Proton device, that would be back up to KUMC 150 miles RT. One of those radiations therapy is only a few days, not 30 some days. They do have SBRT radiation in Topeka, but I know of someone who had SBRT or maybe it was IMRT and it screwed up several other organs around the prostate, like bladder, kidneys and intestines.
Then some tell me I am lucky to have them all in grade group 2 or 3. But seems like I had a lot of them (12 of the 15) . So I would guess if they did 25 biopsy I could have had more grade group 2 or 3.
All confusing and stressful, other that this I am 78 years old healthy as a horse- no other issues and very active. Loss of what to do and all the different radiation types, that why just getting the pesky thing cut out of there, but seems they still leave some in.
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@diverjer
An image can’t be over 5 MB in size. I’ve had to reduce them multiple times in order to get them to post.
That high decipher Can sometimes get the doctor to want you on ADT.
Those percentages don’t really look all that bad however.
@jeffmarc Lots of info there that’s good to know differentiating older scans (glucose) from newer (PSMA) scans.
Maybe this will work, one of the page 1 from decipher test?
@brianjarvis
Or there was an uptake in the rib, the doctor showed me the results on the display with the ct scan next to it. That rib is lit up red, but small, yet easy to see, but over on CT side he couldn't see anything. I was wanting a biopsy of it, but he said they would not be able to find it. But it was really clear on the PSMA side of display screen. However, not like the prostate, it was a very large bright red area, looked like almost the whole prostate was red?
@diverjer
They did an MRI of my spine when they didn’t get a clear picture from the PSMA PET scan.
Ended up having to zap a metastasis, but they needed a clear picture of it first. CT scan is not sufficient.
Didn't really understand this statement "Ended up having to zap a metastasis"? Sounds like radiation a spot, but I thought you said your rib spot was from ole injury?
@diverjer
Yes, the rib spot is from an old injury that broke one of my ribs. It did not light up the PSMA PET scan it just shows up as something strange.
The metastasis on my spine is a totally different story. After being on Zytiga for 2 1/2 years, I was only undetectable for one month, As a result, a metastasis formed on my spine.
It was zapped a couple years ago. They need an MRI to figure out the exact nature of how it was wrapped around the L4 in my spine. This was after a PSMA PET scan showed it.
Well finely got a call from someone in charge at KUMC radiology to give me more info on PSMA Pet that wasn't on original report sent to my surgeon or myself. Didn't have to wait for surgeon to get back from vacation. I complained to several departments on patients relations to get a response.
Said No Metastatic, usually he wouldn't have reported the 5th rib on report at all. However the rib was 3.9 SUV and he would have zero worry about it, said pelvic would be first. Said some things just ligh up all the time and mean nothing.
SUVs
Prostate 11.1 which is the only one they did report
Rib was 3.9
Glands were 17.3
Liver was 6.0
Blood was 2,8
So I was greater than liver and less than glands for my 11.1 Prostate SUV. Think that put me Score 2 Intermediate. Or some places I see they call that Moderate
I have seen so many scores, it makes head spin.
Cancer stage 2B I seen not necessary aggressive, intermediate risk. I think it should say Stage 2C as it on both sides of prostate. Looks like 2B is one side?
Then note from PSMA said unfavorable/Intermediate
Then there was a cT1c which I think was a clinical assignment from DRE?
MRI PI-RADS Category 5
Then about half of biopsy were 4+3 =7 Grade Group 3 (two of them had Cribriform) and the other half 3+4=7 Grade Group 2
Then the Decipher score of .85
I may even be missing some?
Doctor took the week off, hope to get surgery scheduled soon, they did have a note that said Dr. would not recommend a nerve sparing approach due to the MRI findings and extent of the cancer. Dr. would favor a wide dissection which would lead to no natural erectile function after surgery. This doesn't sound good, but I guess it is what it is, will ask again.
Hopefully get scheduled when he gets back from vacation, imagine he took off spring break.
You can always get an implant if you can’t get an erection. Very high satisfaction with it 80-90%. The erection is as good as it used to be, you just lose a little length due to the surgery. Not much.
You want to find out whether the cribriform is large or not?. That is a major factor if it’s large it is much more aggressive.
Were any of these other things found in the biopsy intraductal, Ductal, Seminal vesicle invasion, EPE or ECE. (Extraprostatic extensions extra capsular extensions). They can make the cancer much more aggressive. You want to make sure you find out the answer? I ask because your decipher score is high and it may be due to some factor that hasn’t been discussed with you yet. Seminal vesicle invasion is almost definitely not found or they would’ve had you a T3b.
None of your SUV readings are high Other than the prostate. Liver, blood and glands are really not reliable numbers and the rib is real low.
Hopefully, When you speak to your doctor, you can find out a lot more.