Active Surveillance and Chasing PSA

Posted by bgunn6305 @bgunn6305, 4 days ago

Active Surveillance and Rising PSA (Multiple Negative Biopsies)
I’ve been reading many threads here and have learned a lot—thank you all for sharing your experience and knowledge. I wanted to post my own situation and see if anyone has had something similar.
I’m 65 and have been followed by the same urologist since I was 57 for PSA and BPH. My BPH has been well controlled with medication, but my PSA trend continues to be the main question.
Timeline / key results
Age 57: routine annual bloodwork showed PSA 5.2 → referred to urology.
Diagnosed with BPH; started/maintained on medication (including finasteride).
2018: 4K blood test returned high risk (81%).
2018: initial biopsy (16 cores) was negative.
Over the years: PSA checked about every 6 months and DREs performed; all DREs have been negative.
On finasteride: PSA ran steadily ~2.0–2.5 for years.
Most recent PSA: 4.08 (about double the test 6 months earlier).
Took a course of antibiotics to rule out infection; repeat PSA was 3.96.
It had been just over 2 years since my last MRI/biopsy, so I underwent a “saturation” biopsy (24 cores): all negative.
In total, I’ve had four biopsies, four MRI scans, and 73 cores taken. Across all of that, there has only been one finding of low-grade cancer (in 2018).
My earlier MRIs showed a PI-RADS 3 lesion, but the most recent MRI did not note any PI-RADS lesions. (That last MRI was done at a different facility than the prior three.)
My questions
Has anyone had PSA rise like this (especially while on finasteride) despite repeated negative biopsies?
Have you seen differences in PI-RADS reporting when switching MRI facilities, including a prior PI-RADS 3 no longer being reported?
What additional questions or tests would you discuss with your urologist in a situation like mine?
I have a follow-up appointment next week to review the biopsy findings and discuss the plan going forward.
Thanks for listening, and I appreciate any thoughts.

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Profile picture for bobgolf @bobgolf

With all those MRI's and biopsies and only having 1 core of Gleason 6 I would think you should stay on A/S. Like others have said, I think your PSA is reasonable considering your age and size of your prostate. I've heard 5 and 6 PSA numbers are not alarming, by themselves, with someone over 60. My prostate is 22 cc, so much smaller, but I am on finasteride as well. I am 72. Two biopsies, one at mayo, on transrectal, one trasperinal, they both found about 4 cores of Gleason 6. I have had 3 MRI's, first one was pirads 2, no lesions. Second at Mayo was also pirads 2, no lesions. Third MRI was also at Mayo, supposedly on a new, better machine, this time Pirads 1, no lesions. So all of these things move around. One thing I would do is get that one core of Gleason 6 from 2018 genetic tested like Polaris or Decipher. That may help in the analysis of the high 4K. But that 4K may only report on the fact you have cancer (even low grade), not how aggessive the cancer is. The genetics tests look at the cancer from that angle. Lastly I would go to a center of excellence. I did that switching to the Mayo after original diagnosis. The COE's tend to have the best research, training, equipment, doctors. They will recommend that which is best for your cancer, not the one treatment that some places only offer. All in all you situation does not seem bad at all to me, but I will say a prayer all goes well. Takc care.

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@bobgolf

Thanks for your input and suggestions. So very appreciated. I have a follow up tomorrow on the recent biopsy. I appreciate you

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Profile picture for bens1 @bens1

You might want to immediately schedule a telehealth appointment with a radiologist and a doctor that does removal. They will look at your tests and potentially give you additional insight especially from a center of excellence...Mayo, Cornell Weill, MSK...

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@bens1
Thanks for the input! Meeting tomorrow with Urologist to review this last biopsy, lots to consider, I appreciate you.

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