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Newbie here, just got a PSA score of 12 with no prior symptoms.

Posted by whezzymcduff @whezzymcduff, Jul 29, 2025

Im a 71 year old with a high PSA score of 12, I'm a little concerned what my journey is going to be. I've had bypass open heart surgery and a history of blood clots and obviously without knowing my Gleason score and other pertinent factors it's difficult for you guys to offer advice. I am just hoping for some guidance. I downloaded a book by Patrick Walsh and it was helpful but I wanted to hear from people who've been through it.

Thanks for your help.

Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Prostate Cancer Support Group.

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denany | @denany | Aug 2, 2025

Greetings:
Sorry to hear about the high psa #, however it MAY not be as bad as it seems, because other things, specifically BPH can cause a high reading.
In my case the psa was over 20, however i had BPH which probably masked the cancer.
You may want to have several psa tests to see how fast, it at all, it is doubling. Generally if it is slow growing you may want to just watch it.
You may want to have a PSMA-Pet (if available in your area), to see if there is any cancer in other parts of the body. If it is negative that is a very good sign.
In other words, it is possible that you do not have cancer, and i hope that is the case for you.

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carlwgordon | @carlwgordon | Aug 3, 2025
In reply to @jc76 "@carlwgordon Very good question and glad to answer. Now this comes from my Mayo PCP, urologist,..." + (show)
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@carlwgordon
Very good question and glad to answer.

Now this comes from my Mayo PCP, urologist, UFHPTI R/O and Mayo R/O not me in anyway trying to infer I am a medical expert on this.

PSA numbers do not determine if you have cancer or not cancer. Many factors can cause high PSA numbers and not cancer. A poster had a good analogy of PSA when starts to rise it is like a "check engine" light on your car dash.

PSA numbers below 4 are considered normal. For years my PSA was .75 and stayed the same.
Then about 6 years ago it started to rise. My Mayo PCP asked me not to ride my bike prior to PSA test to see if that was causing rise. I would ride 20-25 miles. I stopped riding my bike a week prior to test and it continued to rise.

He did not like that and I was not having BPH symtoms. He started doing PSA test every 3 months. The numbers continued to rise and referred me to urologist. That urologist did a DRE (normal). Then ordered a MRI/Contrast which showed suspicious areas. Urologits did MRI/fusion biopsies and they cam back positive for prostate cancer.

At the time of my biopsies my PSA was 3.75 which is normal. What you will see posters post here is that the rising PSA numbers are the key to something wrong. You can have prostate cancer and have normal PSA numbers and you can have abnormal PSA numbers and not have cancer.

So to answer your question it was the rising PSA numbers test after test that my PCP did not like. I did not have symptoms of BPH or prostate cancer.

You have a normal PSA. Has it been rising at every PSA test? You mentioned leaking do you have symptoms of BPH?

If your PSA numbers stays at 2 I and speaking for me and my experinece not giving you medical advice would not be worried and would work with my PCP to continue testing. If my PSA was continuing to rise I would asked to see a urologist. The leaking and PSA could just be BPH and even a rise of PSA could be caused by BPH, infection, irritation, etc.

Do you have any symptoms of BPH other than leaking. What I found was as I got older I started to leak more. You can do kegel exercises to help with that. You can always asked for referral to urologist who can do a DRE to examine the size and feel of your prostate.

Jump to this post

Since 2011 PSA was .97 riding about .07 a year now 2025 at 2 .I do Ed other then slight very mild leakage okay. Thanks for your very informative answer. It's was appreciated.

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gbrickler | @gbrickler | Aug 3, 2025

You have very good advice here from all. Remember, you (and your family or personal support) are your best advocate. Never hesitate to question what you are told and to seek a second opinion. After 8 months of missed diagnosis, I was diagnosed (finally) at 73, stage 4 Gleason 4 + 5. Metastasis to pelvis, spine and ribs. PSA never > 4.0. Initial diagnostic work was at a major university medical center. Told I had BPH and it takes months for tamsulosin to work. Symptoms progressed, never was scheduled for a urologist, NP only. MRI is “backed up”. So was I. Went for a second opinion, diagnosed in a week, TURP and chemo the next week. Currently on Yonsa and Lupron. Scans the past 2 years have been clear, another round this week. I consider PC is another challenge adventure in life that is to be dealt with and defeated. Don’t blindly trust in your medical system if it does not seem right. Hopefully you will not get the positive diagnosis. If you do, go into treatment optimistically and with the best team that you can find. Stick with this support and discussion group, there is an immense amount of information here based on experience. Best wishes to you.

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arthurcalick | @arthurcalick | Aug 3, 2025

Take a deep breath and don’t get lost in the weeds. Always look for outcome studies not the calculus equations and molecular biology. A urologist is a surgeon so guess what his bias is going to be. Instead look for an oncologist who specializes in prostate cancer. He will not push surgery unless it’s clearly necessary. If you need a surgeon he will refer you. Try to get someone you are comfortable with. Outcome studies mean that you want to live longer or have less symptoms. If the treatment does neither think carefully before you chase after perfection. These surgeries and radiation treatments have terrible side effects at times. On every treatment you should know the risks, benefits and alternatives before you sign on. Prostate cancer is usually very slow growing and in medical school they teach that usually you die with prostate cancer not from it. Good luck.

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may1234567 | @may1234567 | May 11 11:21pm
In reply to @jc76 "@whezzymcduff Well don't take offense but we don't want you to join our club. That is..." + (show)
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@whezzymcduff
Well don't take offense but we don't want you to join our club. That is said that hopefully your high PSA was not caused by cancer.

You will see from posters, including me, that will pass on our experience that a high PSA does not mean you have prostate cancer. Nor does a PSA that is normal mean you don't have prostate cancer (I had normal PSA and I was diagnosed with prostate cancer).

Who did your PSA test? Your primary care provider (PCP) or urologist? If PCP my experience is your PCP should be referring you to a urologist and if not asked to see one. Most like, and again, can only give you my experience with this is that your urologist will do a DRE and most like order a MRI like mine did.

That MRI will show or not show suspicious areas. If you have an expereinced urologist they can determine if need biopsies. But without a biopsy the suspicious areas can only be seen as suspicious. So the next step would be the biposies and Gleason Score.

But that just my journey. You did mention they you have no symptoms. Does that mean you have no symptoms of BPH? Most cancers of prostate don't reveal symptoms unless spread to other areas or are very advanced inside prostate. That comes from my urologist.

You mentioned your health and bypass surgery. Just to let you know I went through all the tests and treatments and I have heart failure and a ICD/Pacemaker. Again we don't want to you to join our club.

Jump to this post

We want you to join our club. Of course.
Have you ever heard of the test isoPSA?

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1 reply
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heavyphil | @heavyphil | May 12 6:42am
In reply to @may1234567 "We want you to join our club. Of course. Have you ever heard of the test..." + (show)
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We want you to join our club. Of course.
Have you ever heard of the test isoPSA?

Jump to this post

@may1234567 You WANT him to join a club full of men with cancer?
Don’t think you meant to say that!
Phil

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1 reply
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Moderator
Justin McClanahan, Moderator | @JustinMcClanahan | May 12 8:34am

Hello everyone,

A few posts have been removed for breaking community guidelines and remaining respectful to all members. https://connect.mayoclinic.org/blog/about-connect/tab/community-guidelines/

I think there was a bit of a misunderstanding with how a few things were worded. Sometimes, sarcasm and context do not translate as well in written word.

Phrases like "we don't want you to join our club" in this case were meant as "we don't want you to be diagnosed with prostate cancer so you don't have to join our club." And in another example "we want you to join our club" could have been perceived as "we hope you get prostate cancer" when the intent was clearly "you are welcome here among the group if you are diagnosed with prostate cancer."

It is my belief, that everyone in this exchange was intending to be welcoming and supportive - but we all read things in different context and it is a good reminder to be careful with how we word our phrases even if we have good intentions. Thank you everyone.

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may1234567 | @may1234567 | May 13 10:04am
In reply to @heavyphil "@may1234567 You WANT him to join a club full of men with cancer? Don’t think you..." + (show)
Profile picture for heavyphil @heavyphil

@may1234567 You WANT him to join a club full of men with cancer?
Don’t think you meant to say that!
Phil

Jump to this post

No, i was mistaken

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