At 81, high PSA: I don't think I want a prostate biopsy

@14810eshimmering There are SOOO many ways to treat PCa these days, including non invasive focal therapy or seed radiation. A limp dick or diapers is NOT a given!
You don’t want to wind up like my nephew’s 79 yr old father who just last night was told that his suspected prostate cancer - which he refused to be biopsied for - had spread to his lungs, liver and pancreas.
He cannot even stand on his own and the family is getting ready to call Hospice.
Meanwhile, the guy can’t believe he’s riddled with cancer and insists it came on “just like that”!🫰
Phil

@14810eshimmering
You’ve heard of one person’s experience with prostate cancer end of life.

Here’s another

My father died of prostate cancer at 88. He was in so much pain that he was on so much morphine He could not communicate. When I was a teenager, he had his teeth ground down and crowned without Novacaine, His pain tolerance was that high. When the prostate cancer gets to the bones, it can be extremely painful. He had radiation as his primary treatment. It wasn’t as effective in the 80s as it is today.

Lupron was available at that time and I remember when he told me it had stopped working, I didn’t know what it meant but chemotherapy wasn’t real effective at that time.

You may live to 90 but you may find that without treatment. You are in extreme pain, And youmay not last that long.

Unless you know the extent of your prostate cancer you have no Idea what’s going to happen in your future.

I've had 2 biopsies, transperineal, lidocaine was the only painkiller and the shot was a prick (pardon my pun). Drove home from each procedure with no problems. !st one at 79, 2nd at 80. Probably have another one in early 2027.

@14810eshimmering
What about a PSMA Petscan? That is how they spotted my PC Metastasis 2 months ago, PSA was 4.21 and I've had Radical Prostatectomy 10 years ago - no prostate! Does that work for prostate? Ask your urologist asap. Best thoughts & hopes to you.

I’ll join all the others who say do it otherwise you’re flying blind. I had my biopsy last November. My doctor put me to sleep and went through my anus to get his 20 samples. Before the procedure I was swabbed to determine the bacteria present so the appropriate antibacterial medicine could be used. I had zero side effects from the biopsy.

Hi,
Have an MRI first to see if you do have any suspicious areas to biopsy. The MRI will tell you if you have an enlarged Prostate which could be the cause of your high PSA.

Dave 3+4

The PSE test should be done as recommended. If conclusive a targeted perineal biopsy should be done. If a small lesion not seen on the MRI is found focal treatments are available. High dose rate and low dose rate brachytherapy (HDR-BT, LDR-BT) can be offered. The former probably would be one and done but may require a second visit. The latter is one and done. It is also called permanent 'seeds'. Small 'rice grain' size titanium cylinders containing an isotope are placed through the perineum under rectal ultrasound guidance. They irradiate the tissue over 8 weeks and remain inert thereafter. I suggest you look up the Prostate Cancer Research Institute (PCRI.org). They are a group at an 'arm's length' from recommendations or suggested options.
They have produced many YOU-TUBE videos on various topics.

I had two transrectal biopsies with general anesthesia. I was very nervous the first time, but tThe procedure is really no big deal. I was awake 10 minutes after the process was over and out the door 5 minutes later. No pain to speak of, just a bit drowsy for a 2-3 hours. I was able to go into the pharmacy to pick up the antibiotic the first time. The first time I was at the hospital for 6 hours, which was the worst part. The second time it was a bit less than 4 hours. It is not worth the risk to skip a procedure that is more inconvenient than anything else. It's not surgery in the normal sense.

I had a Gleason 3+4 with Cribriform & suspected ribs showing metastatic. I’m 76 and had a biopsy last February. The biopsy went well, a little uncomfortable. It was a perineal.
Unfortunately I picked up a uti from biopsy, so they gave me Levaquin & I got the black box warning, Achilles tendinitis which has been the MOST f’d thing cause I can’t go for a walk or bike going on 6 months. What do you plan to do if you get a biopsy? Good luck

@readandlearn

You might feel differently if you had been in constant pain for the last 20 months. I have had every ADT side effect you can think of, and the pain was so bad that I could not even stand to touch parts of my body like my head.

I am now getting TRT at age 84, which has helped immensely but I wonder how much damage has been done to my bones, muscles, and heart.