Anyone against multiple biopsy’s for low grade prostate cancer?
Hello all, I’m a 60 year old male with low grade prostrate cancer. My first biopsy was September of 2022. 18 cores were pulled with 3 coming back cancerous, My Gleason score was 3 + 3. My PSA has increased every year for the last 3 years but is low at 5.7. I am on active surveillance and just had my follow up this week. My PA suggested doing another biopsy. My older brother has a more serious case of prostrate cancer and said don’t let them continue to do biopsy’s with my current status. He claims the multiple biopsy’s he has done has made him incontinent and impotent. He believes doing another biopsy after having one 1-year ago is unnecessary for me. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
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Can’t thank you enough for sharing your story and suggestions. I’m trying hard not to dismiss the fact that the general opinion is PS is slow growing and you most likely won’t die from it. Having a father and older brother who had/have PS, I do want to stay on top of it. Just seemed soon to do one a year after my initial one. Wishing you the best of luck to you with your treatments and outcome.
I am new to this world and honestly don’t know. I am under the impression that the biopsy gives better results than the MRI’s.
True, my Dad had PC and bladder cancer but that is not what he died from. I don’t know how much research my older brother has done but this forum has helped me a lot and I appreciate everyone who has responded. 2nd opinion scheduled for next week.
If he is incontinent and impotent, treatment is available; he should see a sexual medicine clinician for the latter. If it's not e.g. stress related, if actual damage was done during a biopsy, perhaps there are scans that will show this?
The problem with not doing MRI Ultrasound fusion guided biopsies is that they are random; really want samples of the least normal cells (don't much care about the normal cells) so you can get treatment if and when needed, and avoid an early, painful death. IF it's worse than 3+3; there was a study with 20,000 patients and none died from 3+3. However you can't count on it not progressing.
I think you are going to be in good shape - because you are researching and here on this group and getting a second opinion.
BTW, I'm not "biopsy happy" either - those needles going into our prostates can't be that good for us. I'm just so aware that had I pushed for and gotten my fusion biopsy sooner, I could have avoided the metastasis to my lymph nodes.
Very good luck to you - and "welcome to the club we never wanted to join". But you have good options.
Take care.
MRI targetter biopsy means you first do the MRI. Hopefully you locate the tumor or the suspected tumor, then biopsy those tissues. It saves a lot of pain and money. There had been reports that people went through multiple biopsies. Either nothing or low-grade cancer. But using this method, they got the cancer and had it treated effectively.
You might want to get a second opinion or go to one of the larger clinics that offer the treatment.
Dont mind me. I am just another layman trying to make some sense of the whole thing.
I was diagnosed with Gleason 3+3 in 2017, and skipped biopsies and just did the MRI. My latest MRI showed two lesions and I did a targeted biopsy using the MRI image and found some intermediate Gleason 7 cancer and will undergo HIFU treatment this week that uses sound to destroy cancer tissue. Doctor will destroy 1 cm on all sides to catch cancer roots. Doctor states the sound energy will not destroy nerve bundle as much as other options. This is done through the rectum and can only be used on the lower part of the prostate closer to the rectum.
Much appreciated. Wishing you the best.
As a fellow pc sufferer I worry about multiple needle biopsies. I didn’t realize the trus biopsy used the same needle for all 15 of my samples. It all worked out that I didn’t get septis but a friend died following his needle biopsy. Others have raised the question of seeding healthy areas of the prostrate with cancer cells spread by the needle from diseased area. Hope medicine comes up with a safer way to collect tissue.
Excellent point I hadn’t though of.