1. < Prostate Cancer
Profile picture for mikeg73

Last PSA Number Before Cancer Diagnosis?

Posted by mikeg73 @mikeg73, Aug 23 10:27am

Would anyone mind sharing their last PSA number before they were diagnosed with prostate cancer?

It seems like PSA of 4.0 is the typical point where many are referred to Urologist. I'm wondering are most people getting diagnosed within the 4 - 10 PSA range.

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

Profile picture for dhasper
dhasper | @dhasper | Aug 25 5:34pm
In reply to @jc76 "@mikeg73 For several years my PSA was normal but climbing. My PCP did not like that..." + (show)
Profile picture for jc76 @jc76

@mikeg73
For several years my PSA was normal but climbing. My PCP did not like that and started doing PSA every 3 months. When it kept climbing (although not highly) he referred me to a urologist. My PSA at that time was 3.75.

The urogolist did a DME (detailed medical exam) and a DRE and found normal prostate. Ordered a MRI with contrast and came back with suspicisous areas. The urologist told me 70% chance those suspicious areas were cancer. He ordered biopsies with MRI/Fusion. Results were 3+4=7 and 4+3=7 risk level intermediate. Decipher test done came back low risk not intermediate. PSMA negative, bone scan negative.

I can go on further with my journey and what I decided but my post here is please base what you do on your own life, symptoms, and mental outlook. I have posted my experience with PSA numbers to say do not look at the PSA number alone on whether you should explore further testing. The key is a rising PSA number over and over each time done should be a red light to something wrong need to find out what it is.

My urologist and R/Os said they have caught my prostate cancer very early and my prognosis was excellent for successful treatment.

Where am I today? 2.5 years after my Proton Radiation treatments my PSA is .10 form my highest of 3.75
I do have minor issues with urination leakage when I really need to go. I am on Cilias to help calm down prostate, bladder, and was told even the tissue inside my penis.

Each person on MCC has their own experience. You need to address yours as yours. None of us know your medical and mental history so what may be best for you was not what was best for us and vice versa. I do hope you see from my post that doing something at a specific number is not what I did and caught my cancer early.

Jump to this post

You did a great job and your doctors did a great job!

REPLY
Profile picture for dhasper
dhasper | @dhasper | Aug 25 5:36pm
In reply to @cah62 "1.4 stage 3a" + (show)
Profile picture for cah62 @cah62

1.4 stage 3a

Jump to this post

Wow, and I thought my 2.5 and 3a was an outlier.

REPLY
Profile picture for sryan79941
sryan79941 | @sryan79941 | Aug 26 1:14am
In reply to @stevecando54 "I have no regrets about not going for yearly checkups, that would only put me in..." + (show)
Profile picture for stevecando54 @stevecando54

I have no regrets about not going for yearly checkups, that would only put me in a bad spot. I went for treatment for what I thought was a muscle pull in my leg. When testing came back I had psa of 932 and level of cancer listed at stage 4a. two and a half years into this journey and just have to carry on. Best to all.

Jump to this post

Thanks! Hang tough brother!

REPLY
Profile picture for 05271935
05271935 | @05271935 | Aug 26 8:36am

PSA 2.85 rectal exam by urologist. Soft growth usually growth feels hard so might have ignored. Biopsy have Gleason of 10 with aggressive cancer. PSA misleading possible. Orgovyx and 44 radiation treatments. Did not spread so get checked every 90 days. PSA now undetectable Jack B

REPLY
Profile picture for rogerbwood2004
rogerbwood2004 | @rogerbwood2004 | Aug 26 8:48am

Mine was 682 and I had no symptoms until about 2 months prior. My primary care said that PSA screening was not recommended anymore and I had no reason not to believe her back then, although now I know much better. That was in February 2023. My oncologist started me on Firmagon shots immediately, later changing to Orgovyx tablets, and also adding Xtandi. Next week I start radiation and Provenge.

REPLY
1 reply
Profile picture for soli
soli | @soli | Aug 26 9:01am

PSA number by itself (regardless of how hight the value) is not a reliable indicator of cancer since high PSA could be due a host of factors such as inflammation or just benign conditions such as BPH. Ten years ago my PSA was 47.1 due to prostatits. A biopsy did not not find cancer. My PSA has fluctuated above 7 for a decade sometimes going over 20. In this period, 5 MRI guided biopsies did not find cancer until this year. This year, my PSA was 14.5 and both the latest MRI and PET Scans identified potential areas of cancer. One area produced a Gleason 3+4 cancer and I will have surgery next week.

REPLY
Profile picture for rotate
rotate | @rotate | Aug 26 10:19am

Had been stable at 6.0, 8 month after last 6.0, had 8.4 -> diagnosis via MRI fusion biopsy -> Gleason 9 -> proton beam radiation - finished late May.

REPLY
View MoreView Less
Please sign in or register to post a reply.