PSA increase: Should I be concerned?

Certainly not more reliable than an imaging-directed biopsy...

Of course not, But does everybody need a biopsy? If somebody has minimal rises in PSA and is getting older, Or has had a biopsy and is on active surveillance. Getting that PSE test can tell them whether or not there is cancer in their body.

Is the test says no cancer no need to do a biopsy, Unless the PSA starts rising more.

When I was 72 my GP indicated that it is normal that your PSA will rise by approximately 10% per year. When my jumped by 50% I was referred to an Urologist which led to a biopsy and being placed on Active Surveillance for 2 more years, followed by surgery and 4 years later; Salvage Radiation. I am now 2 1/2 years post SRT and my PSA continues to be undetectable.

Has anyone ever heard of a PSA level over 80 ? That is a crazy number, what does it mean?

For a few years, I have attended weekly Ancan.org Advanced prostate cancer meetings. I’ve heard much higher PSA levels than that, In the last two weeks somebody’s came in with PSA over 300 and in the past I’ve heard of it over 1000. ADT can usually bring it down quickly and dramatically, But there are very important numbers besides the PSA. The Gleason score can tell you how aggressive it is. Getting a decipher test can tell you how likely it is to progress quickly.

A high PSA usually means that you have prostate cancer. It could also mean BPH, but is extremely unlikely that it would be that high With BPH.

@kmcdonald1966, are you being monitored for prostate cancer recurrence or was this your first PSA test for diagnostic purposes? Any further testing done?

Generally a PSA under 4 is considered "normal". You can chose to have a biopsy if your urologist recommends it. Usually the urologist feels your prostate to see if size and shape are normal. If so, you are probably ok. So go see a urologist. If he recommends removal of prostate, DO IT. I didn't, and now I am regretting it.

In 2005 I was 62 when my PSA went from 3 to 4 in 9 months. My PCP said get a biopsy. It was positive. After much research and prayer I decided on robotic surgery 5 months later and Jesus guided the surgeons fingers and got it out. No cancer got outside. No side effects, PTL!

I went for a biopsy in the spring my PSA was 6. The Biopsy came back negative. At my 6 month check up my PSA was 12. My Urologist put me on some supplements to control inflamation in the prostate My PSA levels could be due to BPH, not PC. usually a PSA of 5 or higher is the trigger for a biopsy. Go to your urologist and have a convo about your symptoms. It might be BPH.

I had the so called normal PSA 3.75. However my PCP did not like the continued rise in my PSA over the years and referred me to urologist.

Urologist did a DME and was normal. I want to mentioned the normal finding now as it turned out I did have prostate cancer and a normal DME cannot rule out that you do not have cancer. It is looking for noctuals and hard spots but prostate cancer is a cellular cancer and can still be at cellular level.

Urolgist ordered MRI with some type of special contrast. MRI showed suspicious areas. Urologist ordered biopsies. Done transpernial with MRI/Fusion. Gleason came back 3+4=7. Referred to R/O.

R/O went over options and asked if I wanted Decipher which was first time I had heard about it. I said yes. It came back as low risk. My recommended treatment was changed from radiation with hormone to radiation only.

A normal prostate DME does not rule out having prostate cancer. Also insist on tests like Decipher and PSMA that can help define your cancer far more than just biopsies.