MRI

[aceace12]

My second opinion came back confirming ..pi-3 in 2 places .. only difference is one of the legion could be prostistitus which i have had in past ... He recommends same, these two areas should be targeted during fusion biopsy ..... ,so now i get a email from my doctors office that the fusion biopsy machine is broke ...and could take months to repair .. this is in Memphis TN . question is do i have time to wait ? and how in the world could they not use another one ..... IM Baffled

[DD2020]

It's very possible the only have one machine to do fusion biopsy. Not every uro office has the capability to do fusion biopsies. The machine takes the MRI scans and overlays them with the ultrasound used during the biopsy. The resulting pics give the dr a much better idea of exactly where to take samples from. You could research via the web or call around to see if anyone else in town has one. Or, look to the next closest large town/city. Nashville isn't that far away. Conversely, you could wait. Have you had a biopsy before and if G6, a month or two shouldn't be an issue.

[aceace12 in reply to DD2020]

k thanks i guess that what he thinks also G6 dec 2018, 3 cores,,, 2 per cent of tissue with less than 5 percent of each core was deemed cancer .. this machine is located at a different hospital than his office ..I think other uro's use it also thats what baffles me about why not getting fixed sooner

[DD2020 in reply to aceace12]

Could be the parts supplier is behind due to COVID. A lot of items are on backorder right now due to the shut downs. I'm guessing it went out of service recently and they are near the end of TVhe line for parts.

[Punic56]

what is your Gleason score? 3+3, 3+4 or 4+3 or other? If your basic question is "can you wait" I would say yes! Don't worry bro. Pi-rads 3 is usually not cancer.

My PSA was hanging out above 5 for some time so they finally sent me for a biopsy.

12 needles 5 cores each so 60 cores and only one core came back 3+4. Then went for MRI with a fairly large pi-rads 3 lesion. Sent for another biopsy. That second biopsy doctor

even before the procedure said oh only pi-rads 3? That's not gonna be cancer so he put

me on a different machine and did more invasive 16 needle biopsy targeting the lesion, where the other cancer was found the first time and a few other pot shots for good luck.

All 16 needles 5 cores each came back clean.... I asked what the heck was that large pi-rad 3 lesion and they said oh could have been just a shadow!... All that concern for nothing.

So I don't think you a facing a life or death situation to wait a bit.

[Punic56 in reply to Punic56]

oh sorry failed to mention that my second biopsy was that fusion biopsy you were referring to. I'm also new to this and was not familiar with the terminology. But when I read DD2020's reply it was the machine where he was overlapping the MRI with the biopsy machine so he could see and target properly. If i read your other reply properly you are only Gleason 6,

3+3 which is active surveillance recommended so again waiting is not an issue for you.

[aceace12 in reply to Punic56]

yea the fusion biopsy machine is still broke apparently its the only one in memphis tenn, so i am still waiting they are telling me it could be 5 more months to get fixed.. in the mean time i had a bone scan ,i am waiting on results, if anyone else has any ideas what i could do while im waiting im waiting i would appreciate it

David

[aceace12 in reply to Punic56]

wow thats amazing how some doctors scare the hell out of you the other doctors knows what they are doing .. sounds like the second one is a seasoned pro .. i might just tell the doctor to do that ...great good luck,

David