Biopsy: Has anyone out there had a... - Advanced Prostate...

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Biopsy

Mickeydog profile image
37 Replies

Has anyone out there had a negative experience with having a biopsy?

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Mickeydog
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37 Replies
Cynthgob profile image
Cynthgob

Yes! Any medical procedure has risks. My husbands biopsy on lymph node was very painful as the twilight anesthesia did not work!

fireandice123 profile image
fireandice123

My prostate biopsy was more painful than I was led to believe. The anesthesia seemed to have little effect. It wasn’t horrible but it was painful.

Derf4223 profile image
Derf4223

I had a ultrasound-guided prostate biopsy with lidocaine for numbing. Perhaps the tool type matters -- I think my urologist used a CR Bard tool. I had minimal discomfort.

FormulaRob profile image
FormulaRob

My father did not enjoy it but mentioned that it was mostly just regular discomfort that he anticipated going in except for one pinch when they got to the side of his prostate that was much bigger.. he said it was an incredible pain for that one snap.. that was his experience and he was just thankful that it was only 1 of the snaps that caused that pain because if it would have been a hell of a time if they all caused it

Jpl506 profile image
Jpl506

A simpler question would be asking who had a good experience. There’s nothing I have to say about the entire experience of getting both biopsies I have had that I would characterize as welcomed. I like to say that in this case it’s not the journey but the destination.

ARIES29 profile image
ARIES29

Like everyone here it was painful & undignified & I believe unnecessary. While I hung on to the handle on the wall they took a huge sample for their lab, only to confirm it was cancer.

One feels like a lab test rat!

Muffin2019 profile image
Muffin2019

Did mine in 2018, discomfort till almost done then felt a couple of pricks, no bleeding anywhere, glad I did it

I had a prostate biopsy in March 2003. 28 sticks. By the time the Urologist was done he remarked that we probably should have done this under sedation. I agree. Three days later a massive infection. Hospitalize for five days with two different antibiotics on a drip. Urologist said I was his first infection in 25 years. Said the stats are about 1 in a 1000. BTW, prostate was 80 gms

Would I have a biopsy to DX prostate cancer? You bet.

Gourd Dancer

reb77 profile image
reb77

No discomfort with the prostate biopsy. I also had a lung biopsy. Fortunately, I was mostly knocked out and it took about 40 minutes. They inserted a tube down my throat and into my lung. I recall a few times not being able to breath because the tube was blocking my airway.

Bigdo58 profile image
Bigdo58

Looking like I have peritoneal (prostate) mets on last PSMA-PET scan. Likely source is either the biopsy or the 3D robotic surgery. My bet is the biopsy. Try and avoid the biopsy and have them just use MRI results if possible. I am now 11 years in though from both and just on ADT and still well. So not complaining.

maley2711 profile image
maley2711 in reply to Bigdo58

you are saying either the biopsy or the surgery caused your metastasis????????? if so, what is your basis for making that claim?

Bigdo58 profile image
Bigdo58 in reply to maley2711

No other primary present. There is anecdotal evidence I have seen of 'seeding' occurring via both procedures I had. The mets arise between 8 and 13 years post surgery (assuming you stay alive).

maley2711 profile image
maley2711 in reply to Bigdo58

Few physicians will agree to perform surgery or radiation based solely on an MRI. I doubt that many insurers would cover the treatment even if you could find an mD to do the treatment without biopsy

Bigdo58 profile image
Bigdo58 in reply to maley2711

I am in Australia, and I think if I had just accessed my ultimate surgeon (a Professor) for the 3D surgery element, he was using just MRI if he could. I had my biopsy earlier and elsewhere.

maley2711 profile image
maley2711

I had a VERY negative experience at the 1st biopsy attempt without sedation...just the probe was so painful that the urologist suggested she proceeed not further. I agreed. I had initially requested sedation , but she refused to listen to me. The 2nd try, she agree to use Propofol, and there was ZERO discomfort...it was finished before I knew it had started !! Try to have the urologist agree to a "light" sedative like Propofol. Even then ,with painless biopsy including 18 samples, I left the clinic with a catheter which haunted me for 6 days until removed !! Ugh!!!

Brianne07 profile image
Brianne07

I was sedated "asleep" when they did the biopsies no pain when i woke up.They also put a needle down my urethra cleared out scaly products etc .I passed a bit of blood but no real pain .Maybe i was lucky?

harryb48 profile image
harryb48

I had mine in 2011, twelve samples as I recall with no sedation. Only problem was the semi embarrassment due to the gorgeous blond nurse assistant!

epfj3333 profile image
epfj3333

Do it like a colonoscopy. They knock you out, do the biopsy, you wake up and go home.

Yearofthecow profile image
Yearofthecow

Had a trans rectal biopsy in 2014. Received a severe infection that almost went septic

The only prostate biopsies I would subsequently have is Transperineal, and MRI image guided. No more random biopsies

Trying-Times profile image
Trying-Times

I had prostate biopsy under general anesthesia and that went well no pain at all. It is the only way to go in my opinion. I’ve had several biopsies like that with no issues. The last one in November I had a problem not being able to urinate after procedure. Full bladder and a strong urge to urinate was extremely painful. Later Doctor said it was the anesthesia which I believe because it was not the same one who did prior procedures.

leo2634 profile image
leo2634

They knocked me out and woke up to Doctor and the bad news.

Wdoug profile image
Wdoug

Of course. My 1st of 5 was mostly apprehension, 3 others were uncomfortable as expected, but, unfortunately, one had a lot of bleeding. Cancer was never detected until an MDI revealed a lot. Then another directed biopsy from hell to garner Gleason scores.

Happily, 7 years later, after 40+ radiation treatments and 4 years of Lupron, I am back to "normal" albeit 7 years older at 79. And PSA holding at .04 or thereabouts. Glad to be a success story. Thanks to MRI -- most of those biopsies seemed sort of worthless as my cancer grew for 8 years.

gsun profile image
gsun

Mine was uncomfortable and a bit painful. The tech stopped at ten because he new all had cancer in them. And turns out he was right.

witantric profile image
witantric in reply to gsun

They know it is cancer by looking. That seems unusual:-)

GeoffNoLongerAS profile image
GeoffNoLongerAS

I have had several biopsies as part of the protocol for active surveillance (2008 - 2020). Almost all were without sedation. One resulted in blood infection and 5 day stay in hospital.

The last biopsy, that meant the end of AS for me, was MRI guided. The doctor told me I would be sedated, that he felt that I would have better results if sedated. I also woke up the the Dr. and not to welcomes news that ended AS.

As mentioned above, they are not pleasant, however there are risks in most medical procedures. However I would not make a treatment decision without all available info.

MMoops profile image
MMoops

Yes. I am on blood thinners and found myself in the ICU needing to get my prostate closed up and received two pints of blood.

jackcop profile image
jackcop

The snaps were painful but I felt worse. It was the bleeding that I couldn't stop for about 5 minutes. On both biopsies. Also, glad I did both.

EdBacon profile image
EdBacon

They drilled into my pubic bone and I'd say the pain was fairly intense, but tolerable. I realized after that I was partially to blame because they asked me what my pain tolerance was on a scale between 1 and 10 and I said 4. I didn't think about that when they asked me, but they gave me intravenous meds based on that. I should have said 1 or 2. In the end it was fine and the upside was the meds wore off really fast since I wasn't heavily medicated. It swelled up pretty badly afterward though and had some pain for a couple days. Not really that bad, I'd do it again if it was needed.

timotur profile image
timotur

I had a CDUS guided biopsy with 9 samples, no pain, but had bleeding in semen for six months until I had radiation treatment, likely caused by the sample from the vas deferens area.

cancerfox profile image
cancerfox

No. Just had a shot of a local anesthetic, was fully conscious and talking to the doctor, and the sampling felt like sort of a hard tapping on my prostate. The doctor told me to let him know if it hurt, so as a joke I yelled "Ouch!" real loud during one sample, then said I was just kidding. Big laughs from doctor and nurse. Only bad thing is it's a pretty embarrassing procedure IMO. 🦊

NecessarilySo profile image
NecessarilySo

My prostate biopsy was in 2008. I have to believe that it caused my metastasis because for one thing I chose RT instead of RP, and for another thing, the first pains that I had, presumably metastases, (disappeared after Lupron injections), were in my rectum and at the tip of my tailbone, three years after the biopsy. exactly where the biopsy needles went through. I had blood in my urine for a day or so after the biopsy.

Adlon57 profile image
Adlon57

Had my PC biopsy done in my local nemesis hospital😤, very wary, but, an outside surgeon from Ulster Hospital, performed the procedure, she mentioned she was from Edinburgh, I have been writing a book about two infamous serial murderers in Edinburgh, who had been born in Ireland, meanwhile two nurses helping with the procedure, distinctly scratching their heads, the two of us bleh, bleh, bleh, bleh! I have been "using" that 'hospital' for over fifty years, [it is because it is local, ALWAYS try to get alternative for ANY health matters, no matter what🥴certainly not by choice] the best craic I have ever had in that place👍

Meanwhile now on 25th Jan waiting for PC clearance, from Cancer Centre, City Hospital, Belfast🤞

Adlon57 profile image
Adlon57 in reply to Adlon57

Actually I am prone to anal fissures, and passing stool for radiotherapy sessions, proved to be rather colourful, I have diabetes 2, prior to the start sessions my so called diabetes 'expert' in his wisdom decided to up my metformin medication, altogether cancer centre a bit wary, as my stool was rather red, chewed his head off via the phone😤, resumed old medication, plus told to stay off "fruit and veg" [some exceptions] for my radiotherapy sessions? I suffer from HPT high pain threshold, my old grey matter cannot distinguish correct amounts of pain and even correct sources, pain killers I'm immune too🥴 My decapytyl injections is making me extremely irritable, not nice to be with, [could be hormone or even the epilepsy medication reacting to🙄?]

ajok profile image
ajok

The only negative experience I had with my prostate biopsy was in a way psychological.

The doc unsuccessfully tried to hide the biopsy needle from my view before the procedure.

I got a glimpse of it and asked “Hey holy cow, does the Olympic Fencing Team know that you stole one of their epées?”

Swear to God, that thing was longer than a baseball bat!

But it wasn’t so bad after all that.

pjd55d profile image
pjd55d

awful - one of the worst, most painful procedures I have ever experienced - and I have had a lot over the years. In my opinion - and the operative word here is OPINION - lidocaine is not as effective as is thought. If I ever have to have a biopsy again, I will insist on complete anesthesia. I also believe that lidocaine is not as effective as they think for a cystostomy. Just had one and it stung all the way in.

I have said it before, but I believe that if "they" knew what it felt like, they would change the anesthetic and the amount.

witantric profile image
witantric

My experience was a bit strange. I had several cores taken (32 I think). First, two days I was OK. I have a BPH, and after the first two days those symptoms got really bad... Then went away after 2-3 weeks. Strange. I think there is a correlation between symptoms and number of cores. I had a friend who had 40+ cores taken and had lingering symptoms for a while.

d55eng profile image
d55eng

I've had 4 prostate biopsies. 2 of them were okay. 1 resulted in shortness of breath which no doctor has been able to successfully treat. The first biopsy resulted in sepsis which required a 5-day stay in the hospital to treat. Symptoms of sepsis came on 30 hours after the biopsy and included extreme chills and body aches. I was in a meeting when the symptoms came on and I unsuccessfully tried to get some relief by running warm water over my face and hands. I left my meeting and drove home and to this day, I'm not sure how I got there. An hour later, my wife came home and found me dazed and slumped in a chair in the living room with a thermometer dangling from from my mouth. I told her just give me some Tylenol and I'll be better in the morning without making any connections whatsoever to my prostate biopsy the previous day. She promptly loaded me back into the car and to the ER.

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