hi there, my dad is turning 76. In April 2023 his psa level was 4.2. This October 2024 it tested at 8.2 and their retest in December 2024 came out to 9.7. There was “large” traces of blood in his urinalysis and leuokocytes. Everything else in blood work seemed pretty normal. He’s had some back pain and stomach pain.
We can’t get a biopsy until January 31st and I’m really concerned about the rate of the psa level increase and waiting so long. I also tried to push for an mri but they haven’t responded.
Any tips, advice, anything to do in the meantime while we wait. I’m really scared…and the only thing to help my fear is to find ways to help him and be active in learning.
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Disney1989
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There's nothing in his profile. Since you're posting on an advanced prostate cancer forum, I assume the biopsy is of metastases? What hormonal therapy has he been on? Chemo?
Hi there! Sorry I didn’t really understand all of this. They told us it’s a 51% risk of high grade cancer but I really don’t know what any of that means. They have not done any biopsies yet or anything else
Don't apologize. My prostate cancer isn't 'advanced' yet I am here. I want to know what to do should it become advanced. I'll be turning 75 in a month.
Hey Disney, don't worry about your initial post being on the advanced prostate cancer forum. I think I was on this site about a month before I even figured out there was another one. But, like TA said, you should move over to the other forum with his link. Please be aware, there are things other than cancer that cause a rise in PSA. Infections are a big one....it happened to me in 2012. My PSA went from 3.4 to 11 pretty quickly. My urologist put me on antibiotics and it went back to the 3's in a couple of weeks. See you on the other forum.😍😍
Without waiting start Him on HORMONAL THERAPY ! Mine was the same and than it went to 198 . After a year it is down to 1.12 thank God . I am still taking the meds which are Xtandi 160mg every morning and injection Reseligo 10.8 mg implant in my stomach every 3 months . These drugs do a male castration without surgery . Good luck
P.S. I am going to the Hospital in an hour which is 150km away . for tomorrow morning blood testing .
Nope. Not the province of a primary care doctor. Send him to a urologist. Right now. BTW has he had a DRE? Primary care doctors can and should provide that screening test. That was the first step in my prostate cancer being diagnosed.
bowmasterguy - exactly how will she do that? No reputable MD will prescribe hormonal therapy without some assurance that it is prostate cancer. PSA isn't cancer. PSA is a possible indicator of cancer, but it can also be an indicator of a lot of our benign issues, like a serious prostate infection, which could also cause the symptom of blood (hematuria) in his urine.
The biopsy should reveal if there is a concern for PCa. Or a digital exam. Disney1989 - it's been asked, I can't recall an answer. I'll ask again. Has a digital exam (MD's finger up his butt feeling the part of the prostate that is near his rectum)? Ideally - you want someone who has done this lots of times and knows what to feel for and where - that's typically a urologist. That comes way before an MRI.
thanks for this information, no they have not done a digital exam. They referred us straight to urology and they were the ones who said biopsy - should they have scheduled an exam before?
A digital exam may or may not indicate something, so the biopsy is really more useful. I had a tumor on my prostate when the very experienced urologist checked it and he completely missed it.......the doctor doing the biopsy later on noticed it right away. 🦊
Since a digital exam is basically non-invasive, and I would guess an elementary skill taught to all doctors in medical school, it would be a useful thing to do. It takes about 30 seconds, any more than that - ask why. It will not replace the biopsy, but if someone is seeking information that can be given quickly - it's the first step.
Some MD's are reluctant to doing it - based on embarrassment for the patient. They should be doing it since anyone with prostate cancer will quickly lose any sense of modesty. In the early stages of my treatment, the routine was - the MD would walk into the examining room, introduce himself and start putting on the glove. After introductions were complete I'd hear - "bend over please, lean on that table.."
I had one visit to a teaching hospital in NYC (Columbia Presbyterian) where sometimes I got a double treat - the intern studying his craft under the senior MD would do one as he/she took my medical info, then the actual treating physician would do one. A double treat so to speak.
You are definitely right about one thing......"since anyone with prostate cancer will quickly lose any sense of modesty." I still cringe when I remember some of the procedures. In fact, when they were inserting the fiducial markers in my prostate prior to my radiation treatment, with me positioned on the table to allow rectal access, I jokingly said to the several people in the room, "Are you sure this isn't some sort of sophisticated prank?" It got a huge laugh from everyone there (except me)! 🦊
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Update on my dad! 
