What Stage?

freeasabird

Hi Guys,

           First post and new here, This is my story....I am 50 and had a UTI which kncocked me for six and but after antibiotics it improved but i still felt something wasnt right so after a few weeks I managed to see the doctor and get a DRE which he said he felt something abnormal and with a high PSA level of 11, he told me he is 99% sure it's cancer, I had an MRI and still waiting the results (this Thursday).

Ok it's difficult but I have accepted I now have cancer, the question is what stage do you guys think it could be?

 

TIA

Georges Calvez

Could be anything

Hi there,

Going on the available information it could be anything but the likeliest is stage 1 or 2, balance of probabilities is that it is Grade 7, either 3+4 or 4+3 because they are the majority of cancers.
There is a chance that it is worse, but until you have a biopsy and maybe further tests you won't know.

Best wishes,

Georges

freeasabird

Georges Calvez said:

Could be anything

Hi there,

Going on the available information it could be anything but the likeliest is stage 1 or 2, balance of probabilities is that it is Grade 7, either 3+4 or 4+3 because they are the majority of cancers.
There is a chance that it is worse, but until you have a biopsy and maybe further tests you won't know.

Best wishes,

Georges

Thanks for your answer

Thanks for your answer Georges I just hope it's treatable either way especially as I have a young child and triplets due in less than 3 weeks time, I would like to see them grow up!

Georges Calvez

freeasabird said:

Thanks for your answer

Thanks for your answer Georges I just hope it's treatable either way especially as I have a young child and triplets due in less than 3 weeks time, I would like to see them grow up!

Good chance

Hi there,

There is a very good chance that it is treatable and you will recover more or less.
Treatment may have side effects, but they are better than dying.
The risk of a really nasty cancer is quite low in your case, they are still treatable, and some men live with them for years.
The chance of being cured or dying with, rather than from, prostate cancer is very good, you have to be fairly unlucky to cash your chips with this one.

Best wishes,

Georges

freeasabird

Georges Calvez said:

Good chance

Hi there,

There is a very good chance that it is treatable and you will recover more or less.
Treatment may have side effects, but they are better than dying.
The risk of a really nasty cancer is quite low in your case, they are still treatable, and some men live with them for years.
The chance of being cured or dying with, rather than from, prostate cancer is very good, you have to be fairly unlucky to cash your chips with this one.

Best wishes,

Georges

Thanks Georges that's given

Thanks Georges that's given me a bit of a boost!

Clevelandguy

How bad?

Hi,

You won't know how aggressive your cancer is until you have a biopsy.  MRI hopefully will show something but there is a chance it could come back negative.  With a PSA of 11 sounds like something is going on but BPH can also raise your PSA. Your doctor should do the biopsy to verify cancer.

Dave 3+4

VascodaGama

Only a biopsy can assure you a diagnose of cancer

Freeasabird,

Welcome to the board. 

From the info you share above there is a possibility that you are confronting cancer but,  contrary to your doctor's opinion, the issue could be due to inflammation and not cancer. The high PSA could be a direct cause from UTI. The MRI may provide more details to certify a clinical stage but only a biopsy can diagnose you with prostate cancer.

I recommend you to get second opinions once you receive the MRI report.  Even if you are positive to prostate cancer, you will have plenty of time to educate yourself on the issue and decide on the best and most convenient treatment of your choice.

Hopefully you do not become a member of this forum. 

Best wishes, 

VGama

 

freeasabird

VascodaGama said:

Only a biopsy can assure you a diagnose of cancer

Freeasabird,

Welcome to the board. 

From the info you share above there is a possibility that you are confronting cancer but,  contrary to your doctor's opinion, the issue could be due to inflammation and not cancer. The high PSA could be a direct cause from UTI. The MRI may provide more details to certify a clinical stage but only a biopsy can diagnose you with prostate cancer.

I recommend you to get second opinions once you receive the MRI report.  Even if you are positive to prostate cancer, you will have plenty of time to educate yourself on the issue and decide on the best and most convenient treatment of your choice.

Hopefully you do not become a member of this forum. 

Best wishes, 

VGama

 

Thanks for the reply Vgama,

Thanks for the reply Vgama,

 

The doctor said he can tell the difference on the DRE between inflammination and cancer. I was also told that maybe if it was a 7 it has a chance of being BPH but not as high as 11.

I thought that a UTI infection would only raise the PSH levels for a few days rather than weeks? 

 

Cheers

 

freeasabird

Clevelandguy said:

How bad?

Hi,

You won't know how aggressive your cancer is until you have a biopsy.  MRI hopefully will show something but there is a chance it could come back negative.  With a PSA of 11 sounds like something is going on but BPH can also raise your PSA. Your doctor should do the biopsy to verify cancer.

Dave 3+4

Thanks for the reply Dave,

Thanks for the reply Dave, Just like I said to Vgama ive been told that BPH would not raise anyhwere near that high?

 

Cheers

Old Salt

Running too fast

I understand you are worried and anxious, but as is implicit in prior responses, you really need to wait for the test results. 

As an aside, BPH can really raise PSA levels to well above 10, but they tend to come down with time (and maybe go up again). The doc who did the DRE felt something significant from a cancer viewpoint and he may be right. However, only a biopsy can definitively show prostate cancer.

freeasabird

Old Salt said:

Running too fast

I understand you are worried and anxious, but as is implicit in prior responses, you really need to wait for the test results. 

As an aside, BPH can really raise PSA levels to well above 10, but they tend to come down with time (and maybe go up again). The doc who did the DRE felt something significant from a cancer viewpoint and he may be right. However, only a biopsy can definitively show prostate cancer.

Thanks for your comment Old

Thanks for your comment Old Salt, I would feel like a lottery winner if it wasnt cancer!

freeasabird

hopeful and optimistic said:

.

I wonder did you have psa's before this one    What were they?  Aside from infection there are various activities that can raise psa. Sex , bike riding even a hard stool.  When looks at psa's the trend is important, not one data point. 

You are currently going through a lot of stress now. Try to surround yourself with positive people and situations. Think of the positives in your life.

There are different biop available. Based on my research and treatments, it is  best is to have a targeted biopsy, that is a t3mri first, followed by a biopsy using a three dimensional biopsy machine using the information found in the mri to target any suspicious lesions if any. The names of two of these machines are Artemis and uronav. Most doctors do not have this technology available in their office and do a 12 core random biopsy. The 12 core is not as good and is less likely to find significant cancer. Additionally a doctor who uses the three dimensional machine can go back to a cancer spot to survey the area If necessary. 

Generally major centers of excellence have this equipment.  

Hi Hopeful,

Hi Hopeful,

 

Thanks for the reply

 

No this is my first ever PSA as here in the U.K they do not do screening until an older age, I think becuase he felt something with the DRE check along with the high PSA score gave him the conclusion it's cancer.

 

Thanks for the heads up regarding the biopsy I will have to ask them about how they are going to do it but as far as i am aware they do the 12 core testing but I will ask them about the options even if it means travelling.

 

Cheers!

 

 

lighterwood67

Definitive

The definitive test for prostate cancer is a biopsy.  Looks like you are heading that way.  Good luck on your journey.

freeasabird

lighterwood67 said:

Definitive

The definitive test for prostate cancer is a biopsy.  Looks like you are heading that way.  Good luck on your journey.

Thanks Lighterwood, you are

Thanks Lighterwood, you are 100% correct, I will let everybody know the result of the MRI on Thursday...

 

Cheers

hopeful and optimistic

.

I wonder did you have psa's before this one    What were they?  Aside from infection there are various activities that can raise psa. Sex , bike riding even a hard stool.  When looks at psa's the trend is important, not one data point. 

You are currently going through a lot of stress now. Try to surround yourself with positive people and situations. Think of the positives in your life.

There are different biop available. Based on my research and treatments, it is  best is to have a targeted biopsy, that is a t3mri first, followed by a biopsy using a three dimensional biopsy machine using the information found in the mri to target any suspicious lesions if any. The names of two of these machines are Artemis and uronav. Most doctors do not have this technology available in their office and do a 12 core random biopsy. The 12 core is not as good and is less likely to find significant cancer. Additionally a doctor who uses the three dimensional machine can go back to a cancer spot to survey the area If necessary. 

Generally major centers of excellence have this equipment.  

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3

freeasabird said:

Thanks Lighterwood, you are

Thanks Lighterwood, you are 100% correct, I will let everybody know the result of the MRI on Thursday...

 

Cheers

free,

You have received some good general information above, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that NOTHING but a biopsy can or will medically determine that you have PCa.  This includes an MRI, unless it is an MRI-guided biopsy.

I have never heard or read of a doctor claiming that he can tell the difference between a cancerous tumor in the prostate verses a non-cancerous tumor.  This seems completely impossible, but he did grant 1% wiggle room in his comment.

You noted that you have no previous PSA tests to compare with your latest.   This is why a baseline is critical, but even in the US, men do not routinely start to get PSA tests until age 50, unless they are high risk, like immediate family members who have had the disease.  One PSA test is termed a 'static' result, but a series allows the calculation of a 'vector,' also called a 'doubling rate.'   However, while it also is not definitive, in the US, any PSA at or above 10 is regarded as demanding further testing and investigation, such as you are undergoing.   I hope all proves (medically) negative in your further tests, but subjectively and  impressionistically, it sounds very much like you do have a touch of PCa.  Staging, with the info thus far known, is wholly guesswork.

freeasabird

Max Former Hodgkins Stage 3 said:

free,

You have received some good general information above, but the most important thing to keep in mind is that NOTHING but a biopsy can or will medically determine that you have PCa.  This includes an MRI, unless it is an MRI-guided biopsy.

I have never heard or read of a doctor claiming that he can tell the difference between a cancerous tumor in the prostate verses a non-cancerous tumor.  This seems completely impossible, but he did grant 1% wiggle room in his comment.

You noted that you have no previous PSA tests to compare with your latest.   This is why a baseline is critical, but even in the US, men do not routinely start to get PSA tests until age 50, unless they are high risk, like immediate family members who have had the disease.  One PSA test is termed a 'static' result, but a series allows the calculation of a 'vector,' also called a 'doubling rate.'   However, while it also is not definitive, in the US, any PSA at or above 10 is regarded as demanding further testing and investigation, such as you are undergoing.   I hope all proves (medically) negative in your further tests, but subjectively and  impressionistically, it sounds very much like you do have a touch of PCa.  Staging, with the info thus far known, is wholly guesswork.

Thanks for the detailed reply

Thanks for the detailed reply Max....I ahave neevr has one before tbh and never even heard of it until literally a couple of weeks ago, The doctor believes that he can tell the difference with a DRE between a enlarged prostate and a cancerous one and along with my high PSA score of 11 it comvinced him further thats why he refeered me to the fast track PCA program I have recently had an MRI a couple of weeks ago which i await my results for, I definately agree I have PCA but just hope ithas not spread and kills me.

 

Cheers!