New Here.... Hello....

kjmkjm · March 2014

Fathers Son here,

My dad was just told his PSA was 30. In 2008 his PSA was 11 and did a biopsy with negative results. He never new he was suppose to follow up on anything. He does see his Doctor 3 times a year for blood work for his sugar. I don't know if the Doctor was watching this all along, or just caught it because of him getting a physical for a truck driving licence, The Doctor sent him for a MRI. He did go for a MRI and was told there was a small spot on his prostate. He now has another biopsy at the end of the month, After reading some of the forums a PSA of 30 is not good at all. My question is if his PSA is 30 what are the odd that the cancer left the prostate? i'm guessing he has prostate cancer because of the MRI results. I know nobody can tell me this for sure but but I'm just nervous after reading some other forums because I googled PSA 30 and it sounds like doom and gloom.. I nervous . Dad is 70 years old.

Beau2 · March 2014

Biopsy

kjm,

I am 67, close to your dad's and age, and have survived PCA. Sounds like your dad is in pretty good shape if he is getting his CDL at 70!

You'll know a lot more after the new biopsy (ie. gleason grade, possible extent of PCa, possibly if it has left the prostate). I'd suggest waiting as patiently as you can untill you get the results .... easier said then done. After you get these results, and get the doctor's recommendations, you might want to check back in here. Lots of good folks, with a lot of knowledge, can give you some good advice once they know the resuts of your dad's biopsy. Sounds like they may have missed the PCa on the first biopsy.

Since you are the son, what is your PSA? I hit my son over the head constantly on his PSA ... PCa tends to run in the family.

Best wishes and good luck.

Double Whammy · March 2014

Beau2 said:
Biopsy
kjm,

I am 67, close to your dad's and age, and have survived PCA. Sounds like your dad is in pretty good shape if he is getting his CDL at 70!

You'll know a lot more after the new biopsy (ie. gleason grade, possible extent of PCa, possibly if it has left the prostate). I'd suggest waiting as patiently as you can untill you get the results .... easier said then done. After you get these results, and get the doctor's recommendations, you might want to check back in here. Lots of good folks, with a lot of knowledge, can give you some good advice once they know the resuts of your dad's biopsy. Sounds like they may have missed the PCa on the first biopsy.

Since you are the son, what is your PSA? I hit my son over the head constantly on his PSA ... PCa tends to run in the family.

Best wishes and good luck.

My husband's was 40

Just want to comment that I think your dad's Gleason score will give you information about the aggressiveness of your cancer and it doesn't sound like you have that information yet. My husband is 70 with a similar history as your dad. His gleason score was 6 although most biopsy cores were positive from both lobes. He just completed radiation and will likely be on hormone deprivation for at least 2 years and watched for the rest of his life. We feel pretty confident that he will not die from prostate cancer, but may be on some treatment for the rest of his life. So far, he tolerated both the radiation and hormone deprivation well. His urologist said that with the high PSA and number of positive cores, that it was likely outside the prostate already, but the radiation oncologist said not necessarily - that low grade cells tend to produce more PSA because they behave more like normal cells. In any case, hormone deprivation seems to be the treatment of choice and so far, he is tolearating that well.

Good luck to your dad. It is a frightening experience.

Suzanne

kjmkjm · March 2014

Double Whammy said:
My husband's was 40
Just want to comment that I think your dad's Gleason score will give you information about the aggressiveness of your cancer and it doesn't sound like you have that information yet. My husband is 70 with a similar history as your dad. His gleason score was 6 although most biopsy cores were positive from both lobes. He just completed radiation and will likely be on hormone deprivation for at least 2 years and watched for the rest of his life. We feel pretty confident that he will not die from prostate cancer, but may be on some treatment for the rest of his life. So far, he tolerated both the radiation and hormone deprivation well. His urologist said that with the high PSA and number of positive cores, that it was likely outside the prostate already, but the radiation oncologist said not necessarily - that low grade cells tend to produce more PSA because they behave more like normal cells. In any case, hormone deprivation seems to be the treatment of choice and so far, he is tolearating that well.

Good luck to your dad. It is a frightening experience.

Suzanne

Thank You

Suzanne

I want to thank you for your reply. I would like to think positive but its hard to do after reading some forum's with a PSA of 30 and the MRI showing a small spot. The doctors words "small" Frightening YES... I hope the best for you and your husband. Kevin

kjmkjm · March 2014

kjmkjm said:
Thank You
Suzanne

I want to thank you for your reply. I would like to think positive but its hard to do after reading some forum's with a PSA of 30 and the MRI showing a small spot. The doctors words "small" Frightening YES... I hope the best for you and your husband. Kevin

Sorry

Thank you Beau2 too.

VascodaGama · March 2014

“Guessing”

Hi Kevin,

Let’s hope that your “guessing” is wrong and that the high PSA is not due to cancer. So far your dad has not been diagnosed with the bandit but he needs to get an answer for the “spot” found by the MRI and the reason for the elevated PSA.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) also causes high PSA levels and such is typical in “young old guys”. I know of BPH cases with PSA at the 60 ng/ml level. His doctor, back in 2008, may have thought about BPH probably because of the biopsy results. The pathologist may have reported the presence of hyperplasia but no cancer.
Negative biopsy in positive cases of cancer is not new. Some PCa patients go through this experience getting continuous negative results and later found and diagnosed with PCa.

In any case, one needs firstly to locate the bandit, be diagnosed and get its clinical stage to decide on a treatment. This time it is important that your dad has a core directed to the spot identified in the MRI. I would go further and suggest he gets a Multiparametric MRI (MRI-guided targeted biopsy) iinstead of the common TRUS, because of his previous negative experience. Please read this link;

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prostate_biopsy

Beau, above, is recommending you to get a PSA test for the high risk that you and your brothers have in having cancer if your dad is diagnosed positive. The Cancer Research UK says this;

“….if you have a father or brother diagnosed with prostate cancer you are 2 to 3 times more likely to get prostate cancer yourself, compared to the average man. The age that your relative is diagnosed with prostate cancer may also be a factor. If they were diagnosed before the age of 60, this increases your risk by slightly more than if they were diagnosed after the age of 60. If you have more than one first degree relative diagnosed with prostate cancer (at any age) your risk is about 4 times that of the general population.”

Best wishes.

VGama

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