Right at the Beginning Line - Testing and Suspicious Results

Hello Gus2023,

Please don't be too hard on yourself for not seeing a urologist or getting another test for 18 months after your first one. Depending on your source, a PSA of 3.2 might not be above the upper limit for someone in their mid 50's even though it is a high reading compared to the average: Prostate specific antigen levels in men older than 50 years without clinical evidence of prostatic carcinoma - PubMed (nih.gov)

I can only speak for myself. My very first PSA test came back at 6.5 at the age of 50. This was organised by my family doctor and he organised a follow-up PSA test straight away just in case it was an erroneous result. The next test came back at 5.9 and it was only then that he referred me to a urologist. When I saw the urologist, he conducted a DRE but couldn't really tell anything from it. Yes, he organised a biopsy after that, which was negative, but I was finally diagnosed with prostate cancer 18 months after that, after my third biopsy.

I think your doctor is following standard procedure and I am sure your urologist will too. Good luck, but I'm sure you will be looked after by your urologist.

1. Yes, a fusion biopsy is more advanced, but requires specialized equipment (obviously) and may not be available.
2. A transperineal biopsy is the preferred method nowadays because the chance of a serious infection is lower.
3. Local anesthesia worked for me.

Gus: I had a PSA of only 3.8, but had risen from the mid 2’s. But I had strong family history, three out of four male relatives on Dads side had prostate cancer. Went to Urologist, mistake one. Should of gone directly to the area’s recognized “Center of Excellence for Cancer Treatment” in my area OSHU in Ptld Oregon or UW in Seattle Wa. This is what Dr. Schultz recommends ( PCRI - they have ton of very helpful videos on you-tube), they treat, in much greater detail and quantities , with prostate cancer.

So after wasting time at the local Urologist, who did my biopsy, 8 out of 12 cores positive for cancer, Without many answers to my many questions, I went to OSHU in Ptld Ore. Never looked back.

But the important point is, the sooner you get a diagnosis, if it is cancer, the more time you have to do the research that every man should do, it is normally fairly slow growing, so if you get your diagnosis, and it is cancer, you can do the research and decide what course of treatment to pursue.

Main thing is, I didn’t catch it early enough, so after having prostate surgerically removed, they couldn’t get it all, it was just slightly out of the prostate. If I would have been more proactive, good chance I would not of had biochemical reoccurance three years later. So do not ignore it, get it biopsies and or the new blood test, find out what’s going on!