I had a blood test done on Monday looking at PSA, my Dr rang me yesterday to say he was referring me to see a Consultant Urologist. The hospital rang me today and I'm to see them next week. The speed with which it has happened has surprised me, but I suppose if there’s something wrong it needs looking at. I have been having regular blood tests for over a year, so I’m surprised that it so abnormal.Has anyone gone through this procedure?
My father has. His PSA shot up to very high levels. He had his prostate removed and it came down then rose again quickly. He had radiotherapy which again reduced the levels. They started going up again so he is now having hormone treatment which has reduced the levels again.
I had mine removed mid Jan 2016, 2 PSA tests at less than 0.1 and another in a couple of weeks.
Have they asked if your taking any meds, specifically blood thinning ones if they haven't they're not expecting to do a biopsy, it might be worth mentioning it if you are.
I've been quite open about telling people about my brush with the big C, it's surprising the amount of people I've told and their reply generally is "It only happens to old people", I'm early 50's.
Prostate Cancer UK does an info pack thats very good.
Last edited by Nogbad The Bad; 7th September 2016 at 15:17.
My doctor has just put me on Ramilpril been on it less than a month. I take no other medication. I’m a bit concerned at the speed with which I got the referral?As I say I’m tested regularly I just hope they are urging caution? I’m 58.
http://prostatecanceruk.org/media/41...a_test-ifm.pdf
What will the test results tell me?
A PSA test alone can’t tell you whether you have prostate cancer, because other things can affect your PSA level.
It’s normal to have a small amount of PSA in your blood, and theamount rises as you get older. The prostate gland gets bigger with age, and may produce more PSA.
The following gures are a very rough guide to ‘normal’ PSA levels, depending on your age.
A ‘normal’ PSA level is less than:
3 ng/ml for men aged 50-59
4 ng/ml for men aged 60-69
5 ng/ml for men aged 70 and over.
A suspected cancer referral is done on a 2 week wait pathway-i.e. you should see the specialist in 2 weeks from referral or less. I must stress THIS DOES NOT MEAN YOU HAVE CANCER. GPs (rightly IMO) are encouraged to refer anyone with ANY suspicion of cancer using this pathway and a raised PSA can be a sign of cancer but as above, it is not usually cancer and there are many other causes of a raise PSA. In general a range of tests are done to exclude/verify the presence of cancer in a short space of time to allow treatment to start quickly if necessary and equally importantly to reassure you quickly and minimise the worry period.Originally Posted by wildheart
I do not know of a link between ramipril and PSA but am neither a GP nor urologist.
Right, this is now one of my specialist subjects!
Went to the doctors in January with a cough and mentioned as a separate issue concerns over my plumbing so he took a blood sample. PSA should be about 2.6 for a healthy 48 year old, mine came in at 14.2. As he thought I might have had a chest infection he said come back in a month for a retest which hit 16: referral straight to local hospital and appointment within 2 weeks.
At this point I'm a tad concerned as the chances are 1 in 3 that it will be cancer, but the PSA isn't the be all and end all in diagnosis, which OP needs to keep in mind.
Hospital insisted on redoing the PSA which seemed a waste of time but the results were the same so I was booked for an MRI, that showed that the prostate was 4 times it's normal size but the mass didn't look 'suspicious' but a biopsy was booked. They give you a sheet describing the process which mentions the sensation as being 'flicked by an elastic band' which is odd as I'm not sure who has managed to get an elastic band that far up their arse and manage to flick it!
Have to say it wasn't too bad although quite uncomfortable, I did mention to the consultant that they should change the sheet to say 'its like being stabbed in the arse with a long needle', what they failed to mention is that when they leave the room to let you get dressed you pull back the sheet to find your leg covered in blood that has passed from your knob; which was a bit of a surprise!
Post biopsy be warned everything is filled with blood, urine for a few days, man porridge for a couple of weeks (that really isn't a good look, so use a glove, even if you don't normally!)
Luckily for me the best 3 words I've heard in 2016 are 'no abnormal cells' which I'm contemplating having as a tramp stamp tat! Prostate is still knackered and subsequent pre-medication PSA had dropped to around 10.5 without any dietary changes. I'm on pills for god knows how long and may still opt for surgery if the other symptoms do not improve but the pills can take a few months to reduce the prostate size, booked for a retest in 6 months. The medication is a hormone type pill to reduce the testosterone levels, apparently also used as part of treatment for male pattern baldness, so if I do check out I'll have a damn fine head of hair!
One thing that I wasn't overly pleased with was the communication skills of my urologist, too many 1 or 2 word answers when I expected more complete answers. Might get in touch with prostate uk and get referred someone privately for a chat through the situation.
Anyway OP, the PSA can go through the roof and it not be C related, fingers crossed for you and hope the outcome is favourable.
Hope it all goes well for you. They are much more sensitive about bringing men in early now, as a slightly raised PSA can indicate something that is very treatable, maybe years away from being a serious problem. Plenty of men in their 50's are being seen in this way, just like plenty of women being recalled to check mammograms etc. That's what screening is all about. Good luck anyway.
Prostate Cancer UK web site is great as mentioned, along with Men United.
Try not to worry. Many retests are due to erroneous results only. Hope it works out for you.
What a coincidence, my PSA shot up from a previous 4 to 84 with a blood test last week. Just been to see the urologist this morning, he confirmed that there is no infection showing in my urine and my prostate is larger than normal and "hard". Next steps are a biopsy and bone scan for me, should have these done in the next 2-3 weeks. Asked as I have private medical but was told that there's no point as with cases like this the NHS will speed things along and going private might mean that they'll drop you back into the NHS lap at some point.
All in all worrying times, am a bit shocked as although I've had urinary problems, mainly infections where nothing was found this current episode feels the same in terms of symptoms has taken a turn for the worse.
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You might get some cash back from your private medical, it's worth contacting them I did with BUPA.
It would have been the same guy at the same place doing the op if I'd have gone with BUPA.
Try not to worry about the bone scan, there's nothing to it.
You'll probably have an MRI too, I had both.
Last edited by Nogbad The Bad; 7th September 2016 at 15:36.
Funny you should say that as with the last occurrence I went private and my follow up appointment after the biopsy and bone scan are with that same consultant.
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As an aside,a friend of mine had elevated psa levels and went to the specialist etc etc etc. He turned out to be all clear but the specialist told him that if he could give him one piece of advice to help avoid prostate cancer,it would be to cut back on caffeine. Apparently it is one of the biggest contributing factors and can,by itself,produce a high psa level. Having basically cut caffeine out of his diet his psa levels plummeted. This advice was also given to a separate friend who did turn out to have prostate cancer.
Anyhow,I drink gallons of tea so I didn't think it would hurt to change to caffeine free.....so I have.
I had my prostate taken out 3 years ago.......(due to prostate cancer) .
All is good now!
I drink de caff tea and coffee now..........I cant taste the difference in either! (just that de-caff is more expensive!).
I do have the occasional Cappucino from a coffee shop from time to time though!
Errr http://www.nhs.uk/news/2011/05May/Pa...ncer-risk.aspx ?
"The study followed nearly 50,000 men in the US for over 20 years to test whether coffee intake was associated with the risk of prostate cancer. Compared to men who did not drink coffee, men who drank six or more cups of coffee a day had a slightly lower overall risk of developing the cancer and a substantially lower risk of developing lethal cancer. The findings applied to both caffeinated and decaffeinated coffee.
This is good-quality research, but several limitations mean that its findings need to be interpreted with caution. One limitation is that the study relied on men to recall how much coffee they had drunk over the previous year and this information was only updated every four years. This raises the possibility of errors in the results, and an inaccurate picture of the men’s coffee consumption."
Coffee isn't good if you have an enlarged prostate.
Last edited by Nogbad The Bad; 7th September 2016 at 16:09.
I found MRIs strangely enjoyable, once I'd got used to the cold and the noise. I feel asleep both times.
As P9CLY states, the process feels unnatural and uncomfortable. I did have some initial pain but my pain threshold level is pretty low. I had no blood at all when doing a number 1 or 2 which I had been warned about so all was good in the end.
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In this months BMJ, should hopefully provide some reassurance for those who find themselves with a raised PSA from a well man clinic
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Generally it is a slow burner of a cancer and the death rates are pretty low, I think the current advertising and promotion of the condition is a good thing as men don't really deal with this stuff very well.
Still intrigued to find out the root cause of an enlarged prostate, and generally i give it some regular thought during one of three pisses I have to get up to take most nights!
My biopsy results have come back negative, relieved would be an understatement.
They've now diagnosed prostatitis and at long last prescribed a 4 week course of antibiotics.
That's brilliant :-)
congratulations; 'no abnormal cells' is a lovely phrase to hear from a consultant.
Hopefully back to normal in a few weeks for you then.
Cheers, I think the family was more relieved then me.
Here's hoping the other biopsy-ers in this thread get the same negative.
Good newsI had my MRI scan this morning (not a great experience) my biopsy is booked for Wednesday next week.
I had my biopsy today, pleased that's over with. On the couch feeling very sore. It's not an experience I would recommend. Now the wait for results!
Many thanks for flagging this up, takes a lot of courage.I had my biopsy today, pleased that's over with. On the couch feeling very sore. It's not an experience I would recommend
It's very good news that you're on the mend. Best wishes.
Just to say,after the same procedure I wasn't on the mend,no far from it!,it was the start of the 2 year road to the operation that I have now had,and 2 years of knowing something was not quite the same,and will never be the same again.
Once your in the loop for prostate tests you will go to the hospital for regular checks to keep you up to speed with how things are going.Medication will slow the prostate growth,those like myself that didn't take that medication and had their prostate enlarge to the point of not been able to pee WILL need the op I had.So take the medication even tho you think "well I'm peeing ok what's the fuss",it's what it's going to STOP happening in the future.
Fingers crossed and good vibes being sent your way.I had my biopsy today, pleased that's over with. On the couch feeling very sore. It's not an experience I would recommend
The side effects of the biopsy are something else too, just to add to the fun!
You know your old when you scroll through the thread titles and PSA stands out from all the others and before opening it you know what the thread is about. Hope your biopsy proves negative.
Fingers crossed here too. The results should be available within the week if done on the NHS but it all depends when the doctors decide to sit down and review them as to when you then get to know.I had my biopsy today, pleased that's over with. On the couch feeling very sore. It's not an experience I would recommend
Unfortunately for me I have prostate cancer, biopsy confirmed one sample as negative. I found out this morning, still digesting the information. My partner took it quite badly...me I've faced worse. They've caught it early so I will probably wait and decide what treatment is right for me.
Meeting with clinicians next Tuesday to hear all the options. Bit of a bummer was not expecting it!
Fingers & other things crossed for you dude, just got the results back from my 3rd PSA test post removal, all still good for me.I had my biopsy today, pleased that's over with. On the couch feeling very sore. It's not an experience I would recommend
I'm considering a PSA test, strong family history of prostate cancer both grandfather's, uncles and father but I'm only 38 and feel the Doc wouldn't be for it
It's a blood test, and will cost your GP about £30.
Tell him that you are having trouble taking a pee in the morning, with slow and interrupted flow.
With a family history, he is not in a position to deny you the test.
They are public servants, and do not know it all, despite the arrogance of many in the profession.
It is worth clarifying that the PSA score should be considered as a base line.
The PSA can be elevated for many reasons :
Recent sexual activity.
Frequent impact of the prostate - professional cyclists have elevated PSA.
BPH, as in my case.
What IS important is the rate of change of the PSA, how quickly it climbs.
This is the key indicator of potential prostate cancer.
Also, it is worth highlighting that the majority of men over 75 have prostate cancer.
It is a fact of ageing, and will likely not be the final cause of their death.
For men between 50 and 70, it is essential that you seek medical advice if you find it hard to pee, or the flow is slow. This is a classic symptom of an enlarged prostate.
Last edited by W124; 15th October 2016 at 13:35.
Appointment booked for this afternoon, thanks for the advice
Some good news at last. Met with my consultant today, cancer at lowest reading it could be. Active Surveillance recommended, blood (PSA) every three months, template biopsy, MRI in a year. Very positive about my future. I shall manage my diet, Low dairy, soya milk and low red meat intake. Smiling again for the time being!
Good news mate :) I think simply being positive can work wonders against the awful disease :)Some good news at last. Met with my consultant today, cancer at lowest reading it could be. Active Surveillance recommended, blood (PSA) every three months, template biopsy, MRI in a year. Very positive about my future. I shall manage my diet, Low dairy, soya milk and low red meat intake. Smiling again for the time being!
Keep strong big fella 💪
- - - Updated - - -
Good news mate :) I think simply being positive can work wonders against the awful disease :)Some good news at last. Met with my consultant today, cancer at lowest reading it could be. Active Surveillance recommended, blood (PSA) every three months, template biopsy, MRI in a year. Very positive about my future. I shall manage my diet, Low dairy, soya milk and low red meat intake. Smiling again for the time being!
Keep strong big fella 💪
Excellent news.Some good news at last. Met with my consultant today, cancer at lowest reading it could be. Active Surveillance recommended, blood (PSA) every three months, template biopsy, MRI in a year. Very positive about my future. I shall manage my diet, Low dairy, soya milk and low red meat intake. Smiling again for the time being!
I read an article a while back about why prostate screening wasn't as common as breast or cervical screening. It said that a large number of men will get some form of prostate cancer, but only very few would actually benefit from treatment. Most could just live with it, and on balance, would be better off not knowing. I can't find the article or link its sources, but I am a fairly sceptical type, and would have dismissed it if it seemed like flim flam.
Missed the earlier post as on holiday having cancelled earlier fortnight in Antigua as was having MRI. Really pleased with the positive outlook and that you aren't freaking out about it. Good lick with the testing and monitoring.Some good news at last. Met with my consultant today, cancer at lowest reading it could be. Active Surveillance recommended, blood (PSA) every three months, template biopsy, MRI in a year. Very positive about my future. I shall manage my diet, Low dairy, soya milk and low red meat intake. Smiling again for the time being!
I'm a couple of months into my meds to reduce prostate size but might get a second opinion as PSA was still over 10.
Anyone in 2 minds about getting the test done, just get your are down the quacks, better to be in the know.
Excellent news - that's about as good as it gets !Some good news at last. Met with my consultant today, cancer at lowest reading it could be. Active Surveillance recommendedy, blood (PSA) every three months, template biopsy, MRI in a year. Very positive about my future. I shall manage my diet, Low dairy, soya milk and low red meat intake. Smiling again for the time being!
The template biopsy is very invasive, but gives them a clear understanding of if/where the cancerous cells are.
A traditional biopsy is hit and miss, did the surgeon hit the right spot ?
The template biopsy is a grid of samples every 5mm across the entire prostate.
Any tumour less than 5mm in diameter is not an immediate concern, any tumour larger than 5mm will be detected.
A healthy diet, reduced alcohol and strong will - good luck for the next 12 months, and beyond.
Last edited by W124; 18th October 2016 at 20:44.
Great news.Some good news at last. Met with my consultant today, cancer at lowest reading it could be. Active Surveillance recommended, blood (PSA) every three months, template biopsy, MRI in a year. Very positive about my future. I shall manage my diet, Low dairy, soya milk and low red meat intake. Smiling again for the time being!
Good news, I've got my follow up appointment on the 6th March.
Alternative treatment for prostate cancer … and it 's effective but not yet available on NHS
http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/n...osis-1-7783384
dunk
"Well they would say that ... wouldn't they!"
I think if your PSA levels are rising then maybe action needs to be considered? Luckily mine are not!
Bit of a thread revisit.
Went through all this last year after PSA test of 14.2 - 16.6. No sign of cancer and PSA settled down to around 10.4
I was prescribed thenasteride by my consultant in August last year and when I enquired about side effects was told none to worry about. After a couple of months I thought some things weren't right and contacted Dr Google (I know; worse place to start).
Turns out there can be lots of hormonal issues including growing moobs and sexual issues (loss of libido & weak erectile function) which might not be too concerning for someone in their 70s, but as recently separated 48 year old I needed the little fella up to his A game; however crap that might be
So taken off and retested, back up to 13 anyway so referred to hospital again.
Last Tuesday went in for a matrix biopsy under general anaesthetic to try and rule out cancer and hopefully settle on knackered/enlarged/angry prostate. Should have walked out 4 hours later but ended up 4 days later!
Came out of anaesthetic and started rehydrating, then the troubles began! Couldn't pass water and could feel the pressure building up; so within 30 minutes fitted with a catheter to get past this issues. Wow, that really hurts; I think I have a pretty high pain threshold but with the combined pain in my bladder it had me bouncing off the ceiling. Then a day of drinking water to flush the system and try and clear the clotting while the bleeding stopped. Come 7pm they think I'm on to go home (with a catheter for 5 days) and get me up to try and empty the bag etc. At this point I can feel the sense of needing to pee, which given the big tube rammed up my cock I shouldn't have; then a load of clotting forces it way outside of the catheter and I'm stood looking like the shower scene in Carrie.
So back to bed and an overnight stay planned; some manual removal of clotting via the catheter and a big syringe later and a doctor advices bladder scan and irrigation catheter a (flushes water directly to help clean the bladder, does involve insertion of bigger tube) and she goes home expecting aforementioned to be done; get moved to surgical ward and given toast, on call surgeon turns up and says "see you in the morning ", "what about scan & irrigation?" Says I; "prefer to do that in morning when fully staffed in case of problems" says he.
So over night I keep drinking water and it's looking a bit better, then I stand up and Carrie comes back to say hi again. So irrigation fitted with what felt like a garden hose being inserted up my magic eye! So 8 hours later and about 1w litres of fluid sloshed through me and still the same result. So they finally get around to discussing the bladder scan which wont get do e until Thursday at 11am; surgeon suggesting another general anaesthetic and a bigger catheter with a camera attached; I don't care about this as I'll be unconscious! So settle into my 5th room in 3 days and more reruns of QI on Dave.
So Thursday arrives and scan done, revealing a lot of residual clotting that needs to be removed; Then the doctor who recommended the scan and irrigation on Tuesday turns up; we agree her colleagues should have done as she said and she would get this sorted but didn't think a GA would be required; just some morphine. She was going to flush it manually with fluid and big syringe. Now they'd been doing this for.3 days but she said nurses are too nice and she has a better technique (said with a knowing an slightly sadistic smile). As they were serving lunch she asked if I'd like to eat and give it a few hours, to which I said sod lunch; give the drugs and get on with it. She liked my go to attitude and I her bluntness; a brief friendship had been struck up (or so I thought).
I can highly recommend morphine. Got to 49 surrounded by drugs and never even smoked a cigarette or popped a single E; think I might have missed out! What a lovely warm glow and sense of calm it gave me. As I was in Bristol I even considered putting on a bit of Massive Attack for a soundtrack; that idea lasted about 30 seconds into the procedure at which point Prodigy Firestarter would have been more appropriate! Then next 15 minutes felt like 3 hours and by the end I was in bits; sweating, swearing and ready to collapse or jump out of the window. That girl could work at Guantanamo bay; no secret would be left untold. The sensation of fluid being squirted at high pressure into your bladder and then being forcibly extracted with clots via you dick is something I will never forget. The worst thing is after the first hit you knew it was coming again and again until she'd finished. When she finally decided she had extracted as much as she could and withdrew the catheter I was a shell of the man I was when I wandered in their on Tuesday; but also so appreciative that she had taken the positive steps and got the job done. Afterwards I felt absolutely battered and having hoped for a speedy exit was told I'd be in overnight for observation. Given everything else I didn't care at that point. I kept on rehydrating a pissing without a tube in me felt such a relief.
So a couple of days later I'm battered and bruised, my balls, bladder & prostate fell like AJ used them as a sparring partner, but I still have to wait for the results.
Last edited by westberks; 14th May 2017 at 10:24.
I had a template biopsy last month, last week and got positive results. The cancer has not spread or grown at all. So no more biopsy's, my MRI was clear also. Blood test now ever six months and move on! Its been a year of uncertainty but with a very positive outcome.
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