Concerned for 37 year old husband!

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 16:51

My husband for as long as I can remember (we've been together 14 years) has always has a problem with urinary urgency and always seems to have go very regularly , anyway ... What brings me here is , we were on holiday in Greece when on the second day he seemed to have got a bad uti, went to the local dr who prescribed him antibiotics , by the next day he still was no better and by the evening he couldn't pass any urine and was in a lot of pain, went back to the dr who sent him to a urologist , after giving him a scan and inserting a catheter (which he had for 4 days , he was told his prostate was quite enlarged at 66cc... He was given 4 weeks worth of antibiotics , which he took.. Once home he went straight to our gp , he had a rectal exam and blood tests done, she referred him on an emergency appointment to see urologist .

His psa came back at 6

He has since had a cystoscopy - all fine except a bit of scarring on I bladder but no blockages, urethra has no narrowing

Ct scan - kidneys are fine

He had a second dre still firm and suspicious apparently and has now been told he is to have an mri scan and biopsy done even if his second psa test levels have fallen (which he got today they still remain at 6 ) not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing??

Anyway here really for some reassurance as he's young ( I know that's on his side) is it more likely bhp? Would they know this without having to a biopsy?

Is a reading of 6 a little elevated or high for a 37 year old ... Finding anything out about this for someone in is age range is proving hard !

Many thanks

Jenny

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 17:58

Hello Jenny and welcome to the site

6 is elevated for 37 year old yes. However, you need all the other results before you panic.

Is the MRI and biopsy a good thing? I would have said so as it well tell him (and you) exactly what is going on, especially as he has been told that the prostate is "firm". It's possible perhaps that he has Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (enlarged prostate)

Once a the biopsy is done and seen by a multi disciplinary team (and IF he has cancer) he will be given a Gleason score which will tell the doctors what needs to be done and when.

It's very easy to tell someone not to fret and very hard to achieve but he does have age on his side.

I take it he is fit and healthy in all other respects?

He has been checked for a UTI since he got home hasn't he.

Anyway, I'm sure other members will be along to reassure you too. We are good at listening and very supportive. If you need answers just ask.

Best Wishes

Sandra

********

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 19:07

Sadly, he wouldn't be the youngest member on here to be diagnosed. A PSA of 6 is more than a 'tad high' for his age but then his prostate is very big for his age as well and sometimes the high PSA is simply down to the gland being bigger than average. As you say, it could be BPH or it could be prostatitis, the episode on holiday sounds more like infection or stones than cancer.

Having said that, my husband had similar attacks from the age of 35 (often on holiday when getting into the sea or going from hot yo cold spaces) and was finally diagnosed with a bladder valve problem. He took muscle relaxants for the next 15 years to manage it and they have assured us that the valve problem had nothing to do with him getting cancer later. His PSA on diagnisis was only 3 1 though.

I think you already know that the only way of being certain is to have the scan and biopsy. Keep us updated

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 21:13

Hi Jenny

Welcome to the forum, though I'm very sorry for why you are here. Your poor man, just 37, that's awful to have to endure the indignities and worries of this potential condition at such a young age.

It's so hard to know what to say as I think you know it's a case of waiting for all the results to come in. We all know what that's like. I am hoping and praying that this turns out to be something simple rather than Pca.

With love

Devonmaid xxx

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 22:45

Hi Jenny,

Sometimes different problems can exhibit similar symptoms. It is possible as your 37 year old husband has experienced urgency for many years, particularly because of his then very young age, this would have been more likely to have been for another reason than PCa. I was in a similar position quite a long time ago now and it was established my frequent need was due to a narrowed sphincter for which I was prescribed Tamsulosin Hydrochloride. Years later it was found that I had a diverticulum (small pouch) in the bladder and I was inclined to retain some urine when I passed water, another cause of frequency. Further on still I was diagnosed with PCa not related to the other problems.

Despite tests that would tend to show no UTI, this could still apply in your husband's case. UTI's do not always show positive and can certainly be very difficult to overcome. BPH can also be responsible for raised PSA.

Unfortunately, there is often a wait for tests and the results which can be further delayed where reviewed by a Multidisciplinary Team before the patient is made aware. Delays in some hospitals are worse than at others, not a good aspect of the NHS.

Edited by member 25 Jul 2016 at 22:47 | Reason: Not specified

Barry

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User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 17:58

Hello Jenny and welcome to the site

6 is elevated for 37 year old yes. However, you need all the other results before you panic.

Once a the biopsy is done and seen by a multi disciplinary team (and IF he has cancer) he will be given a Gleason score which will tell the doctors what needs to be done and when.

It's very easy to tell someone not to fret and very hard to achieve but he does have age on his side.

I take it he is fit and healthy in all other respects?

He has been checked for a UTI since he got home hasn't he.

Anyway, I'm sure other members will be along to reassure you too. We are good at listening and very supportive. If you need answers just ask.

Best Wishes

Sandra

********

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 19:07

I think you already know that the only way of being certain is to have the scan and biopsy. Keep us updated

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 19:24

Yes he's been tested for infections and is all clear on that front , he has had quite a few tests so far , think the poor man feels utterly vialated! Although I did tell him , he has now an inkling of what is woman go through for smears , child birth etc haha

I think they've ruled out most things that could cause his problems so thinking the mri and biopsy are what is left to rule in or out pc?

This all started the beginning of May and he was given 4 weeks of antibiotics from the Greek medics and some more when we got home 7 days later ... I'm hoping it is bhp although from a bit of research that can also cause him problems, it's all very confusing.

He's had ct scan which showed no stones and no infection has been found , I'm unsure if they measured his prostate Monday when he went in for his cystoscopy , the doctor has written on his notes, prostate still remains firm and suspicious , Mir and biopsy still to be booked even if psa levels have dropped ( which they haven't they've stayed exactly the same)

It's the waiting , I'm so impatient. I know Matt is feeling very worried but typical him , doesn't really talk about it however his behaviour changes at times which I know is him worrying .

Thank you ladies for responding , it means a lot

Jenny

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 21:13

Hi Jenny

Welcome to the forum, though I'm very sorry for why you are here. Your poor man, just 37, that's awful to have to endure the indignities and worries of this potential condition at such a young age.

With love

Devonmaid xxx

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 21:45

thankyou Devonmaid ... Yes unfortunately just got to sit and wait , we know it's probably going to be at least another month before we get any answers as now waiting for a date for the mri and then the biopsy and then another wait for the results.

You seem like a very lovely supportive group here 😊

User

Posted 25 Jul 2016 at 22:45

Hi Jenny,

Edited by member 25 Jul 2016 at 22:47 | Reason: Not specified

Barry

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 08:08

Thank you Barry , I agree with you that because he's had it for a long time as well as a slow flow, stop starting and a feeling of not quite emptying that it (hopefully) is something else.

Do you know if having the biopsy is the only way of finding out if it is bhp? I think Matt wants to have it anyway just for peace of mind but I'm just wondering if there are other options first?

Jenny

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 10:48

Hi Jenny,

The best course of action adopted by some hospitals is to have the MRI first before a biopsy. This enables the cores taken in any subsequent biopsy to be directed more specifically at suspicious parts of the prostate and means that the biopsy can be done with less delay thereafter. If this order is reversed, as done by many hospitals, the MRI usually has to be delayed by several weeks in order that the Prostate can heal, thereby enabling a better defined MRI image. MRI scans generally enable an opinion to be given on whether there is cancer but this is not always the case. It has to be said that biopsy's do not always find cancer that may be present although there is more chance of of finding cancer with the Transperineal Template one (which takes many more cores in a pre-established pattern) than the more common TRUS one. However, the former is more of an operation whereas the TRUS is more of a simple procedure, quicker and much cheaper for the NHS.

So although an MRI and biopsy may not indicate cancer, this is not 100% certain and we have had men on this forum who have had to have these done again where the consultant is very suspicious of there being cancer that could not be found first time round. Interestingly, where removed prostates have been examined in the lab, it is often found that there was more extensive and maybe more advanced cancer than had appeared to be the case. Conversely, in a fewer number of cases fine examination finds less cancer and or at a lower grade than previously thought from MRI/Biopsy. You will appreciate from all of this why it is sometimes difficult to arrive at a very precise diagnosis while the Prostate is still within the patient.

Barry

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 12:34

Thank you Barry for taking the time to reply ... The prostate seems to be a very complex thing indeed!!

Hopefully they will do the mri first and we can go from there

Will keep you updated

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 15:06

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Do you know if having the biopsy is the only way of finding out if it is bhp? I think Matt wants to have it anyway just for peace of mind but I'm just wondering if there are other options first?

Jenny

Just to be clear, a biopsy can't confirm that it is BPH - it can only confirm cancer or PIN (the pre-cancerous stage). BPH is diagnosed once they can say for sure that cancer is ruled out (which as Manwith explains, is not that easy to do) and the enlargement is not due to any other causes. At 37 years old, BPH would be of significant concern anyway - the prostate is only going to get bigger as he gets older and that means the effects get worse.

Without a biopsy there is always the uncertainty that cancer is lurking undetected. Whilst there are lots of benefits to having the MRI before the biopsy, it is not fool-proof .... my husband's scan showed no tumour at all and his PSA was only 3.1 so if he hadn't had the biopsy he would have thought he was okay. Once they operated, it was found to be in every bit of the gland and had spread to his bladder. No-one has been able to explain to me why the scan was clear.

How long do you have to wait for the appointment?

"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User

Posted 26 Jul 2016 at 17:47

Hi lynere

We are waiting for an appointment at the moment , he had his cystoscopy last Monday and once that was finished the urologist told him he was going to need an mri and biopsy, was given a prescription to get some antibiotics to take for when he has it , so just waiting on a letter now.

Yes I know bhp is also not great news for him really considering his young age . Hopefully though after a biopsy he will know one way or the other and be able to get an idea of next steps/treatments in either case 🙂

I hope your husband is doing ok lynere , I bet that must have been quite a shock to you both x

User

Posted 01 Aug 2016 at 12:10

Hi Jenny

Just joined this forum after a positive diagnosis and I read your hubby's plight. I may be wide of the mark here, but as I was going through all tests prior to a diagnosis, I remember waking up for a night time pee, only to find I couldn't relax enough to go and ended up walking round the garden at 4.00 in the morning trying to relax the pelvic floor (Is that correct term?). So i just wondered if something similar may be affecting your hubby. Might be worth asking him. Or is he pee shy? Quite common I believe among men.

I was never one to be able to pee if I had someone standing behind me waiting for me to hurry up. Daft and makes no sense but just a thought. And perhaps it's playing his mind and making it worse. As I say I may have misjudged completely. but thought it was worth a shot.

Kind regards

Howard

Edited by member 01 Aug 2016 at 12:11 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 01 Aug 2016 at 20:31

Many men, me included, need to pee frequently due to anxiety or stress brought about by diverse situations and problems.

Barry

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