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Bladder Function Tests and Brachytherapy - Brachytherapy,bladder control

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User
Posted 22 Jan 2015 at 22:37

Hi all

I am told that I will have some bladder function/control tests as a part of my assessment for LD Brachytherapy - what exactly are they looking for and what results would result in me not being suitable for Brachy?

dl

User
Posted 23 Jan 2015 at 01:15

Hi DL,
usually brachy is considered unsuitable for anyone who already has urinary problems - these include hesitation, weak flow, not emptying properly.

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

User
Posted 23 Jan 2015 at 07:00

Devon_lad, my husband had seed brachytherapy in June last year and one of the first tests to see if he was suitable was the flow test.
He passed that so the procedure went ahead.
7 months down the line he is still taking Tamsulosin to help with the flow.
I would imagine, like Lyn says, if you already have a bladder problem then Brachy would not be deemed suitable for you.
But hey, I'm not a doctor, and they're always right -Right!!

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 24 Jan 2015 at 09:34
Hi Devon Lad,

I know what you mean about researching information. I have found I've been reading the science and research findings on treatment of prostate cancer. In a way it's helpful for me....I have to keep up to date with research as a living, so it's comforting to be doing something positive. (For my other half).

I do recognise Lyn's point about anxiety and over reading though, maybe not in your own case, as a research scientist...but in mine, I think I've been almost too over zealous. Good luck with the flow test!

Sue:)

User
Posted 24 Jan 2015 at 19:07

Thank you Sue - I also find it fascinating finding out about things I didn't know ..... and I knew nothing about Prostate Cancer or cancer in general! I'm not anxious, just curious ...... will be disappointed if I'm not suitable for LD Brachy, but I am the optimistic type. Just want to get on with it now.

dl

Edited by member 24 Jan 2015 at 19:31  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 27 Jan 2015 at 23:16

Lyn is right in that "usually brachy is considered unsuitable for anyone who already has urinary problems - these include hesitation, weak flow, not emptying properly".

However today I discovered that if you have such pre-treatment problems then all is not lost. The hospital and consultant I visited today acknowledged that I had urinary problems but was not perturbed and had a solution.

The message is if you want bracy and you are initially told it's not suitable for you ........ check it out, there maybe a solution.

dl

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 13:30

Glad you got some more information DL.
Sometimes it's like pulling teeth.

Good luck with both the TURP and Brachy.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 14:44

Interesting post.

Best wishes for your treatment.El

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 16:21

I read a leaflet about Brachy before my husband had his, it was from a hospital in Birmingham, it told how the urinary flow would be tested prior to Brachy. But my husband had no tests of any sort before his. They just asked whether he has a slow flow, he said no, but I guess you probably don't notice it at first. I know when he and our oldest 2 boys go into a public toilet the boys are out ages before him, so I am sure t was getting slower, but he just said his buttons on his trousers are hard to undo!

They somehow measure the speed of flow from what I have read, I expect you have read it too. You are very lucky to be getting all the tests, as I said before you also had a bone scan unlike us, so you seem to have a good team. I suppose different hospitals do it in different ways.

But if my husband didn't have flow problems before Brachy he certainly does now! But only 3 weeks on it is to be expected!

Edited by member 28 Jan 2015 at 17:04  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 17:41

Quite a few years ago now when I had a flow test it consisted of me being watched by a nurse as I had a pee and her making a judgement. This was a while after I had forced down a certain amount of water. So the test was somewhat subjective. My understanding is that flow is now determined by a machine, possibly with a print out but whether this test is used may depend on circumstances. Not all procedures are necessarily the same or followed.

Sometimes if you want something sufficiently, one way or another you have to make it happen, maybe with a little help from a consultant, even if it's not text book.

Edited by member 28 Jan 2015 at 17:45  | Reason: Not specified

Barry
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 17:49

Well John had to pee into a toilet but that emptied into a bucket which was resting on a computer like thing. There's no way he could have performed if anyone was watching him.

sjtb when does the other half go back. If it's along wait and he is having problems his GP would probably prescribe Tamsulosin for him

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 20:14
Quote:

Quote " I am told that an assessment is important for brachytherapy because if you have problems (and men may just put the problems down to getting older) then the treatment can make them much worse as brachytherapy usually results in the urethra becoming narrower for a time and it’s not usually immediately after treatment but later as the radiation does its job. My current consultant said if I didn’t have the limited TURP I would have severe problems, would have to self-catheter for quite a while and my IPSS score would probably rise giving me worse problems than I already have.

I must admit that for the first time since I was diagnosed I feel that I am in good hands.

Take good care.

dl

John had been doing that before Brachy. Just assuming age was catching up with him.

He also had a scan following his last flow test and that was when it was suggested that he need a camera to check a possible stricture.

Fortunately it wasn't.

It's good that you now have more confidence in your team.  It makes such a difference.

We (me that is - John more laid back) are currently feeling a bit abandoned as our February appointment has been cancelled by the hospital and another made for mid May.  I feel that's too long and I'm not happy about it.

Anyway, John has been down to the surgery this evening to ask for an appointment with a view to getting a PSA done. He has agreed that if that is up he will start pushing for an earlier hospital one.

Rang his nurses two weeks ago to ask for advice and despite the fact that we are supposed to have shared care, none of them have returned the call.

Good luck with your treatment .

 

Best Wishes

Sandra

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 20:32

Yes Johsan, he complains of burning in his backside too, he is opening his bowels between 4 and 6 times a day (as I have said before had problems that end before brachy) but says it is painful.

Devonlad he may or may not have had flow problems, I don't know. He didn't get up very often at night, perhaps once in the night once a week, only because I had woken him myself using the bathroom and he only went 2 or 3 times a day before brachy, but he didn't drink much, he is now drinking more. He filled in a questionaire and scored top points which may be why a flow test wasn't done.

User
Posted 29 Jan 2015 at 09:31

Thanks all. Replies much appreciated.
John doesn't ever push anything.
It usually only happens when I finally get really upset.
He would probably have just waited until May so at least I managed to persuade him to go to the GP.

As far as GPs and PSA tests are concerned, last time he went (at the request of the consultant) to the surgery for a PSA before his next appointment, they were very sniffy about it, well the receptionist was, because she said the hospital wasn't daft. They made sure the test came out of the GP budget and not the hospital's.

DL, if John gets a PSA form it's down to what used to be the cottage hospital, they'll do the test and the results will come back in 3-4 days. That's according to the phlebotomist.
The surgery will tell us it's more like 10!
John reckons that's because they have to have a doctor on duty that can read smoke signals.
We'll see

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 29 Jan 2015 at 09:40

Hi Johsan. I hope you get the psa test sorted. We nearly had the brachy cancelled so know how you feel. I did read that some hospitals don't do a psa for a year after brachy as it doesn't start to settle for a year. We are due to have one at the 6 week check, I don't see the point in that as it will be raised so soon after due to the damage caused by brachy, then we will worry at the raise (even though it is most likely normal to raise) We had a psa done 4 weeks after the biopsy, no idea why one was ordered, luckily I had read that a psa test should not be done for at least 6 weeks. It had gone from 3.4 up to 4.7 resulting in a letter saying active surveillance no longer suitable due to psa raise. Causing us worry, it did go down a bit a few months later, but glad I had read the info online. 

Hopefully you will have one done soon. I know we wouldn't have a problem at our Dr surgery if we asked for one, thankfully they are good like that. Good luck. Sorry Devonlad to hijack your conversation!!

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User
Posted 23 Jan 2015 at 01:15

Hi DL,
usually brachy is considered unsuitable for anyone who already has urinary problems - these include hesitation, weak flow, not emptying properly.

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

User
Posted 23 Jan 2015 at 07:00

Devon_lad, my husband had seed brachytherapy in June last year and one of the first tests to see if he was suitable was the flow test.
He passed that so the procedure went ahead.
7 months down the line he is still taking Tamsulosin to help with the flow.
I would imagine, like Lyn says, if you already have a bladder problem then Brachy would not be deemed suitable for you.
But hey, I'm not a doctor, and they're always right -Right!!

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 23 Jan 2015 at 14:50

Hi Lyn & Johan

Thank you for your posts. Yes, I had been a little concerned about this as I had read the same as you say. I do have some urinary problems post treatment (IPSS 17) and when I mentioned these to the Oncologist and the Consultant I am visiting next week re. LD Bracky neither of them seems worried. Confusing to say the least!

I have done some more on-line research this morning and, once again, I am finding some conflicting statements re. pre-treatment urinary problems and suitability for Bracky. There are, as you are aware, many papers and articles suggesting that pre-treatment urinary problems mean a 'no no' for Bracky. However there are some notable papers suggesting they are not a problem or effects can be eased with prior treatment to overcome the urinary problems e.g. http://www.cancernetwork.com/review-article/patient-selection-prostate-brachytherapy-more-myth-fact which states “three recently published patient selection guidelines,[9,13,14] prospective studies have demonstrated little correlation between preimplant IPSS, urodynamic studies, postvoid residual urine volume, maximum flow rate, or preimplant cystourethroscopy and acute or long-term urinary function” links to the studies are provided if you register – but registering is free.

I have also read one report that suggested that after LD Bracky men with moderate IPSS scores on average improved after treatment. But I can’t seem to find it again (will keep looking). Furthermore there are some reports that suggest that it all depends on the facilities and the skill set of the person who performs the treatment and that whereas one hospital may refuse to give LD Bracky to someone with urinary problems post treatment another wouldn’t have a problem.

As usual a confusing picture and any further information would be appreciated. I will have fingers (and legs) crossed that after my tests next week they say that I am suitable.

dl

User
Posted 23 Jan 2015 at 15:12

Are you over-reading, do you think? How is it helping you to read conflicting papers? Your medics already know you have some difficulty but were willing to let you get this far, you will go along for your flow tests, the specialists will decide whether your bladder function is good enough. Job done and reading stuff isn't going to make you wee like a cart horse at the appointment!

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

User
Posted 23 Jan 2015 at 18:50

 I'm sorry Lyn I disagree with your tone! Amongst my many lives I have been a research scientist and it's something I'm good at and it helps me if no-one else. I don't just let doctors or surgeons or anyone else for that matter do what they want to me or my body without knowing what they are doing, why they are doing it, what the alternatives are etc. I am already aware that by being ignorant of treatments etc when I was first diagnosed I was told a few things by an expert that weren't strictly the full facts. Knowledge is freedom, comfort and confidence, especially when it comes to health. Sorry if you don't like that but it's the way I work.

I don't mind if you have something constructive to say but I'm afraid that particular comment didn't help.

dl

Edited by member 23 Jan 2015 at 19:00  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 24 Jan 2015 at 01:01

I think you have misinterpreted- there was no tone. Your post reads as anxious and the one thing that is certain is that if you are uptight at the flow test you are more likely to have problems weeing. It was intended to be a soothing comment.

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

User
Posted 24 Jan 2015 at 09:34
Hi Devon Lad,

I know what you mean about researching information. I have found I've been reading the science and research findings on treatment of prostate cancer. In a way it's helpful for me....I have to keep up to date with research as a living, so it's comforting to be doing something positive. (For my other half).

I do recognise Lyn's point about anxiety and over reading though, maybe not in your own case, as a research scientist...but in mine, I think I've been almost too over zealous. Good luck with the flow test!

Sue:)

User
Posted 24 Jan 2015 at 19:07

Thank you Sue - I also find it fascinating finding out about things I didn't know ..... and I knew nothing about Prostate Cancer or cancer in general! I'm not anxious, just curious ...... will be disappointed if I'm not suitable for LD Brachy, but I am the optimistic type. Just want to get on with it now.

dl

Edited by member 24 Jan 2015 at 19:31  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 27 Jan 2015 at 23:16

Lyn is right in that "usually brachy is considered unsuitable for anyone who already has urinary problems - these include hesitation, weak flow, not emptying properly".

However today I discovered that if you have such pre-treatment problems then all is not lost. The hospital and consultant I visited today acknowledged that I had urinary problems but was not perturbed and had a solution.

The message is if you want bracy and you are initially told it's not suitable for you ........ check it out, there maybe a solution.

dl

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 13:01

Have had a bit more time to put together some more info. on yesterdays consultation which as I said went VERY well.

I had been told that brachytherapy may well not be a suitable treatment for me because of lower urinary problems and a medium IPSS score (see: http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCMQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.urospec.com%2Furo%2FForms%2Fipss.pdf&ei=BtnIVMfHKMrXaqbkgYgP&usg=AFQjCNF-QIoHvWgGxeYqUphwPJzE3AoD-w&bvm=bv.84607526,d.d2s).

My IPSS score came out at 18. The ultrasound detected what was causing the main problem in that a lobe of the prostate had grown and was ‘pressing’ on the urethra causing an urethral stricture close to where the urethra connects with the bladder.

However, all it not lost in that I can have a limited TURP to remove the stricture followed about 3 months later by the brachytherapy.

I also learnt that the conventional biopsy can’t reach all parts of the prostate to check out the spread of the cancer. My consultant says he will carry out another, different biopsy procedure, whilst I am under the anesthetic (during the limited TURP) to check the rest of the prostate. The cancer has apparently been upgraded by the initial consultant I had at a different hospital to Gleason 4+3 (rather than 3+4) but apparently the same hospital told my consultant that they had also had downgraded the % cancer they found when they carried out the conventional biopsy. They hadn’t told me this!

Apparently it may be possible if the cancer is as localized as they think to perform a new type of procedure where they treat (by brachytherapy) only the part of the prostate where the cancer is and not the whole of the prostate as is conventional. The wonders of medical science!

As I said above, the message is if you want brachytherapy and you are initially told it's not suitable for you because of pre-treatment lower urinary problems....... check it out, get a second opinion if necessary, there may well be a solution.

dl

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 13:30

Glad you got some more information DL.
Sometimes it's like pulling teeth.

Good luck with both the TURP and Brachy.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 14:44

Interesting post.

Best wishes for your treatment.El

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 16:21

I read a leaflet about Brachy before my husband had his, it was from a hospital in Birmingham, it told how the urinary flow would be tested prior to Brachy. But my husband had no tests of any sort before his. They just asked whether he has a slow flow, he said no, but I guess you probably don't notice it at first. I know when he and our oldest 2 boys go into a public toilet the boys are out ages before him, so I am sure t was getting slower, but he just said his buttons on his trousers are hard to undo!

They somehow measure the speed of flow from what I have read, I expect you have read it too. You are very lucky to be getting all the tests, as I said before you also had a bone scan unlike us, so you seem to have a good team. I suppose different hospitals do it in different ways.

But if my husband didn't have flow problems before Brachy he certainly does now! But only 3 weeks on it is to be expected!

Edited by member 28 Jan 2015 at 17:04  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 17:41

Quite a few years ago now when I had a flow test it consisted of me being watched by a nurse as I had a pee and her making a judgement. This was a while after I had forced down a certain amount of water. So the test was somewhat subjective. My understanding is that flow is now determined by a machine, possibly with a print out but whether this test is used may depend on circumstances. Not all procedures are necessarily the same or followed.

Sometimes if you want something sufficiently, one way or another you have to make it happen, maybe with a little help from a consultant, even if it's not text book.

Edited by member 28 Jan 2015 at 17:45  | Reason: Not specified

Barry
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 17:49

Well John had to pee into a toilet but that emptied into a bucket which was resting on a computer like thing. There's no way he could have performed if anyone was watching him.

sjtb when does the other half go back. If it's along wait and he is having problems his GP would probably prescribe Tamsulosin for him

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 18:15

Hello Johsan, yes been on Flomax (Tamulosin) since day 1. Some days he isn't too bad, other days he does half egg cup full every 10 minutes or so for half the day. What he drinks effects it a bit, but sometimes he can't work out why it is fine for a day then bad half a day. He says it is slow and feels like he is peeing boiling water, though again sometimes that is ok too. Thankfully nights seem ok now, he went from 9pm until 6am last night, which is most important as he needs sleep. 3 more weeks until we see the consultant again. The other 2 people we know that had brachy didn't have any of these symtoms, so obviously doesn't effect everyone.

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 19:12

Hi sjtb

Yes men don't like to admit they have flow problems! Yesterday I had a flow test which is described well at this link: http://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&ved=0CCEQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.baus.org.uk%2FResources%2FBAUS%2FDocuments%2FPDF%2520Documents%2FPatient%2520information%2FFlowrate14.pdf&ei=9S3JVIeiN9PkaKyKgbgI&usg=AFQjCNFKUH83Ez_x_6ST7mM21c4o8hMNCA

I drank a litre of water and had a cup of tea about an hour before my appointment expecting to want to pee in about 1 ½ hours as I rarely go more than 1 ½ during the day without a pee. However I had to wait about 2 ½ hours! Afterwards they used ultrasound on the outside of my tummy to determine how much residual urine remains in the bladder. I also completed an IPSS questionnaire which can be found re. the link in my post above. It’s only 7 questions and is used as a measure of lower urinary tract symptoms. I am glad I didn’t have a nurse watching me pee into the machine as Barry did …… that would certainly have produced a strange result!

The NICE regulations state ‘1.3.4 Offer men experiencing troublesome urinary symptoms before treatment a urological assessment. [2008]’ (see:https://www.nice.org.uk/guidance/cg175/chapter/1-recommendations) but despite telling my first consultant (from a different treatment centre than I am with now) that I had problems he didn’t offer me one. I am told that an assessment is important for brachytherapy because if you have problems (and men may just put the problems down to getting older) then the treatment can make them much worse as brachytherapy usually results in the urethra becoming narrower for a time and it’s not usually immediately after treatment but later as the radiation does its job. My current consultant said if I didn’t have the limited TURP I would have severe problems, would have to self-catheter for quite a while and my IPSS score would probably rise giving me worse problems than I already have.

I must admit that for the first time since I was diagnosed I feel that I am in good hands.

Take good care.

dl

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 20:04

Originally Posted by: Online Community Member

Hello Johsan, yes been on Flomax (Tamulosin) since day 1. Some days he isn't too bad, other days he does half egg cup full every 10 minutes or so for half the day. What he drinks effects it a bit, but sometimes he can't work out why it is fine for a day then bad half a day. He says it is slow and feels like he is peeing boiling water, though again sometimes that is ok too. Thankfully nights seem ok now, he went from 9pm until 6am last night, which is most important as he needs sleep. 3 more weeks until we see the consultant again. The other 2 people we know that had brachy didn't have any of these symtoms, so obviously doesn't effect everyone.

Well sjtb, we're all different I suppose.  Just been asking John a few questions so I know it isn't all plain sailing and one of the things he "suffers" from is a burning sensation in his backside, even if he is only passing water. Some days that's worse than others.

Night times aren't too bad. He probably gets up more than he needs to because I disturb him.  He does like his cranberry though.

Difficult one that. I worry that it is too acidic for his behind but it's supposed to be good for the bladder so it's all a balancing act.

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 20:14
Quote:

Quote " I am told that an assessment is important for brachytherapy because if you have problems (and men may just put the problems down to getting older) then the treatment can make them much worse as brachytherapy usually results in the urethra becoming narrower for a time and it’s not usually immediately after treatment but later as the radiation does its job. My current consultant said if I didn’t have the limited TURP I would have severe problems, would have to self-catheter for quite a while and my IPSS score would probably rise giving me worse problems than I already have.

I must admit that for the first time since I was diagnosed I feel that I am in good hands.

Take good care.

dl

John had been doing that before Brachy. Just assuming age was catching up with him.

He also had a scan following his last flow test and that was when it was suggested that he need a camera to check a possible stricture.

Fortunately it wasn't.

It's good that you now have more confidence in your team.  It makes such a difference.

We (me that is - John more laid back) are currently feeling a bit abandoned as our February appointment has been cancelled by the hospital and another made for mid May.  I feel that's too long and I'm not happy about it.

Anyway, John has been down to the surgery this evening to ask for an appointment with a view to getting a PSA done. He has agreed that if that is up he will start pushing for an earlier hospital one.

Rang his nurses two weeks ago to ask for advice and despite the fact that we are supposed to have shared care, none of them have returned the call.

Good luck with your treatment .

 

Best Wishes

Sandra

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 20:32

Yes Johsan, he complains of burning in his backside too, he is opening his bowels between 4 and 6 times a day (as I have said before had problems that end before brachy) but says it is painful.

Devonlad he may or may not have had flow problems, I don't know. He didn't get up very often at night, perhaps once in the night once a week, only because I had woken him myself using the bathroom and he only went 2 or 3 times a day before brachy, but he didn't drink much, he is now drinking more. He filled in a questionaire and scored top points which may be why a flow test wasn't done.

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 23:30

Hi Sandra

Your post is very sad to read.

If they have changed your IMPORTANT appointment for 3 months later then that is awful in my view! If that happened to me I would be furious, although diplomatic with them as I always am. Also if the specialist nurses haven’t returned your call in 2 weeks that is very unprofessional. I know they are very busy folk …. but 2 weeks! When it’s about health it’s much about ‘peace of mind’.

As I have said before on this site – it’s your body (or your husbands in this case) and it’s your NHS as you pay for it. A PSA test takes seconds to take the sample and not much longer to do the test and provide feedback to you.

I think you need to be polite but very firm with them (either the hospital or your doctors surgery) to have a PSA test in February and a follow up appointment well before May unless they have evidence, and can convince you both, that for some strange reason it’s not necessary.

Take good care of each other.

dl

 

User
Posted 28 Jan 2015 at 23:57

Sandra,
my dad, Stan and John all had the same nurse specialist. She has never returned a call. We tend to go straight to the consultant's secretary if we need an appointment or anything like that. The cancellation/ rebooking system in many hospitals is automated so I would expect them to bring it forward from May if you phone to point out this is an ongoing cancer case rather than a routine monitoring appointment.

There shouldn't be any reason for the GP practice not to do a Feb PSA test regardless.

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

User
Posted 29 Jan 2015 at 09:31

Thanks all. Replies much appreciated.
John doesn't ever push anything.
It usually only happens when I finally get really upset.
He would probably have just waited until May so at least I managed to persuade him to go to the GP.

As far as GPs and PSA tests are concerned, last time he went (at the request of the consultant) to the surgery for a PSA before his next appointment, they were very sniffy about it, well the receptionist was, because she said the hospital wasn't daft. They made sure the test came out of the GP budget and not the hospital's.

DL, if John gets a PSA form it's down to what used to be the cottage hospital, they'll do the test and the results will come back in 3-4 days. That's according to the phlebotomist.
The surgery will tell us it's more like 10!
John reckons that's because they have to have a doctor on duty that can read smoke signals.
We'll see

We can't control the winds - but we can adjust our sails
User
Posted 29 Jan 2015 at 09:40

Hi Johsan. I hope you get the psa test sorted. We nearly had the brachy cancelled so know how you feel. I did read that some hospitals don't do a psa for a year after brachy as it doesn't start to settle for a year. We are due to have one at the 6 week check, I don't see the point in that as it will be raised so soon after due to the damage caused by brachy, then we will worry at the raise (even though it is most likely normal to raise) We had a psa done 4 weeks after the biopsy, no idea why one was ordered, luckily I had read that a psa test should not be done for at least 6 weeks. It had gone from 3.4 up to 4.7 resulting in a letter saying active surveillance no longer suitable due to psa raise. Causing us worry, it did go down a bit a few months later, but glad I had read the info online. 

Hopefully you will have one done soon. I know we wouldn't have a problem at our Dr surgery if we asked for one, thankfully they are good like that. Good luck. Sorry Devonlad to hijack your conversation!!

User
Posted 29 Jan 2015 at 15:41

Please don't be sorry sjtb - it's great we are all talking about PC and options, consequences etc.

Like you I have an excellent doctor and excellent surgery and, so far at least, the couple of dealings I have had with specialist nurses they have been pretty good.

dl

 
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