Hello - worried about 'hard' prostate and high PSA test

Hello Sally and welcome.

Did the doctor say the prostate was hard or did he say it felt hard and irregular? or knobbly?

A PSA test will not define cancer, it just indicates that something needs investigating.

A speedy recall might just mean the doctors are efficient. A combination of high PSA and knobbly or irregular prostate might well indicate cancer but until more tests are done it's not possible to confirm that.

A "hard" prostate could also indicate BPH (enlarged prostate) if the prostate is not knobbly, so speculation is pointless and just worrying yourself un-necessarily at this stage.

Even if this is cancer, there is now much that can be done. Please don't apologise for the personal information. When you've been on this site a while, you'll realise that as long as your questions are genuine then no question is taboo. If something worries you then we do our best to answer, no matter what it is.

Please get back to us as soon as you have the PSA results. I expect that your husband will be given a biopsy and MRI scan which will help the consultant give a Gleason score. The lower the score (generally) the more treatments are available to him.

Please try not to worry, it's still early days. We have a number of wives and partners on here, all supporting our other halves as best we can.

Best Wishes

Sandra

*******

Hello Sally,

A "hard" prostrate is just one indicator that something is not quite right with the prostrate, hence the quick referral to a urologist. As Johsan mentions, PSA is another indicator, but not necessarily an indicator of prostate cancer. 

I expect the urologist will want to repeat the DRE and probably request an MRI scan and possibly a biopsy. As Johsan says there are lots of treatment options available.

Flexi

I've been finding it difficult to find any info about that. Thank you! (This weekend really is dragging - Tuesday feels like a long way a way which I know sounds ridiculous.)

I never had dry orgasms prior to treatment but the volume of semen ejaculated did diminish significantly in the months leading upto diagnosis. I probably also suffered with a small amount of terminal dribbling when urinating for about 12 years prior to diagnosis getting worse in the last year before Dx. I just put them down to getting old. My DX was the result of a shoulder problem. I went for all my tests convinced I would be the same as two works mates who had raised PSA but no cancer, unfortunately I was the unlucky one. Stay positive.

Thanks Chris

Thank you for all the replies x

I was diagnosed November 2014, my PSA was only 342 but in terms of symptoms I also had dry orgasams, felt uncomfortable sitting down now and again and had the need to we in the night. All that happened in about a 6 week period, went to the docs and got the score above.

I then had a cat scan, MRI and a biopsy. Result was Gleason 9 T4 n1 m1a, spread to my lymphs around my body. Devastated but have had 2 good years with chemo, radiotherapy, zoladex, biclutamide and now abiriterone. I have also run desert ultra marathons and many other long races so no matter how bad the scores sound it does not mean anything as everyone is a bit different.

You will know more in due course and we all understand why you are feeling how you are but please don't give up, live for the day a bit more and focus on what you know not what you think you know. My kids are now 11, 16 and 18, they have coped with the last 2 years really well.

Keep posting

Kev