Should I ask for a scan?

All the stressing about what might or might not be offered and what you have a right to as best pathway can be blown out of the water as there are always exceptions. My OH was referred with an almost normal PSA of 3.1, he got a urology appointment through the post and turned up to discover that it was a TRUS biopsy. He had it and then went to work - no warning, no information, no problems, no worrying about it. He was diagnosed with a T1 G7(3+4) and THEN they did the scans. Good job it wasn't the other way round as the scan was completely clear - if he had had that first, he may not have been diagnosed. When they operated, it was in every bit of his prostate and into his bladder - not all prostate cancers show on scans.

Why not give the urology department a ring and ask them what the normal pathway is there? Or contact your local PC support group - they will probably know.

But do remember Lynns OH was scanned in 2009 and things have moved forward a long way with the introduction of MpMRI scans being a game changer. The trial of the 1.5T machines was very positive of course and now with a 3T magnet things have improved again. PCUK are continuing to fund research and promote better practice and hopefully progress will continue. 

Good luck

Clare

LynEre - Good grief Lyn, three men in your life going through a similar thing, I now see where your knowledge and insights are coming from, I hope all is still going well.

Peter sans Prostate - Thank you for responding. Very observant of you to spot the strange drop in the psa readings, it was that drop that took the heat off the whole thing. Strangely enough, after my first reading of 4.8 I was referred to the urologist who after a flow test and DRE asked me why I was even there! That shook me initially as I’d been referred by my GP, but it made me feel like I was wasting their time. Although my levels are rising slowly, it is in the back of my mind now that something might be amiss, so another referral to see the urologist is probably the right thing. I’m just hoping I get the appropriate tests in the right order and I can get it sorted one way or another - we’ll see.

But you did ask!

Chill out, and wait for things to take their course. There are much, much, worse cancers, and hopefully you haven’t even got one!

Cheers, John

It can depend on whether you're referred as urgent. If urgent cancer it should be 14 days.  I read that Stephen Fry and Bill Turnbull created a rush for tests.  You could ask if your GP referred it as urgent and ask him why not.  Going down the private route might end up expensive.

not necessarily - it seems the GP is following the advice of the urologist. For all we know, the uro may have given the GP a threshold for re-referral (10  being the magic number oft quoted here) and once you are under the care of urology, the cancer pathway targets from GP to specialist are irrelevant. I think Neil needs to clarify with his GP or the urology department whether this is a new referral or a re-referral. 

Someone here in the last week said he paid £1500 for a 3T scan, and a friend paid the same for one a couple of years ago. Don’t know what resolution his was.