I'm interested in conversations about and I want to talk about
Know exactly what you want?
Show search

Notification

Error

My symptoms have returned

User
Posted 30 Apr 2019 at 13:02

I’ve recently had prostatitis which was treated by antibiotics, however my symptoms such as lower back pain, groin pain and urgency to urinate still exist. My GP has said for me to have a PSA test and a TRUS. What kind of things should I expect as I move forward and is there any advice or help that people could give me? I’ve had a prostate exam performed by my GP and she confirmed it was enlarged. Im just concerned because she said that she wanted to test for prostate cancer. Thank you for any help or advice you can give me. 

User
Posted 30 Apr 2019 at 15:06

The PSA test will need to wait for a while after the prostatitis has cleared, and certainly for some days after the digital rectal exam (DRE). Likewise, avoid sex, cycling, and horse riding for a few days beforehand. Otherwise, you'll get an artificially high reading.

Until you've got some test results, no one can really comment, but I never heard of anyone under 40 having prostate cancer, and even under 50 is very rare.

I have lower back pain too, but my MRI scan for cancer showed this was due to dehydrated disks, not prostate cancer. It's easy to imagine almost any symptom might be prostate cancer, but people without cancer get all these symptoms too. Enlarged prostate often causes urgency. Enlarged prostate is more often not caused by cancer (and cancer happens on normal sized and enlarged prostates). And by the way, the most common symptom of prostate cancer is...
nothing.

As to what to expect, when they have your PSA level, they'll decide if to continue with further diagnosis or not. Your GP should be able to organise a PSA test.

If they continue with further diagnosis, ideally you will have an MRI scan first, and this will decide if you need a biopsy, and what sort (TRUS or trans-perineal template biopsy). None of these procedures are painful, just a bit uncomfortable. Results typically take 3 weeks to come through.

If you like, let us know what your PSA level is when you have it.

Edited by member 30 Apr 2019 at 15:09  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 30 Apr 2019 at 15:54
Lower back pain, groin pain and urgency are classic symptoms of prostatitis and also of deep seated urinary tract infection, which can be difficult to diagnose as not all UTIs show up on the GP’s dip test.

We have (or had) a couple of members in their 30s so it is not impossible but have never come across a case of a man in his 20s with prostate cancer. Given a bit of time for the antibiotics to do their job and to negate any raised PSA level as a result of the DRE, my guess is that the GP will arrange for your bloods to be tested for PSA and other markers such as UTI.

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

User
Posted 30 Apr 2019 at 19:43

I will let you know the results as soon as I have them. Thank you very much for your time and help! 

User
Posted 30 Apr 2019 at 19:46

Thank you so much for your time and help, any information is helpful. Thank you again. 

 
Forum Jump  
©2024 Prostate Cancer UK