Home PSA test

There should be no need to get home testing and one of the strong arguments against it would be the potential difference between the processor of the home test and the lab preferred by your urologist - it might need 6 or 9 months of home tests to collate enough data to be able to compare the two labs and make any judgments about trends.

Tim,

Same age as you and very fit but was diagnosed back in 2017 and like you was stage 1. Do you have a Gleason score (mine was 3+4)

I was really concerned about the side effects of surgery and opted for AS and would do so again. I was monitored very closely but do be prepared for the stress of waiting for results of PSA tests every 3 months and MRIs at least yearly. I only had a TRUS biopsy but in hindsight I should have pushed for a template biopsy as Lyn suggests.

However by this year things had progressed to stage 2 and I elected for surgery. Who knows whether I could have left it longer but personally it felt the right decision. For me, being able to opt for nerve sparing surgery and having negative margins was very important. 

Hello Andrew, thank your for your response. It is a very good point.

Hi Tim,

People warn about over treatment, some men are said to be offered too much treatment, although I don't recall anyone on here saying they had it.   They offered me AS with a template biopsy to appease those who didn't want to appear to be over treating I was told.   

People also often say there is no need to rush treatment in most cases and it's slow growing.  So you could be alright to put it off for a while.

Being very fit and healthy and eating a good diet and meditating is likely to have no effect on the main growth.  It might make you feel better and be stronger to withstand treatment and symptoms. With a bit of luck might enable your body to resist further spread for longer although I don't know if that's official opinion.  

Also on psa tests I'd recommend you go to the hospital and if possible to ring a Macmillan nurse for the result.  GPs pass on the result via someone who has no idea what the result means and has a note on their screen saying if it's under 4 it's OK, even if you've no prostate and 4 would be very bad news.  You'll then likely have to be referred whereas the hospital will bring you in.

My advice is be very careful.  Once it's too late, it's too late, although it does usually take quite a while.

Regards Peter

Hello Gordon, my brother is 53 and he as been on AS about 6 months, however, he is not sure if he will remain on it since he contracted sepsis after his first biopsy and was 5 days in hospital.

Thanks for the heads up on the data. I'll look into it.

Regards

Tim

So, I ordered a home PSA test kit from ebay  - £7.50 for two. It arrived really promptly with reasonable instructions. I decided to use both on the same day that I had a PSA test booked at my GP. The home test is simple to administer, just a pinprick, two drops of blood and mix in something called a buffer. The test can only indicate 4 results:

1 - Test not valid

2 - Result below 3

3 - Result between 3 and 10

4 - Result over 10

I did the two tests simultaneously for verification. They were identical and showed a result of between 3 and 10. My result came back from my GP as 9.2.

I conclude that, in this instance, the home test is reasonably accurate. Of course, further testing is required.

My PSA was previously 7 and I have yet to talk with my urology nurse about the result.

Cheers, John