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Very worried now

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User
Posted 16 Sep 2020 at 05:34

HI to all.

I am from Spain although I live in Germany (please, sorry if my english is not very good).

I am 50. Five years ago I had a PSA rutine check which came out in 6,26 (free ratio 12.3%). I went to an urologist who prescribed a semen culture. As I was young and on holidays, I did this a month and a half later. I had a new PSA measured at the same time that went down to 2,55 (free psa ratio 10,59%). In the semen culture they detected an infection (Bacteria resistant to almost all antibotics but ampicilin) which was treated. So, it was prostatitis.

The following years the PSA went normal. last year it raised to 4,20. Then I went to the urologist. He prescribed an ultrasound (prostate was 40 c.c.) and a semen culture who came back negative. He told me that we would wait a year. As I was still worried, I went to the lab and asked for a new psa (one month and a half after the one of 4,20) and it came back as 2,68. So I thought the urologist was right.

One year later, a new psa and came back with 4,93 and a free psa ratio of 15,42%. I repeated the test three weeks later, 4,63 and a free psa ratio of 14,69%. I thouught that this time would be like the two previous ones and waited for a month. New psa exam, 4,45 and free psa ratio of 17,75%. At that time, the urologist told me that probably is a prostatitis, but acourding to the procedures we have to check. He did a rectal examination that acording to him came back normal.

He ordered me antibiotics and anti-inflammatory  drugs, and after ten days of finishing, a new psa, and a coagulation study (for a biopsy). He told me that if psa is still high, I will have to do a MRI and a biopsy, depending on the results of the MRI.

I am worried to hell, and before taking the drugs I will do a new psa myself, to check if it is like the other two times and it goes down (but little hope, to be sincere).

I started reading things, and the more I read, the more informed, but the more worried. Even I have a pain in my finger of the right hand (the bone) and I started to wonder if it could be a bone methastasis...

Tomorrow I start with the antibiotics and the antiinflamatory drugs.

Anyhow this is my whole story up to now. Sorry for being so long and boring :)...

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:41  | Reason: Update data

User
Posted 06 May 2022 at 09:13
With prostate cancer, your PSA steadily increases. The fact that your PSA is fluctuating up and down clearly suggests that you don't have prostate cancer.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 23 Oct 2020 at 04:27

Lucky old you!

If I were you I would also concur with your usual urologist and avoid any biopsy at this stage, and wait for your next PSA result.

Best of luck.

Cheers, John.

Edited by member 23 Oct 2020 at 05:38  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 23:02

That's the lowest result you've had for a while, so good news. Just keep taking the tests. 

Dave

User
Posted 06 May 2022 at 08:38

It is very difficult but the fact that your PSA goes up and down is perhaps an indication that you do not have prostate cancer. My understanding that if you do your PSA will always go up. My PSA scores  over the years always went up ( 3.58 in 2018, 5.32 March 21, 5.76 April 21 & 6.01 Sept 21). Most PSA tests in the UK do not test for free PSA and the only one that did for me showed a free PSA ratio of something like 27%.

 

My PSA scores made it easy for me & my doctor to decide that further investigation was needed and the rest, as they say, was history. To be honest, if I was in your shoes I would not be sure what to do either and one has in such circumstances put a deal of trust in the doctor's judgement.

 

Ivan

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User
Posted 16 Sep 2020 at 13:13
To be honest, even if the PSA goes down you have probably hit the point where MRI and biopsy are necessary. If both come back clear, you can carry on with the close monitoring.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 16 Sep 2020 at 18:00

THanks for answering. Yes, the urologist told me the same, that even if now it goes down, at the end we will have to check... because even if it goes down, it will rise again in the future.

I have read your story about your husband. Encouraging. Glad his psa is low.

User
Posted 17 Sep 2020 at 12:32

New results just before taking the antiinflamatory and the antibiotics... received today (sample took yesterday): 4,54. (two weeks after the one of 4,45). Definitely, something is going on... so I will take the drugs, then I'll wait 10 days after taking them, and then I'll check again.

User
Posted 18 Sep 2020 at 17:55

Don't think you're being boring.  It can be worrying.   Once you're on this treadmill it's hard to get off.  The tests are fairly inconclusive.   Every pain can be thought a symptom, even though it rarely is.

Your psa appears fairly stable at around 4.6 which isn't that high.   Your prostate at 37cc was larger than most.

I don't think there's a guarantee it will go up in the future.  You could get a lot higher than that and for it to be benign.   Even at psa 10 about 1 in 2 won't have it on average.   

There are risks of over treatment and finding traces of cancer when many men have traces that will never cause them a problem.

On the other hand if you do have a lesion and it becomes advanced you will be sorry you didn't have better tests.  So you could go on that route to put yourself on a more stable footing.

All the best, Peter

 

 

User
Posted 20 Sep 2020 at 10:50
Thank you. Yes, it seems stable. The pain in the finger has disapeared. I am taking now the ibuprofen and the antibiotics for ten days, and then after 13 days (the doctor said 10 days, but there are holidays around these dates) I will test psa again.
User
Posted 08 Oct 2020 at 10:31

Puff, I had last measurement on 17/09/20, PSA 4.55

Yesterday, just three weeks later, PSA 5.85

Is it normal a rise of more than 20% in three weeks?

Now, it seems that it is time for the mpRNM...

 

 

User
Posted 08 Oct 2020 at 12:15
If there is infection, the rate can jump up and down. If there is cancer, the PSA does not go down, only up. If there is some cancer and also infection, it can jump up and down but perhaps never goes down to normal level.
"Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards." Soren Kierkegaard

User
Posted 08 Oct 2020 at 20:54

Thank you.

I have an appointment for a 3T mpMRI on 21st of October (they say that they will deliver the result in the same date). Crossing fingers, hoping that the result is without lesions...

Edited by member 08 Oct 2020 at 20:55  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 22 Oct 2020 at 21:29

Update: mpMRI 3T yesterday. It came back with a small area of old prostatitis (acording to the radiologist) and at the end of the report it says "No suspicious areas found". 

In fact, the pirad table in the template report was empty.

My urologist after reading the mpMRI report, said that it was prostatitis. 

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:43  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 23 Oct 2020 at 04:27

Lucky old you!

If I were you I would also concur with your usual urologist and avoid any biopsy at this stage, and wait for your next PSA result.

Best of luck.

Cheers, John.

Edited by member 23 Oct 2020 at 05:38  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 22:47

Hi all.

Update: I just have had my psa result, and it is 3,67. The urologist told me "told you, prostatitis", if the next psa is below 4, then I will have yearly controls as general population. 

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:44  | Reason: Update data

User
Posted 29 Apr 2021 at 23:02

That's the lowest result you've had for a while, so good news. Just keep taking the tests. 

Dave

User
Posted 26 Apr 2022 at 13:34

Update: In november 2021 I had again a PSA analysis and it was 3.59, with a ratio psa/free psa of 23.96%.

The urologyst told me to measure PSA again in one year time. But at work, they do yearly check ups and they have measured the psa...  let's see what are the results.

 

 

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:46  | Reason: Updating data

User
Posted 27 Apr 2022 at 13:49

UPDATE: I have received the results from the lab.

PSA up again to 4.28 although Free PSA/PSA ratio is 20.79%. My appointment with the urologist is next monday.

 

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:46  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 04 May 2022 at 19:41

UPDATE: Back from the urologist... angry for measuring the psa before he prescribed. Anyhow, he told me to wait six more months and test psa again. But just for precaución, he doesnt think I have anything

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:48  | Reason: Update data

User
Posted 05 May 2022 at 13:11

Are you happy with waiting 6 months for another PSA test or would you feel more comfortable if it was in 3 months time? Personally, knowing what I do now, I would want a 3 month test.

 

Ivan

User
Posted 05 May 2022 at 18:40

Actually, I don't know... but I hope three months will not make a difference. And I hope I don't have cancer... maybe prostatitis again.

 

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:58  | Reason: Not specified

User
Posted 06 May 2022 at 08:38

It is very difficult but the fact that your PSA goes up and down is perhaps an indication that you do not have prostate cancer. My understanding that if you do your PSA will always go up. My PSA scores  over the years always went up ( 3.58 in 2018, 5.32 March 21, 5.76 April 21 & 6.01 Sept 21). Most PSA tests in the UK do not test for free PSA and the only one that did for me showed a free PSA ratio of something like 27%.

 

My PSA scores made it easy for me & my doctor to decide that further investigation was needed and the rest, as they say, was history. To be honest, if I was in your shoes I would not be sure what to do either and one has in such circumstances put a deal of trust in the doctor's judgement.

 

Ivan

User
Posted 06 May 2022 at 09:13
With prostate cancer, your PSA steadily increases. The fact that your PSA is fluctuating up and down clearly suggests that you don't have prostate cancer.

Best wishes,

Chris

User
Posted 13 Dec 2022 at 12:30

Hi.

Update: New blood analysis, PSA 4.52, ratio free psa/psa: 24.34%. The urologist told me to do a new lab in six months, as the free psa is high.

I

Edited by member 15 Nov 2025 at 12:59  | Reason: Not specified

 
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