Why did I ask for a psa test???

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User

Posted 15 Aug 2025 at 16:51

I'll try and be short in my post. I was having some routine bloods done when as an after thought I asked if I could have a PSA test. After all the ads on the telly at the moment encouraged this. Anyway never thought anymore about it but a couple of days later a phone call from my surgery said my (PSA 12.15} test was a bit high for my age (75).. I really do wish I had'nt asked. I dont feel 75 and pretty good in body and mind. Till now of course. I can look back probably 20 years and any minor symptoms were there and much the same till now. Getting up once or twice in the night and of course not able to pee up the school toilet wall as we all used to do.. -No blood or anything like that.

So 3 weeks on and waiting on the next step.. Meanwhile my head's in a spin and cannot stop watching and researching on tinternet.. So now I know there is nothing to be done until I have some tests done. I'm in Aberdeen with an excellent hospital with most of the latest treatments....

Anyway my name is Dave and will post again. Bye the way there is know immediate family history that I know of..

User

Posted 15 Aug 2025 at 19:00

Hi Dave,

We all get that spinning head and research bug. Don't regret having the test. I'm a bit older and discovered by accident a couple of months ago that I have a couple of potentially serious things that I now know about and can change my behaviour so they don't get worse. You have an opportunity to make decisions. In a few months or a couple of years you may not have had many choices.

It might not be prostate cancer as at a psa of 12 it's probably about 60% likely. 12 isn't that high.

Treatment can also depend on what your health is like. When you're over 75 they can say you're too old for surgery so radiotherapy is the main treatment for a cure. Although 75 is the new 65 and all that.

It's often a slow mover so it could be that it's rising slowly and you could wait longer although at 12 perhaps you're better having an MRI then a biopsy if the MRI points that way and that's the offer.

Become aware of your possibilities and be decisive would be my comment. This forum has a lot of cases to look at and ask questions.

Good luck and keep us posted, regards Peter

Edited by member 15 Aug 2025 at 19:03 | Reason: Not specified

User

Posted 15 Aug 2025 at 19:44

Hi Dave

I'm sorry that you've got prostate problems, but welcome to the forum.

PSA is only an indicator. You are about double what is deemed 'normal' for someone your age. Elevated PSA can be caused by other non cancerous prostate conditions. However, it is wise to make further tests. Have you been refered to urology?

User

Posted 15 Aug 2025 at 19:50

Having the PSA test done was a good move.

It's way too early to jump to negative conclusions so just wait for the next step.

Must admit you made me smile when you reminded me of what was in my day a very common schoolboy urination habit!

User

Posted 16 Aug 2025 at 02:31

Hi Dave. I was in a similar situation a little over a year ago. In April of '24 I decided to go for a physical because I hadn't had one in a couple of years. Didn't expect any issues. I'm healthy, I excercise and was feeling fine. Wanted to just get the stupid thing out of the way and move on to summer. I mentioned to the doc that I'd been getting up 2 - 3 times a night to pee really just in hopes he might prescribe something to help with that but he said "I'll order a PSA test".

Didn't expect anything to come of it, but my psa came back a little higher than yours at 12.7. Mine unfortunately did turn out to be cancer but that doesn't mean yours will. At first I felt the similar to how you said you feel...like I should've just kept my mouth shut and at least I could have enjoyed my summer. But it turned out to be a very good thing that we caught it when we did because it had just broken out of the prostate but thankfully had not spread beyond that. In 4 days it will be my offical 1 year anniversary of my RARP. My last psa test was 2 weeks ago and so far is still undetectable.

You did the right thing getting checked. However things turn out, you'll be ok.

User

Posted 16 Aug 2025 at 08:43

Just a quick thanks to one and all for replying and interesting comments. I do believe cancer will rear its Ugly Head so prepared for this in my head... Over the last couple of years I did have a couple of scares due to Bowel screening which led to two Colonoscopies. Both were clear of Cancer. The first revealed a few Polopys one of which was to large for removal during the 2 meter tube up the bum examination with no sedation. My choice. I'm a man afterall....

Anyway I had sigoscopy 2 weeks later to have the large polyop removed.. Next day late afternoon I felt I needed to sit on the loo pretty urgently. This resulted in evacuating what look like all my 8 pints of blood in one go. lol. Anyhoo half an hour later the same thing happened. So my wife got me to A&E in Perth (Scotland). We sat in the que behing people and kids with cuts and grazes. We thought it supposed to be Accident AND Emergency. Meanwhile two more urgent visits to the hospital loo with same blood letting result.

Eventually after about 3 hours I made it too a treatment Bay... I told the Junior Doctor I really needed to see a Doctor ASP. He just smiled and with a Pat on my head they said they were very busy. Fast Forward another hour and I looked the Doc in the face (still remember that silly grin) and I said "I told you this was going to happen".. The next thing a know I wake up with an Oxygin Mask on and a nurses face, saying nice to see you back with us..

Ambulance down to Dundee PRI and well there is more to this story but I'm going to end it with the could'nt find the reason for the blood loss and could'nt get me out of their Hospital Fast enough. They did'nt deny or confirm this was caused by the removal of the large polyp. Dave

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