Want to know more about the stages of the illness

First of all, it is not necessarily the case that your husband has prostate cancer - he may have an enlarged prostate or something called BPH. There are tablets for this which usually help reduce the night weeing etc. However, the hospital is clearly concerned about his PSA level (a measurement taken from his blood sample) so they will want him to have some more tests perhaps including maybe a biopsy and/or some scans.

In the circumstances, I think you should phone the GP back and insist on an appointment sooner than 1 1/2 weeks away. I imagine that the hospital person who rang you has also contacted your GP to advise him or her that they need to see you. Push for that appointment to be brought forward to the next couple of days. It sounds like he has gone into urinary retention a couple of times which can damage the kidneys if it goes on too long and the last thing you need is a middle of the night trip to A&E to get his bladder emptied!

The GP might want to refer your husband to the local hospital's urology department. Go along to the doctors with him and make sure to write down what his PSA score is. Did the GP stick a finger up your husband's bottom when the blood test was done? Did he make any comment about whether the prostate felt larger than usual?

It might not be cancer at all but the symptoms your husband is having are debilitating and unnecessary and need sorting out.

A PSA of 4.7 is not that bad, to put it into context I was 57 at diagnosis with a PSA of 94.4, but with your level of PSA it would be prudent to have a DRE if not already done followed by an MRI to the prostate prior to a biopsy to ascertain the grading if cancer is found, and possibly a bone scan so you have the full picture. A MRI is not always performed prior to a biopsy but it is becoming more widely available as it is seen to allow a better targeting by the needles. PSA reading alone is not necessary an indication of cancer but an indication that it needs investigating so your GP should refer your husband for the further tests and then you will know what you are dealing with.

All the best

Roy

Hi Worried mans wife,

The PSA doesnt necessarily have a bearing on the stage of a mans disease, some PCas never give out a high PSA. You will need the full range of diagnostic tests to establish whats going on, a horrible time for all of us, both men and their partners. As others have commented, it may be another prostate related condition so try not to jump to conclusions, hard as this is !

Regards, Fiona.

There are many men who now take a tablet which reduces inflammation / enlargement to help with flow. Far more than are diagnosed with more serious problems.