Biopsy for Prostrate

Prostate! I know I spelt it wrong,its worry

Hello S&W, sorry to hear about your rising PSA. You don’t say what treatment you have had in the past or what stage your cancer was diagnosed as 5 years ago or, without biopsy, how it was diagnosed? This, I think, makes it difficult to say what might be the next action by your medical team.

That said, I will tell you what our experience of biopsy was but please remember , no two people are the same and have the same experiences!

my husband’s PSA had been rising slowly for several years. On his first referral to the hospital about, I guess, 6-7  years ago he was offered a biopsy going through the back passage (Truss biopsy). He was told that this biopsy would only reach one part of the prostate and could miss any cancer lurking there. It also carried a risk of infection with even sepsis, it was not guided by any scans. He declined as his PSA was not greatly elevated and the digital examination did not cause any alarm. His PSA was to be monitored every 6 months and action would be needed if his PSA reached 10. 

Two years ago this month, his PSA reached 10 and back we went to urology. This time an MRI scan was done before the template biopsy which was being newly introduced ( at that hospital). This procedure is, I think, guided by scan and can reach more parts of the prostate and therefore more accurate.

my husband was given a local anaesthetic and antibiotic cover. He said the procedure was not something he would describe as pleasurable but was nowhere near as bad as anticipated. He did take paracetamol as the local anaesthetic wore off and he did have quite a lot of bruising in his scrotum . Others, I believe, have not had bruising and some have passed blood in their urine - he didn’t! He was a bit cautious about sitting down for a day or two afterwards - and did so gently rather than throwing himself onto a chair.

he was told that he could tell them to stop at any time if there was too much pain but that wasn’t necessary. I think some men have had it done under a general anaesthetic if the local anaesthetic has not been right for them? But, you have to balance the extra risks of a general anaesthetic . 

I think it is true to say that I actually was in a worse state than my husband at the time! Having to wait outside not knowing how he was doing was agonising! I was terribly frightened for him. Looking back, I think I may have over- reacted but that’s just my personality and the overall panic I was in at the time!

oh, and I drove him to the hospital and back but I do know some people do drive themselves. I like to think he was glad to have company and a chauffeur!!

Good luck and do let us know how you get on!

Just remember everyone is individual and different.  My husband had 23 biopsies with a local anaesthetic and to quote him “ it was a walk in the park”.  He felt no pain and walked to the car.  

Hi thank you for relpy.I was first diagnosed in June 2019 with a P.S.A of 112.I was

put on Bicalutamide for Two months the P.S.A then went down to under 1.From

Then until now I have been on Zoladex 1.8 every 12 weeks.My P.S.A now is

26.13 .not 26.3

I did not have a Biospy at the time, and never had one.

Hi S and W

Do u have staging IE T NM score.

Or do I assume that it has spread elsewhere and that is the reason you are just on HT?

Sorry if the latter is the case

Regards 

Steve 

What is IE T MM score

So T2 would indicate cancer just in the prostate, T3 means spread outside.

I presume that in the past 5 years you have had a MRI scan?

Steve 

I did when first Diagnosed in 2019 but not since.I also had a Dye injected and they

found it had spread locacaly.

Spread locally, do u mean just outside the gland, not in the nodes or vesicles?

If so wonder why they didn't start treatment rather than just putting u on HT

Steve