MRI results

Sasha 2 hours ago

3 replies
182 subscribers
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I put a post up in December but can't find the thread.

Bit of a background story. My dad is 69 years old and lives alone.

I hadn't seen my dad for 6-7 week , when I went down there I noticed he had lost a lot of weight, I made a GP appointment for him and they done a lot of blood work. Dad's PSA levels came back as 69. Dad got referred to urology and dietitian. Urology done an examination and they felt a mass.

We had to wait for a few week for MRI due to dad having to go for a scan as he thought he had metal in his eye so they needed to rule this out. He had the MRI on 9.1.26 and they have phoned today to tell me they are phoning us tomorrow at 1.30pm with results. Would they be able to tell us whether it is cancer through the MRI results? Also would they do this over the phone. I am trying so hard to stay positive.

They said I needed to be with dad to ensure he understands what is being said. I'm really worried. It seems like it taken forever to get results December 5th I think was his first app or roughly that date.

Thank you

Grundo 2 hours ago

Hi Sasha and welcome

No , MRI can't say it's definitely cancer , a biopsy is needed for that.

But MRI can give an indication, ie something suspicious , can.indicate size and location in the gland.

So important to get the MRI results, suggest you come back on here when u have them for more advice.

All the best

Steve

Millibob 1 hour ago

Hello Sasha (Sasha)

The MRI scan is part of the diagnostic process. The images produced help the team decide on the next course of action and the scan will have given dads's team a Likert (Or PI-RADS) score of between 1-5. Details in this link

Diagnostic-tests/multiparametric-mri-scan.

A score of 1 or 2 means cancer is unlikely. A 3 need more investigation and a 4 or 5 usually means that cancer is present in the gland. With Dad's PSA being 69 I would anticipate a score of 4 or 5 and he will need a prostate biopsy to stage and grade the cancer. I would also expect a bone scan to see if the cancer has left the gland.

You may well have many questions for tomorrow so if you have a written list it will help you. Here's a link for you to gather your thoughts:

Questions-to-ask-your-healthcare-team.

Have dad's telephone on speaker and remember your pen and paper.

Do let us know how you get on.

Best wishes - Brian.

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JohnPM 1 hour ago

I got a call just to say the MRI found some changes that required further investigation and a date for a biopsy. No further information was provided. And I didn’t think to ask.

There should also be a follow up letter by post. It would also be available in the NHS app.

Maybe a good idea if you are at the same surgery as your dad to ask if you can manage (view dad’s) medical information on your nhs app.

If additional information is not offered and you would like to know more. Ask about the PIRAD score and size of any suspicious area.

A PIRAD 4 or 5 it’s more likely to be a concern than PIRAD 1-3. I’m not medical qualified, but I think a PIRAD 1-3 is unlikely, the PSA is high at 69 so be prepared to have a high PIRAD score.

Not a lot of difference between a 4 and 5. Size above 15mm would likely be scored a PIRAD 5.

You could check what type of biopsy would be done, likely a local anaesthetic transperineal biopsy. Targeted at the areas identified in the MRI and possibly a grid sample to cover the prostate. It’s not pleasant, but not a difficult process.

Best of luck to you and your dad.

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