Hi Everyone
I appreciate that to most men on this forum my problem may seem trifling but I ask for your patience. I'm sure your knowledge and experiences may help me make a decision about TRUS biopsy.
I have a nodule on my prostate, found by DRE 18 months ago. I have had a large hemorrhoid, recently removed. This, I understand, could have caused a prostate nodule.
I have BPH, which was diagnosed by cystoscopy a few years ago. This may be raisng my level of PSA. Just over a year ago it was 3.7, it is now 2.0. However I have been on Finasteride 5mg for a year and I believe that may account for the PSA falling. The urology consultant wants me to have a TRUS targetted at the nodule. However I have doubts.
I am a 72 year old Caucasian who has never smoked and only ever drunk alcohol lightly. My diet for over 40 years would be described as healthy with no red or processed meat and plenty of vegetables. (My hemorrhoids are caused not by diet but by increasing age according to my consultant.) Apart from the prostate issues I have no serious health problems. On the other hand my sister died of breast cancer, but it is not known if she had the suspect cancer genes that can also cause PCa in her brothers, sons etc.
I have read that the chance of a prostate nodule being cancer is 15–20%. I'm not sure if my ethnicity and the lifestyle choices mentioned above have the effect of decreasing that percentage in my case or if once one has a nodule all other risk considerations become irrelevant.
Knowing that most PCa is so slow growing that sufferers are far more likely to die with the cancer than because of it, I'm leaning towards refusing the biopsy. The potential gain seems to be outweighed by the risks of infection, including the often lethal Sepsis. At the moment I'm thinking of asking for regular PSA tests and only taking further action if it goes above 6.5 (the 'safe' limit for my age group).
Has anyone else in this group been faced with this sort of dilemma? I'd be grateful for your thoughts.
