Hello,
Thought I would ask here first about this. My brother had to have some routine blood tests and asked me if it was worth asking them to do PSA again even though he had had one about 6 months prior - he will be 71 in July. I told him by all means add the test in while they do all the other blood tests. He has now had the results and his PSA has gone from around 1.9 six months ago to 4. Before the test I told him no sexual activity and no heavy exercise for 48 hours - he was always OK on the heavy exercise LOL! I told him 4 is not bad and if it stayed at 4 for his age it was probably OK but his GP is concerned about the rise in 6 months. BTW he lives in South Africa so things work slightly differently there and he has been having PSA and DE annually since he was around 40 as his works medical insurance dictated this. In fact it was because of him that I started to get checked, as until he mentioned getting the tests and exams I hadn't even heard of them at all. He has now been referred to a urologist I have told him that a doubling in around 6 months may not be anything to worry about and it is good that his GP is referring him. I think here they would have, in the first instance sent him for another PSA test. I kept telling him that they are doing good things and if anything sinister is to be found they are going to find it early. However, I could hear the worry in his voice so just wanted to check what I have told him with all of you first.
I am unsure of things as this isn't the way it went with me as my PSA rose slowly over 3 to 4 years - so slowly in fact that no one was over concerned and maybe I should have been sent for a biopsy a year earlier. Anyway, nothing we can do about that. Just worrying that I give him the right information and support. It is very unsettling and upsetting when you hear the worry in a loved one's voice. Already going through similar with my sister as my brother-in-law was diagnosed with aggressive gullet cancer just after I finished my treatment 2 years ago. At the mo he is doing fairly well had a massive operation and then 14 weeks of chemo nearly two years on now and he is not so bad and has a consultation on Friday - am hoping against hope that they have miraculously cured him though at the beginning we were told that was very unlikely and that he should just go home and live the rest of his life as fully as he could manage and no treatment suggested - however they then decided they would treat and they really threw everything at him and he has gone through some bad times with all the chemo.
On a brighter note(?) It has just stopped snowing here in Sunny Wales. Such a difference after the lovely hot sunny weather all last week - up until two days ago. We have planted out roses and put a new garden bench together that we had had in the garage in bits over the winter as didn't think it worth putting it out in the bad weather over winter! LOL So it must be our fault that we have this weather.
All the best to all of you.
Des
