Tests and biopsies

I had biopsy done ended up with water infection so make sure you can get antibiotics if needed also walked like a cowboy been in the saddle for a week after

Hi HH

sorry to have to welcome u on here. I think that CLL is Leukemia of some kind? If so your immune system is going to be compromised, perhaps you just have an prostate/urinary infection?

U say that the Mri has alerted the consultant, do u know exactly what the Mri says ie suspicious areas in the prostate?

If u do go for biopsy, not too much to worry about, just a bit uncomfortable, obviously take the antibiotics to avoid severe infection.

best wishes

Steve

Don't worry about the biopsy - as Steve says it is a bit uncomfortable but nothing alarming. You'll likely be given a small number of antibiotic tablets to take just as a precaution so make a point of taking them as directed.

All the best, 
Derek.

Hi

Welcome to this site although it's not somewhere you'd really want to be.  Sorry to hear you're having to face prostate cancer on top of your Chronic Lymphatic Leukaemia.

You've probably picked up some medical terminology since being diagnosed with CLL.  Every kind of cancer tends to have its own terminology, so I'm afraid you have some new words to learn.

What kind of biopsy are you having, do you know?  The procedure is different.  A

l procedures run a high risk of infection

Sorry, starting again.  This site has a few technical glitches I keep falling foul of.

I presume the prescription is for an Antibiotic.  You do need to take it.  I hope it's a course, not just a one off!

The only biopsy  I had was a Trans Rectal Ultra Sound (TRUS).  Not to dwell on details, but it was a local anaesthetic and I can't say it didn't hurt, it did.  However, it's not a scream and jump.off the trolley kind if hurt.

You have a slightly unusual story.   Blood in the semen isn't necessarily a sign of cancer, I hope you were told that.  Nor is a raised PSA.  Since you had a cystoscopy and ultra sound before an MRI, it sounds as if originally they thought it might be some other prostate condition, e.g. proststitis, (inflammation).which can cause both.

However, there are other symptoms to this, have you had any other symptoms?  Did you do a urine test and what was the result?

They also saw something on the MRI, they don't tend to give you the details, but it may have shown a "suspicious" area.  So it's logical to have a biopsy, which will clarify what is exactly happening.  Good that you had the MRI first because hopefully they can "target" the area, otherwise the biopsy can miss a tumour.

It seems to me that if the biopsy is positive, the second cystoscopy would be a bit superfluous.  It would be more meaningful if the biopsy is negative.  In which case, it may not be a flexible one, it will be a rigid one under anaesthetic.

I hope it turns out that the Biopsy is negative.  It's quite a shock to get the bad news, but if you can, you need to know some things.  It would be good vou write down some questions to ask just in case.  Also write down the answers or get them to, that is, if they don't say without asking -

These questions as a minimum, if positive

What %age of each lobe (side) of the gland is affected?

Did it show the tumour(s) are contained in the gland?

Did it show any "Perineural Invasion"?

What was the "Gleason score"?

No point in explaining these unless it's positive, if it's negative, they're irrelevant.

I suffered chronic prostatitis for many years prior to being diagnosed with cancer.  I know the signs and symptoms.  I didn't have an MRI before my biopsy, only after.  I was never told the result of the MRI.  I do know that my gland felt rough and irregular, not smooth like it should be and when it was removed there was a tumour upper left lobe, but also  a hard calcified area, upper right lobe - chronic prostatitis.

Thanks Uroboros for the detailed reply, I am having a TRUS , the MRI scan showed an “ equivocal area at the apex of your prostate which warrants a biopsy, plus it highlighted a few other abnormalities that warrant further investigation “ 

they have sent a prescription thru for ciproflaxin to take 1 hour prior to biopsy. They did say blood in the semen and raised PSA does not equate to cancer, but obviously something showed up in the scan they feel warrants a biopsy. 

I have written those questions down as may need them depending on result. 

Thanks for taking the time to help 

Thanks Derek, appreciate your info

Thanks Steve, appreciate your reply

When I went for my Artemis guided TRUS biopsy I was given a single 750mg dose of Ciprofloxacin one hour before the procedure. It was provided by the hospital. I'm surprised they sent a prescription through the post. I guess it's so the hospital trust can offset the cost to your GP practice. I was also given a course of another antibiotic to be taken for five days after the procedure.

The procedure itself is uncomfortable and a bit nippy when they take the samples (there's a loud "clack" sound from the machine as each sample is taken) but not really painful. You may feel a bit sore for a couple of days and I would definitely avoid riding a bike for a week! You might also find blood in your urine and semen for a while after the procedure.

I definitely know what unequivocal means, but I wasn't quite sure what equivocal means, so I had to look it up.

It means they don't know what it is!    Which is probably one up on "suspicious".

There's till hope then, that the biopsy will be negative for cancer, but somethings going on.  Do you have symptoms?