Hello all,
Thanks to you all for contributing to such a positive forum. I’ve found it very reassuring in the last few hours and it prompted me to join and post.
I’d be grateful for some advice. I’m entirely new to this, though not to navigating cancer in close family members sadly, This time I suspect it’s my turn. My GP phoned yesterday evening to say my PSA was 179. I am 61 and have minimal symptoms beyond, possibly, increased visits to the toilet and a slightly reduced stream. I’m fairly fit and active. Sorry this is turning into the worst dating profile ever.
I see my GP tomorrow for a DRE. In your views, irrespective of the DRE (and I suspect it will reveal something), what points should I be making to the GP about likely next steps. Moving quickly to hormone therapy, for instance? I appreciate I’m jumping the gun here, given there’s no diagnosis yet, but I’m also trying to be realistic. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Hello Rocket4e316f
A warm welcome to the club you never wanted to join - but here you are.
Personal opinion, you don't need a DRE (just what information will that give you apart from telling you there is an issue with your Prostate?) - you need to get booked in for a biopsy, MRI and bone scan. I think you and I know the results with a PSA of 179 are going to be positive for Prostate Cancer.
Yes a start on Hormone therapy ASAP would put the cancer to sleep and stop any further possible spread but I fear that's up to Urology at the hospital to prescribe, so there will be some delay although you should be seen within 2 weeks under the Cancer Pathway. My Urologist started me off on Hormone Therapy before the MDT because of my high initial PSA and I an thankful to him to this day.
(If you check out my journey by clicking on my name or avatar you will see I started off with a PSA of 182).
Feel free to ask any questions, we are a decent bunch and you will get honest answers.
Best wishes - Brian.
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
Strength, Courage, Faith, Hope, Defiance, VICTORY.
I am a Macmillan volunteer.
Hello Phillipp (Rocket4e316f)
Good luck tomorrow - I hope you get some answers. Do keep us posted.
i would advise you to start a list of contacts you meet on your journey, name, what they do, telephone number and e-mail address, you never know when you will need them in the future.
As we are all different we have different questions we wish to ask our teams so here's a link to a hand list you may wish to use at some point:
Questions-to-ask-your-healthcare-team
Best wishes - Brian.
Macmillan Support Line - 0808 808 00 00, 7 days a week between 8am-8pm
Strength, Courage, Faith, Hope, Defiance, VICTORY.
I am a Macmillan volunteer.
Welcome, you are with friends.
The main thing on this first flight is to listen, to note down, and have anything you don’t understand explained.
There is little we know about you yet.
but when we do we will all have something to add.
So ask what comes into your head. This plan you are being asked to get on with is the first thing. Tests and scans.
