Extremely high psa
I’m 72 & had not had Psa checked in many years - I was having problems urinating so my primary did Psa test giving result of 24.7 - he is referring me to urologist— but 24.7 seems alarmingly high - as I read these forums guys are being treated with Psa around 3 — can the 24.7 result be correct? Is something that high even possible?
While a high PSA can certainly be of concern --- apart from prostate cancer, there are other conditions that may increase a PSA level. 1) PSA increase can be from an enlargement of prostate tissue over many years. 2) An inflammation of the prostate, due to bacterial infection 3) A urinary tract infections, 4) Prostate injury, 5) Recent ejaculation, 6)High parathyroid hormone and even riding a bicycle.
A PSA test is not a test for cancer. The test only measures the amount of prostate androgen in your blood at the time the test was taken.
If concerns arise s/he will most likely will want to do a 12 core needle biopsy to see if cancer is detected. If so it will be assigned a Gleason Score. A score is 6 is low and often can be watched for some time. Once you get to a 7 and higher you may be offered some form of treatment. It is important to remember that prostate cancer is slow growing so you do not have to jump into action. At the same time you do not want to ignore a 7+ ... Hope that helps Dennis(ProstateCancer.net TEAMthank you Dennis and that is how I will proceed... but I still have my question - is 24.7 a crazy impossibly high score, or does it even really matter at this point?
Hi
. You might be amazed at just how high PSA levels can go. I know we have had people here well into the hundreds. Here is a study that focused specifically on men with a PSA over 1000: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5476709/#:~:text=PSA%20testing%20could%20span%20~10,has%20not%20been%20well%20defined. In this study it was age greater than 80 combined with this extreme PSA that indicated poorer outcomes. Thus, as mentioned, a high PSA in and of itself is not necessarily indicative of worse outcomes. Wishing you the best and please feel free to keep us posted on how you are doing. Best, Richard (ProstateCancer.net Team) You can get PSA scores in the 1,000s
As so wonderfully explained by , high PSA readings can be attributed to several other causes. A detailed examination by a specialist on the basis of diagnostic tests would establish the correct course to follow.
During the earliest consultations that I had gone through, doctors would narrate how some patients had PSA readings in triple digits and how someone with even a PSA reading below 4 could have a carcinoma in the Prostate.
Consultations and investigations would appear to be the right course.
Wish you the best.
Dennis Golden ModeratorYou are correct. Why worry about your PSA now. At this point it is history. The focus now needs to be on the future and to find the cause and take of it using whatever action is needed. There are many treatment options if it indeed is Prostate cancer. All treatments will most likely impact and change you in some way.
Surgery if needed has an immediate impact on sexual performance and urine control. All of which can return to a new normal in a few weeks or months depending on your body, the extent of any cancer and the skill of your surgeon. Nerve sparing surgery if applicable in your case can allow for continued sexually but understand it will be different . Radiation if chosen will also produce similar remission results but the effects on urine control and sexuality simply take a bit longer to show up.
You can do surgery prior to radiation. The reverse often does not generate the best outcome for urine control because the tissues in the treated area have been "cooked" and damaged by radiation.
My advice ...stay away from Dr Google. Do some research/checking here and ask your Urologist or oncologist for guidance. If you are facing Prostate Cancer about 70% of men get this taken care using one of the treatment protocols. If it is cancer and it does return after surgery just know you can get it treated again.
While all of this is unnerving at first ...you will get through it and most likely will have many years ahead of you. All the best Dennis( ProstateCancer.net TEAM)
