I got good news on my biopsy....but still have questions
I am 74 years old. I've had mild symptoms that increased in the past 6 months. Mostly urgency. I've had a history of prostatitis that I finally got control of in my 30s. I have kept on top of my PSA and it crept from 3.2 to 4.9 this year.
I went to my urologist who did an MRI. The following was in the report: A lesion in the right anterior peripheral zone at the mid gland is at very high suspicion for malignancy with an overall PI-RADS score of 4. No evidence of extraprostatic extension.
My urologist did a biopsy 2 weeks later and I thankfully got great news that the pathology on all the samples was benign. He has me set up for a PSA and followup in 6 months.
I should have discussed the lesion with my urologist but I was so shook up when he called I didn't ask him any questions. What does the lesion mean? Any insights on my ongoing prognosis at my age?
I am just the opposite. My MRI prior to biopsy showed no lesions, PiRad 2. Then my biopsy came back with 4 cores with Gleason 3+3. I am on AS now, but wonder why the MRI showed nothing.
This is not medical advice rather a personal observation ..
I suspect with a Gleason 6 you most likely are dealing with a non-aggressive cancer. As such it is not at a level that can be detected with a standard MRI scan. While there are more more sensitive scans available, the cost of doing one at this time most likely cannot be $$$ justified by your insurance carrier.
Just know you and your MD are not ignoring the situation ...AS ... is a form of treatment and over time will keep you up to speed on any future need to take additional steps. Best advice is - stay aware and enjoy life ...Dennis(ProstateCancer.net TEAM)Thank you, your response makes total sense. Right now I'm scheduled for a PSA in October, which will be 6 months from the biopsy, and another biopsy next April which will be 1 year. I'm still researching Tulsa as a treatment, either before then or if those two events point to an increase. I may be too aggressive and need to chill out.
It is possible to get a no sign of disease report after a biopsy and still have prostate cancer. Personally I would ask for a clarification on the presence of a lesion and its meaning. the same time I would seek out a second opinion regarding a lesion and also undergo a follow up PSA test.
It is good to remember that a PSA test is not a test for cancer --- the test just measures the amount of Prostate antigen in your blood. A properly targeted biopsy will show if a cancer is present. Dennis(ProstateCancer.net TEAM)I should have asked more questions. I will. The biopsy was at Siteman in StLouis and it was A Transperineal Ultrasound guided prostate biopsy (TPUS) which I am under the impression is the gold standard. I am already set up for a 6 month followup with a PSA.
Hi Lazboy
I am about to get a Transperenial Biopsy. Does it hurt?
Heard about PSA in Medical Medium Podcast yesterday. PSA is a measure of inflamation in the body, not specifically prostate as it is called. So your PSA can be high due to inflamation in your liver or somewhere else, not necessarily the prostate.
thanks for reaching out and I hope you hear back from our community member. In the meantime, I wanted to send over an article from one of our advocates who talks about the transperenial biopsy: https://prostatecancer.net/living/transperineal-biopsy. I hope this is helpful for you. I hope your procedure goes smoothly for you. Jill, prostatecancer.net team
Thanks for the info. Scheduled for transperineal biopsy on the 22nd Dec 23, but I postponed it as I am not mentally ready. it is important to be mentally ready. Please keep us posted on how you are doing. Jill, prostatecancer.net team
