Very big spike in PSA number

Hi . That is quite a jump in PSA and it is certainly understandable that you're concerned. It is also understandable that you are disturbed/frustrated by the reaction (or lack thereof) of the doctor's office. Unfortunately, waiting for tests and appointments is all too common. People will tell you that the good news is that prostate cancer is slow growing and, while true, we know that doesn't help in the here and now when you need answers. I don't know if you have other urology options. Also, I know that some people have success getting an earlier appointment by getting put on a cancellation list. Hopefully others will chime in with their thoughts. Please feel free to keep us posted and to ask additional questions - there are plenty of men here who have been where you are. Best, Richard (Team Member)

The problem is getting to the point where I can be put on a cancellation list. The first urologist that I wanted to see said that they got the referral from my PCP but they were 4-6 weeks out to let me know when I could have an appointment. I asked about other docs in that practice and was told it was the same for all of them. The second urologist that I asked my dr to send a referral to said that they didn’t get it. I confirmed with my doc that it was sent and called them back and was told that the person who handles referrals was out for a few days. I asked what wait times for an appointment once they saw the referral and was told 6-8 weeks!! I also asked about other docs in that group and was told that it was the same with all docs in the group. With both groups I asked if I could be put on a cancellation list and was told that they only do that after they confirm the referral…. I think I’m just going to keep calling daily until I can get someone to actually do something. Not sure what else to do.

Hello troutandabout,
Hopefully by now you have made that appointment but I did want to chime in and say you are not helpless when it comes to things you can do as you wait for an appointment.
The first thing to remember is Urologists aren't gods, they are subject to the regulations and "Standard of Care" based on national guidelines. these are available to you and you can find out what options might be available to you based on your circumstances.
Secondly, you can retest on your own for around $50 and make sure your number wasn't an outlier. There are some things that can raise your PSA artificially, such as infection, and you may want to rule those out.
Lastly, you can "act like" you have cancer, and make any lifestyle changes that you need to in the interim. There is plenty of advice out there for diet and exercise modifications that will benefit you overall, as well as have an impact on your (possible) cancer.
Whether you make these changes now or wait until your appointment is obviously up to you, but ultimately a few weeks will most likely not have a big impact on prostate cancer progression, if that is what is determined.

I did finally get an appointment. When everything was first happening and getting an appointment was a 4+ week wait, we had a few huge snowstorms in my area that shut almost everything down for a week. I called to be on a cancellation list and got in within 24 hours.

Since then I had another PSA test and went from the initial PSA of 18 up to 20.2 (in just under 2 weeks). I also had an MRI which showed what appears to be a significant tumor in the left side of my prostate and a “very small spot” a few inches away from my prostate. I’m having a biopsy next week to determine (confirm) that it’s cancer. It’s about 99% that it is given my numbers and MRI result….

I also had a consultation with an organization in Grand Rapids MI called BAMF Health. Probably one of if not the premier prostate cancer research and treatment organizations in the country. Right now everything points to a very high likelihood of cancer so as soon as I have biopsy results I have a follow up at BAMF to have a full body PET scan. BAMF also happens to have one of only two of the most advanced PET scanners in the country where they have the highest resolution possible and a full body scan only takes 3 minutes. I should have all the results by the end of next week. That will obviously be used to determine and direct the best treatment options.

I hadn’t really thought about diet changes that can have a positive impact on prostate cancer. Can you point me to where I can find something on that?