Worried and little urgency

Hi Rod (). Your anxiety over feeling you are getting nowhere in scheduling a procedure and worrying about any potential progression is certainly understandable. The good news is that prostate cancer is generally slow growing and it is not rare for it to take a while to get a biopsy (longer than 35 days). Did the doctor say you absolutely need a biopsy? I ask because you mention the enlarged prostate, the negative digital rectal exams, and an elevated, but not terribly so, PSA, and the fact that the doctor is scheduling another PSA. An enlarged prostate, especially at the level you mention will result in an elevated PSA. As noted in this article, benign prostatic hyperplasia ( non-cancerous growth of the prostate gland), has similar symptoms, but is not a risk factor for cancer: https://prostatecancer.net/symptoms/bph-risk. Without knowing what the test score of 4 refers to it is impossible to comment. It could a PI-RAD score (which could accompany the MRI - see https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info/article-prostate-mri-report) or something else I'm not thinking of. Don't hesitate to ask for clarification of anything in your previous results. Please feel free to keep us posted on how things are going. Wishing you the best. Richard (ProstateCancer.net Team)

Hi Richard,


Firstly thank you for responding it means a lot and I'm very grateful 😀


The duration from MRI to Biopsy is 14 days from what I was told as part of the 'cancer pathway' timeline.
When I chase I gain miss information such as my name is wrong, they keep saying I have had two CT scans which I haven't had, you need to see a consultant when I already have, the consultant hadn't booked me in for a biopsy, questioned twice asking have you had your MRI etc... Hence my concern that I'm either lost in the system or the process is broken.
Hopefully i'll get there in the end and can see what your saying in that 'normally' they are slow growing if it is a cancer.


I've agreed I will ring the doctor tomorrow if no date is given by then and he will chase for me.
Reagrds the PSI check yesterday morning it was at my request, as it could give some indication of whats going on. Hope to have those results either side of this coming weekend.


The score of 4 was from the PI-RAD from which I believe was derived from my age of 58, the percentage of lesions, my symptons and the size of the prostate.


I guess I initially joined here to understand the percentage of lesions and would this definitly be cancer or what else it could be?
When I saw the scan it was roughly covered by 75% of the lesion which impacted me most, but I didn't ask the question to the consultant.
When I say lesion i'm referring to a lighter grey colour covering the prostate.


I'm trying to stay positive but the fear hits me like a 'sack of spuds' at times, both for what it could be and having the actual biopsy.


I read your link and do also have an 'incidental finding', my kidneys and tubes leading to the bladder are ballooned. They have suggested a possible cist and are yet to confirm next steps, if any.


This is a horrible feeling and wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy.


Thank you again,


Rod.

I had an mri score of 3. Scale is 1-5. 5 being more certain. When you biopsy make sure you are under anesthesia. There is a little discomfort afterwards for a few days. Nothing bad just uncomfortable.


I wound up with 2 small spots 5% effected and a Gleason score of 3+3. Which is lowest. I chose 28 days of radiation. They used a spacer gel to protect rectum. No bladder or bowel issues.


Good luck and let me know if this helps or if you have further questions

Your treating doctors would need to see your mpMRI report and advise further steps. If at all a biopsy is called for, it shouldn’t be a source of undue alarm or anxiety, as pointed out by . But it would be a lot better to let the treating doctor view your mpMRI and then proceed further. Best of luck.