Get Checked Early and Ask About High PSA Numbers!

By tim-martin

1 min read

Hi, my name is Tim, moved down to Florida 4 years ago. When up in Connecticut, my PSA numbers were always very high 20/24, but they never told me I needed a biopsy, nor, what the PSA # meant.

Asking about high PSA

Even coming down to Florida, after trying to find a good doctor - and dentist (it took a while and went through a few!). My wife actually had to ASK why these "PSA" numbers were so high for so many years and no doctor seemed to care.

A doctor DID finally have me get a biopsy - this is 6-7 years later... So glad my wife asked this question. Now I have been on hormone therapy for the past 6 months and a total of 18 months in all for this, and had my 9 1/2 weeks of radiation a few months back.

Tell everyone to get their PSA checked

Tell all your friends 40 and up - to get their PSA #s checked - and ask and question your doctor. This is a silent disease, just like kidney disease.

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Dennis E. Golden Moderator & Contributor
Hi Tim -- Well I am still in CT and good for you on making the move. So far my wife wants to stay here. And as they say ... A Happy Wife = A Happy Life . One personal observation I have made over the past 8 years in my interviewing men is as follows: - On average General Practitioners (GPs) do not appear to be "up to speed" when it comes to diagnosing the many intricacies associated with early or advancing prostate cancer. - Too often it appears that general practitioners either based on training, education, or on their personal bias do not agree on when a man should be examined or tested by a urologist for a steadily rising PSA. My own GP ignored my rising PSA for years as he believed my numbers were in "a normal range." Only later did I learn there is no magic number as to when a man should be seen by a urologist. One fellow in his late 50's recently told me his GP saw no need to do any PSA testing. She noted that PSA testing was not 100% reliable and therefore it was totally unnecessary. Several weeks she reluctantly did a PSA blood test. She also told him prior to taking a blood sample that it might not be covered by his medical insurance and asked if he wanted to do so. Yikes ....talk about pressuring a patient. His test was covered and sure enough it showed a high PSA level. He decided to visit with a urologist. Fast forward 4 weeks and following a biopsy this guy is diagnosed with a contained Gleason 8. He will be undergoing radiation treatment shortly. So agree with you ...men need to be pro-active with personal health and get tested on a regular basis. This thing, called prostate cancer, like so many other diseases shows few symptoms in its early stages - when it is most treatable. ... Dennis(ProstateCancer.net Team)
1. Tony Collier Moderator & Contributor
 Such an important point. There is so much more we need to do to make sure that GP's are up to speed and fully understand the prostate cancer diagnostic pathways. I hear far too many stories of GP's who have refused a PSA test only for the man to go and be diagnosed with stage 4 prostate cancer for my liking