Medical Question

[hobie16]

News on PSA test for prostate cancer

Interesting stuff. Last December, during the annual physical blood work, my PSA came back at 4.5. Doc sent me to a urologist. He said we can do a biopsy but let's run the test again as there things that can momentarily raise the PSA level. Second test came back at 2.7.

[Zazu]

News on PSA test for prostate cancer

Interesting stuff. Last December, during the annual physical blood work, my PSA came back at 4.5. Doc sent me to a urologist. He said we can do a biopsy but let's run the test again as there things that can momentarily raise the PSA level. Second test came back at 2.7.

I appreciate the question addressed in the article. Truth is, far more men die *with* prostate cancer than die *from* it. My father was diagnosed at 80, and his doctor advised him, "Something else is going to get you first." (The fact that it looks like he may have been wrong notwithstanding.)

Thus if the study was looking at testing men in their 80s with no family history of prostate cancer, then yeah, the test's probably a waste of time and money. OTOH, testing men in their 50s with a positive family history still makes good sense -- medically and financially.

I got a suspiciously high PSA test when I was 55 -- fairly young -- thus it made good sense to get a biopsy. That being positive, medical intervention was necessary and appropriate *for me*. A good friend who was also diagnosed at above my age elected not to treat it, and died after a decade of steadily increasing pain 15 years later.

Permanent and serious side effects from treatment? Sure! But none I've had or been threatened with are as bad as chronic debilitating pain and death.

That said, blood tests are not incredibly accurate or consistent. If you'd been running along with PSAs of 2.6 to 2.8 and popped up with a 4.5, another blood test was a whole lot less painful than a biopsy, and the lower result suggests that was the right choice.

Then again, if your next test is up again, I might go for the biopsy. Doesn't feel good at all (have someone drive you home!), but in two days all's normal and you have a much better idea of what's going on inside.

Let us know what your next numbers are like, and I'll gladly spew more advice and funny stories.

[hobie16]

Next PSA is in December. Since the 4.5 last year I now get them every six months. So far so good.

With me living on a Neighbor Island I'd fly to Honolulu for a biopsy.

[Zazu]

With me living on a Neighbor Island I'd fly to Honolulu for a biopsy.

You won't want to fly back the same day. Trust me on this!

[Big Wallaby]

You won't want to fly back the same day. Trust me on this!

And I would assume sailing back is out of the question as well.

[hobie16]

Sailing over is pretty straight forward. The only decision is which side of Molokai to take.

Coming straight back means an 80 mile beat. Too rough when the trades are up. That means a reach to Lanai and then a beat back to Maui south of the windline.