Results of Blood tests

ok,
HERE is a quick run down of all testing for hubby

2001 PSA reading 3.27 Normal ranges for this test at our lab is 0.00-4.00
white male

2003 PSA test reading was 4.23 with no symptoms, but enlarge gland and
father who had prostate cancer
Had biopsy NO malignancy 7 good specimens and
few smaller ones all negative

2004 PSA 4.15 AGE of 59 Had round of antibiotics and restested PSA
which was a month later at PSA of 4.21
Had another biopsy done 10 specimens ALL NEGATIVE

2005 PSA 3.79 With a FREE PSA of 13%
ANother biopsy done with NO malignacy found

2006 PSA 3.40 With FREE PSA of 12% AGE of 61yrs.

Doc gave hubby 3 alternatives.

One being do nothing till next year and get another PSA with out a FREE
PSA. I questioned why and he said studies have shown that they are now
going more with PSA and not the FREE PSA test especially since there has
been 3 yrs of NEG biopsy results and no symptoms and neg exam. I even
questioned the fact that below 25% usually means there is cancer there
somewhere but he managed to tell hubby and myself that he has had over 27
specimens and all were neg and not to worry about that test, as long as the
PSA stays below the 6 and or symptoms appear to wait another year then...

TWO being to have a urine test where the doc massages the prostate then
squeezes the gland and has the patient pee. This specimen is then sent to
lab and tested for DNA and cancer cells. IT IS 90% effective in finding
cancer..

Three JUST do a biopsy again.

Hubby picked number one. Wait a year and doc agreed that was the best since
he has no problems and all.

this is NOT the usual doc he sees. IT is the one I told him to get for a
second opinion and he is young and very much in sinc with prostate problems
and does lectures and stuff on it. So hubby feels at ease with this. And
this doc will be his doc from now on...

NOW when home I asked him "IF" he thought about the urine test and he told
me NO not since it was explained so well and he feel confident that this
will be fine to wait.
BUT no order for the FREE PSA because Doc doesn't feel it is an accurate
test to use to measure.

Any thoughts on this matter?
maybe I dont need to ask??
thanks much

I'm no expert, and can't begin to give better or different advice
than the doctor gave, but I can tell you something that may help
put your mind at ease.

A friend of mine had a high PSA. It varied from 6 to 8. He had
a biopsy that was completely negative. Some months later he had
another biopsy that was negative. They waited another year and
he had another biopsy and it was negative.

I haven't seen him in a while, but my understanding is that he
still does does not appear to have prostate cancer. He was first
biopsied at about age 60.

So I believe it is quite possible for men to have PSA values
outside the normal range without having cancer. In fact, I was
told by a urologist that only about 15% of men with a PSA of 6.0
actually have cancer.

The high PSA and the low free PSA are frightening, but since
biopsies have revealed nothing, and since his PSA is not going up
and up, I suspect that you're in the clear for now and waiting a
year is not unreasonable.

As I'm sure you know, benign prostate hyperplasia and prostatitis
are two other common, but not dangerous, causes of elevated PSA.
Most prostatitis is apparently not bacterial in origin, so the
fact that antibiotics did not bring the PSA way down does not
mean that your husband does not have prostatitis.

Also, many cases of mild prostatitis (inflammation of prostate
tissues) cause no pain at all so the absence of prostate pain
also does not prove there is no prostatitis.

A PSA test at least every year seems to me highly desirable, but
for now, it seems to me that everything is okay.

Alan

janers wrote:

> Hubby picked number one. Wait a year and doc agreed that was the best since
> he has no problems and all.

> Any thoughts on this matter?

One, and a very general one at that. Symptoms, including a positive DRE,
tell us one thing: we'd be better off if we had caught it sooner. I
wouldn't let lack of symptoms be a factor.

I.P.

"I.P. Freely" <fuhgheddaboutit@noway.nohow> wrote in message
news:sWWWg.3047$%l1.2347@newsfe07.lga...
> janers wrote:
>
>> Hubby picked number one. Wait a year and doc agreed that was the best
>> since he has no problems and all.
>
>> Any thoughts on this matter?
>
> One, and a very general one at that. Symptoms, including a positive DRE,
> tell us one thing: we'd be better off if we had caught it sooner. I
> wouldn't let lack of symptoms be a factor.
>
> I.P.

Just to add. I know it's hard, but go on and live your life, and keep
getting tested when the Doc says. With every negative you get renewed for
awhile. A friend of mine with an elevated PSA, an enlarged gland, and a
family history has been going through twice a year biopsy's for over 10
years. He kind of knew it was a matter of time, but decided to not change
his lifestyle. Sadly he was finally diagnosed with PCa. In the past 10 years
he fished, sailed, traveled, worked, retired, and had a good life. Try not
to dwell on it and make yourself miserable. What will be will be.


--
JK Sinrod
www.SinrodStudios.com
www.MyConeyIslandMemories.com

> Just to add. I know it's hard, but go on and live your life, and keep
> getting tested when the Doc says. With every negative you get renewed for
> awhile. A friend of mine with an elevated PSA, an enlarged gland, and a
> family history has been going through twice a year biopsy's for over 10
> years. He kind of knew it was a matter of time, but decided to not change
> his lifestyle. Sadly he was finally diagnosed with PCa. In the past 10 years
> he fished, sailed, traveled, worked, retired, and had a good life. Try not
> to dwell on it and make yourself miserable. What will be will be.
>

You mean your friend has gotten over 20 biopsies? Wow!

I hope he's still okay and still fishing etc etc.

YES my friend is still fishing !!! and he is also my hubby, lover, friend
and cofident...

All works are still a "GO" and doing it quite well I might add

thanks

janers wrote:
> ok,
> HERE is a quick run down of all testing for hubby
>
> 2001 PSA reading 3.27 Normal ranges for this test at our lab is 0.00-4.00
> white male
>
> 2003 PSA test reading was 4.23 with no symptoms, but enlarge gland and
> father who had prostate cancer
> Had biopsy NO malignancy 7 good specimens and
> few smaller ones all negative
>
> 2004 PSA 4.15 AGE of 59 Had round of antibiotics and restested PSA
> which was a month later at PSA of 4.21
> Had another biopsy done 10 specimens ALL NEGATIVE
>
> 2005 PSA 3.79 With a FREE PSA of 13%
> ANother biopsy done with NO malignacy found
>
> 2006 PSA 3.40 With FREE PSA of 12% AGE of 61yrs.
>
> Doc gave hubby 3 alternatives.
>
> One being do nothing till next year and get another PSA with out a FREE
> PSA. I questioned why and he said studies have shown that they are now
> going more with PSA and not the FREE PSA test especially since there has
> been 3 yrs of NEG biopsy results and no symptoms and neg exam. I even
> questioned the fact that below 25% usually means there is cancer there
> somewhere but he managed to tell hubby and myself that he has had over 27
> specimens and all were neg and not to worry about that test, as long as the
> PSA stays below the 6 and or symptoms appear to wait another year then...
>
> TWO being to have a urine test where the doc massages the prostate then
> squeezes the gland and has the patient pee. This specimen is then sent to
> lab and tested for DNA and cancer cells. IT IS 90% effective in finding
> cancer..
>
> Three JUST do a biopsy again.
>
> Hubby picked number one. Wait a year and doc agreed that was the best since
> he has no problems and all.
>
> this is NOT the usual doc he sees. IT is the one I told him to get for a
> second opinion and he is young and very much in sinc with prostate problems
> and does lectures and stuff on it. So hubby feels at ease with this. And
> this doc will be his doc from now on...
>
> NOW when home I asked him "IF" he thought about the urine test and he told
> me NO not since it was explained so well and he feel confident that this
> will be fine to wait.
> BUT no order for the FREE PSA because Doc doesn't feel it is an accurate
> test to use to measure.
>
> Any thoughts on this matter?
> maybe I dont need to ask??
> thanks much
>
>

I would go with one of his urolgists's recommendations. The only other
option would be to try a more sophisticated kind of guided biopsy which
could look for the cancer in places in the prostate not usually sampled.
the term Doppler guided ultrasound comes to mind. Perhaps he could ask
his urologist about that.

"janers" <rojakort@bright.net> wrote in message
news:CeOdnX-pjYzpibDYnZ2dnUVZ_v2dnZ2d@bright.net...
> YES my friend is still fishing !!! and he is also my hubby, lover,
> friend
> and cofident...
>
> All works are still a "GO" and doing it quite well I might add
>
> thanks
>
>

He was talking about my friend. Yes over 20 biopsies.


--
JK Sinrod
www.SinrodStudios.com
www.MyConeyIslandMemories.com

janers wrote:

> Doc gave hubby 3 alternatives.
>
> One being do nothing till next year and get another PSA with out a FREE
> PSA. I questioned why and he said studies have shown that they are now
> going more with PSA and not the FREE PSA test especially since there has
> been 3 yrs of NEG biopsy results and no symptoms and neg exam. I even
> questioned the fact that below 25% usually means there is cancer there
> somewhere but he managed to tell hubby and myself that he has had over 27
> specimens and all were neg and not to worry about that test, as long as
> the PSA stays below the 6 and or symptoms appear to wait another year
> then...
>

[snip]

> Hubby picked number one. Wait a year and doc agreed that was the best
> since he has no problems and all.


I'm with hubby here. PSA is stable; countless (too many) negative biopsies,
and no DRE irregularties.

He needs a break from unnecessary biopsies, and their risks - not to mention
the stress of waiting for the pathologist reading.