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Posted 5/12/2011 1:21 PM (GMT 0)
Lab test results were always saved, from annual checkups.

The data was carefully reviewed, reguarding PCa.

It was discovered the free PSA should have raised a flag.  For some reason

one lab report (many years ago) had a free PSA, and others did not.

The low free psa should have triggered the refferal to a urologist, not

the PSA.  Buy the time I did see a urologist, he said he would of recomended

a biopsy when the PSA was in the three's.   Upon insistance to the PCM,

two months of antibiotcs were taken.  Dropped from 4.8 to 4.7.  After the negligable

drop, I saw a urologist for the biopsy.  Lesson learned ?, perhaps.  According

to the tables, a Free PSA below 10% indicated 56% chance for cancer, many years

before the PSA decided to push past that 4 marker.  

Posted 5/12/2011 7:25 PM (GMT 0)
Should-a could-a...Hindsight is always 20-20....I didn't know what free PSA was until I read about it in Walsh's book..My history reflects a less the perfect diagnostic path..Most of us are that way....
Posted 5/12/2011 7:53 PM (GMT 0)
Because of my ultra-high deductible, a Free PSA was not even considered until the GP was concerned with the standard PSA. It is an extra $125+ for most of us, unless you can get a deal at a local lab.
Posted 5/12/2011 8:07 PM (GMT 0)
During an annual physical in 2007, my family doc did a regular PSA test that later came back at 3.7.  He said, "We'll have to keep an eye on that."  Back then I didn't even know what a PSA test was and what it meant.  I made the mistake of thinking, "The doctor knows what he's doing; if there's something to worry about, I'm sure he'll let me know" so I never even gave it a second thought.  In my education over the past few weeks, I've read where some doctors are thinking a PSA threshold well below 4.0 warrants further attention, especially in younger patients.  I wonder if my doctor back then chose to do a free PSA if I could have had a head start on my treatment.
Posted 5/12/2011 11:04 PM (GMT 0)
Would have been, could have been, should have been is a cruel game to play in your mind. What you know now, is more important than what you didn't know then.

david in sc
Posted 5/13/2011 12:06 AM (GMT 0)
Not the point, my PCM's get a failing grade for PCa.

The urologist said you should have had a biopsy five years ago.

 

Posted 5/13/2011 1:18 AM (GMT 0)
Let's be fair here, most GP and PCM's only have a slight brushing in Medical School about PC at best, combined with learning about hundreds of other maladies. The old standard of "4.0" and getting referred to a urologist has been the standard for so many years, and most doctors dutifully wait till that threshold has been passed. We know now, that standard can miss a lot of lower PSA cases. That's also why pre-dx PSA velocity is so important to pay attention to.

david in sc
Posted 6/14/2011 8:25 PM (GMT 0)
My husband went for his annual physical a few weeks ago, his PSA was
4.7
Two years ago it was 1.2
His free PSA this past week was 6%
His DRE was non conclusive.....which is a good sign
He is 52 years old, excellent health, now we are headed to Sarasota to do an MRI-s next week.....we are both frightened as to what may come of all this.....And sometime information overload makes it worse, but we are praying for good news and I will post here with the results and how we plan to handle it if the news is not good....good luck to all of you as well.... confused
Posted 6/14/2011 10:18 PM (GMT 0)
Same here. A year ago my GP ordered bloodwork and my PSA had risen from 1.1 to 3.0 in one year. That should have been the clue to send me straight to the Uro. He said we won't worry about it until it gets to a 4 so I requested that we re-test in 6 months. Well, six months later it was a 3.5 so off to the Uro I went. Now I just wonder if we had done things six months earlier if I could have avoided the EPE, PNI, etc. But as was stated above, I could "what if" this forever. It is what it is.
Posted 6/23/2011 11:45 AM (GMT 0)
This is wife posting.....went to Dr. Wheelers in Sarasota, FL yesterday.....remember we have had no biopsy, opted for MRI-s we will not have the results until next week, however they performed a sonogram, there was one area of concern, very small located in the front right side......the MRI procedure according to my husband was a bit painful for a few minutes then subsided and was just uncomfortable.....the doctor said from his opinion according to sonogram that there was a 33% chance it was cancer and that it was not aggressive. The thing that baffles us is that 3 other doctors prior too Dr Wheeler said my husbands prostate was very enlarged, but Dr Wheeler measured it on the sonogram and it is actually very small......since this all began my husband began drinking POM wonderful in large quantities, could that be the reason????? Its all so confusing and the internet is all over the charts with this disease.....at this point in our minds we are going to do diet modification, vitamin and herbal supplements with watchful waiting no matter what the MRI results are and monitor is PSA levels every 3 months.....Then in the future if needed we are considering the HIFU procedure, which if the cancer is only on one side they only target that area leaving most of the internals of the gland still there......I will post the MRI results when we receive them, hoping for the best.....
Age:52
May 2011
PSA: 4.7%
Free PSA: 6%
Posted 6/23/2011 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
How odd I find it to be that several here are the same age, PSA & FPSA.

I am familiar with MRI-S, and understand the PCa needle tracking and blood thing.

Was not conerned with the tracking , if I was hot, I was going to quickly have

it removed.  The blood issue will always be a thought/concern.  I was not thrilled

by going with a biopsy, but a microscopic examination was preferred, with risks

accepted.  Will be very intrested on his testing outcome.

Posted 6/23/2011 7:42 PM (GMT 0)
https://www.healingwell.com/community/default.aspx?f=35&m=2143623

 

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