BPH and PC link?

Now they say there's no link between BPH and prostate cancer, however I'd like to know the stats for this, if they're available?
Like what's the proportion of those who have had BPH that do develop prostate cancer later on to those who don't have BPH but develop cancer?

Bobby Mac said...
I had BPH and later PCA -

Not sure about any relationship?

Bobby Mac

Supposedly there's no link but I just would like to know if there are many people who get BPH who DON'T later develop cancer compared to those who don't have BPH that do develop it?
Like the people on this forum, it seems to me that the vast majority do have BPH.

They are both age-related, so that seems to associate them. I recall reading several articles stating no strong cause/effect has been found.

I had BPH that masked the Pca in my mind — BPH was noted on post-surgery pathology as “exhibits nodular hyperplasia” under “non-neoplastic prostate,” and also noted on MRI as “bilateral non-specific noncircumscribed areas of low T2 signal without significant restricted diffusion, non specific.”
URO diagnosed BPH in 2013 when psa was 8 and holding steady at that number, which blinded me to the cancer — no repeat psa for four years, when psa reached 20, 5/12 positive cores, all on right side. Post surgery pathology confirmed absence of multicentricity, but that one tumor had grown through the capsule focally.
Wonder if high grade PIN is a better predictor, regardless of whether BPH is present or not.

HALBERT....

PC is almost always asymptomatic unless it's really, really advanced--and that goes for men who are diagnosed with fully metastatic disease that is spreading around their body. Prostate limited cancer that hasn't spread just doesn't have symptoms.

Well that is quite scary if that's the case. Surely though most members on here would have had some symptoms, I mean they can't all be diagnosed through routine blood testing?

Let me ask the obvious questions....

Have you consulted with a urologist? What did he say? Have you had a PSA test? Or more than one? How about a digital exam? Based on any of that, have you had a biopsy? If you did, what did it show?

Not sure how many other threads of mine you've read but I've mentioned that I have only been to see my GP due to some on and off mild urinary symptoms I've been having and waking up at night (not to pee but just feeling a slight sense of discomfort down there occasionally). He examined me via DRE and said I had a larger prostate than normal for my age but that it was perfectly smooth and normal in that respect. He said he wasn't too concerned about it and that he felt what I had was an overactive bladder. He said I can get a PSA done if I want. The problem is, is that that sent me into a panic. I'm just scared now. I'm really worried about the possibility that it could be a high number which in turn will make me panic and think cancer. I don't like waiting to just hear some number and then still not know exactly what could be wrong if that number is high.

Post Edited (winglets) : 1/28/2018 3:03:39 PM (GMT-7)

My Dad was diagnosed with BPH around 11 years ago. He had a trans urethral resection of the prostate. To be quite honest I often wonder if he had pca then and it was missed.

Saying that... as far as I am aware bph is not considered to be a precursor of prostate cancer .. Although I’m not a doctor and am only going on what I’ve read.

Winglets, I'm gonna give it to you straight. Call it tough love.
You probably already hold the record for most new threads started that ask the same 2 or 3 questions in different ways. I understand your fear. Because I think I held the record before you c,e along.

I'm guessing, but it's an educated guess, that 90% of us diagnosed here with prostate cancer, had ZERO symptoms/
If it really bothers you, get a dam PSA test done, just for closure. If you keep getting yourself freaked out enough to avoid a PSA, then you'll possibly find yourself in a lot of hot water with advanced PSA . But when you are older. You are 34 years old for Gods sake. The odds of you having PC aren't zero. But they are probably about 1 in 5000. Or more.

Please get help. From a psychologist. You are wasting the best years of your life.
I'm not a doctor, so I could be wrong. But I'd guess that most of your "nighttime symptoms are in your head. Or so minor, that only someone with super ultra hyper-awareness of their body, bordering on OCD, would notice.

Get some help. Please. For your own sake. This is the advice I'd give my son.

Pratoman said...
You probably already hold the record for most new threads started that ask the same 2 or 3 questions in different ways. I understand your fear. Because I think I held the record before you c,e along.

You were a close 2nd place to Mel.

I had TURP for BPH which discovered prostate Ca. I read about 3 others on HW which in their cases prostate Ca was also discovered after TURP.
MK