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Posted 10/4/2018 3:53 AM (GMT 0)
two beers. Good news!
Posted 3/21/2019 12:07 PM (GMT 0)
So I took another "plain" PSA test, and it is down to 3.3 from 3.9. The BPH is better. I have urologist appointment in a few weeks- do I need it? We have a "published rule" out here that a falling PSA trend is usually a good sign? But a few lines above this post TA says some forms of PCa do not signal their activity via PSA increases.
Posted 4/5/2019 10:09 PM (GMT 0)
My Urologist is like a hunting dog on point. But he says my PSA is below 4 and falling. So a yearly check up is fine. The DRE was negative. He said the free PSA test result (23%) my GP and I cooked up is not well characterized under a PSA of 4. The plan is still if the PSA spikes up over 4 again it is another MRI. He said the odds of my having cancer based on all the tests were "low". He said there was no relationship between BPH symptoms and PSA levels or even prostate size.
Posted 4/5/2019 10:39 PM (GMT 0)

Norsk11 said...
He said there was no relationship between BPH symptoms and PSA levels or even prostate size.

That's simply not true. I find it had to believe a trained urologist would say that, so giving him the benefit-of-the-doubt, maybe you heard or interpreted incorrectly.

I hate to waste a lot of time on this, so I'll just go to the first place I can conveniently copy/paste: HERE I found a page from Mayo Clinic addressing BPH:
    Although the PSA test is used primarily to screen for prostate cancer, other medical conditions can cause PSA levels to rise, as well. One of the most common is benign prostatic hyperplasia, or BPH.


The entire notion of age-adjusted PSA is because the prostate continues to grow (just like ears do) throughout the man's life. HERE's a report with this as the very first line in the Discussion section:
    Prostate volume is reportedly an important contributing factor to the increase in PSA level in the absence of adenocarcinoma.


I think you just mis-heard...
Posted 4/5/2019 11:11 PM (GMT 0)
Actually he said "You can have a giant prostate (making a large ball with his hands) and a PSA of 1.0" - which is also correct. I was commenting my BPH symptoms were better and my PSA was falling. He said they were unrelated. There are not a lot of absolutes here- the words "reportedly" and "can" are used above. "Prostate volume is reportedly an important contributing factor to the increase in PSA level in the absence of adenocarcinoma." <<If there is an increase in PSA.

I am bringing this up not to start a fight but to highlight the messy and inexact nature of PSA and PCa diagnosis in the PSA 3-4 range. This bit of insight cost me around $8000.
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