Bad DRE Today and Worried

I am a 41 year old male, went to urologist today for an unrelated matter, he performed a DRE on me since I haven’t had one in a few years. Found a nodule and said it could be calcium or cancer. My PSA was 1.5 a month ago. He scheduled me for a ultrasound next week and if he sees something odd; a biopsy. I am kind of worried, any advice or am I overreacting?   No one to my knowledge has had PC in my family before, so I know nothing about this.....

You are way on the young side, though we have members in your age range, and your PSA isn't particually high at this point, but that positive DRE needs to be further investigated. If there's any doubt, a prostate biopsy may be in order.

Hoping you won't need to fully join our brotherhood here, so keep us posted on what happens next.

David in SC

The nodule must be investigated, then you will know, your PSA at 1.5 is in your favour, good luck with the further procedures.

Mal.

Thank You for the encouragement, I said I would be alright whatever they find and I meant it. I didnt start to worry until I walked in the door and saw my 6 year old little girl, so whatever the results are next week, I am in this t win. If I dont have cancer, I will Thank God and keep a better check on my health. If I do have, I will Thank God for all my blessing and I will fight and win to see my daughter grow up. Again Thank You Guys....

Needs to be checked out to remove the uncertainty, but from what I've noted over the years if a detectable lump was cancer you'd expect to see a much much higher PSA.

As others have said, hope you report back that the biopsy is negative, but if you need HW it's here for you.

Alf

Welcome back, John from TN. Thanks for the update. The only way to get real peace of mind at this point, is to have the biopsy. It could still easily be bph, but definitely need to rule out the chance of PC.

Try not to worry too much, until you get the results. You are welcome here, lol, but we really don't want you to belong here because of a PC diagnosis. My best wishes for you, hoping you get an all clear signal soon.

David in SC

When you look at your little girl, think to yourself, "Thank God I have a doctor who is thorough enough that he did the  DRE and found that lump and has directed that I have it further investigated."

Hopefully it will turn out to be a calcification or perhaps you have a touch of prostatitis, but in any case, knowledge is always better than ignorance, and If worse comes to worst, you can be treated and live to rock your grandchildren to sleep.

You're a smart man to monitor your body changes so closely, and you have a good physician.  Keep it up!

John,

You are doing all the right stuff and have caught this as yet unknown problem early. Even if a biopsy shows PC, if is likely very early stage which gives you plenty of time to decide how to treat it sucessfully. Regards,

Joe (a native Tennessean now living in Gator country)

No he didnt tell me that, and my regular doctor who is a friend of mine said he also did something they may have messed with the results. The uro did a 10 min DRE on me prior to taking blood.... So the psa may not be 100% accurate.

Update-Update-Update

So I returned to the Uro today, last time I was there my PSA was 2.9. So I had a 3 week wait to see him, I have two friends who are generals docs, they wanted to experiment with me so they put me on antibiotics and antiinflamatories while I waited to see the Uro. PSA down to 1.5 after three weeks of mild medicines, urine stream sronger and prostrate getting smaller.

Uro listened as I told him what we had done, asked if I had any proof? Handed him lab results, his face lit up and he said lets have a feel. He did another DRE and said before his experience told him the nodule wasnt cancer and feeels even less like it this time. Matter of fact he could hardly feel it, he perscribed another 2 months of a different antibiotic and said he would not do a biopsy on me unless I made him as he doesnt think it warrants it. He further said to keep doing what I was doing herbally, plenty of hydration, good diet and return in 6 months for a recheck.

He did say if anything changed or I had any doubt to come in, he told me to listen to my body.

My treatment: Antibiotics, Alieve, Prostanew, 12 bottles of water per day, NO Sodas, Cranberry juice and chewables, fresh veggies and fruit EVERY Meal.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LL2TWG/ref=oh_details_o00_s01_i00

Thank EVERYONE for enourgaement here, I know I could still have PC. But I dont think I do, and if I do I feel like I could manage it. I have been amazed at the changes in my body by changing what I put into it.

I was prepared to Praise the Lord either way. Praise you Father; you are my life, my light, my healer, my best friend and my Savior!

Thanks Again, John

Good news John. Stay on this track....something is working for you.

Joe

Chances are you're fine.  But the only definitive way to determine PCa is through a biopsy.  PSA tests are only indicators of a potential problem.

So you have to ask yourself, can you live with the PSA test results?  If so, will you subscribe to routine / regular testing (both PSA and DRE) so that you can monitor changes over time?

A biopsy can be definitive on the presence of PCa, but it is never definitive on the absence of PCa. I had 3 biopsies, and I feel relatively certain that I had PCa since before the first one, but the third one indicating PCa is the only one that was "definitive."

Some of the posts I see re: biopsy seem to indicate that you're in the clear if you don't find PCa ... hardly.