High PSA and PC anxiety before the Prostate biopsy results. General Cancer Anxiety Poll

My first post, perhaps I can be of help to someone.

I recently turned 65 and took a Medicare Advantage plan. I had been out of work a few years and had no medical access. So I immediately scheduled my annual "free" physical.

The Dr. said everything seemed all right on physical exam, but he said my prostate seemed enlarged ( upon DRE ). I told him that I was not surprised since a retired Dr friend had prescribed me Tamulosin about 5 years ago when I complained of getting up often at night.

The retired Dr did no exam but he said it was "probably BPH" and the Tamulosin should help, which it did. He was doing me a favor since I didn't have access to a urologist. I took the Tamulosin for a few years and had weaned myself off it with the problems still way down.

Flash forward to my recent physical. I related the above to my GP and he said I should consider a visit to the urologist soon. I said sure and then went off to have my blood work and other tests ( they did a Fecal Matter tests too ).

The following week the results came in. Everything was fine with great Lipid and Metabolic panels. Then I looked at the PSA results. It was 10.9!!!! I knew this was high so I turned to Google. No source said that I had PC, but every site said my chances were greater than 50%. That was scary! The next day I called the Dr., and he said the results were very noteworthy and that I should immediately make the next available Urologist appointment which was a week away.

I asked if another PSA test was needed and he said not yet and that I needn't do anything till the Urologist visit. So I went home to more Googling and found out nothing new. And yes, I was sure I had PC! Or I certainly had cancer anxiety.

The next week I went to the Urologist. He was excellent and very knowledgeable. Basically he questioned me and then gave me a DRE. He was more experienced than the GP and said that my prostate was certainly very enlarged. I asked what he could tell from that, He said that I almost certainly had BPH or PC! Well you know how I was thinking. I said could he guess which. He said yes, but only after a prostate biopsy, which I knew and I think he knew that I knew. So I went home to 2 more weeks of PC cancer anxiety.

He had scheduled a biopsy for two weeks later. I arrived and we did it. It was not bad at all and just as described. After the biopsy I asked if he had any ideas now. He did, and said that my prostate measured 125cc ( I think that "cc's"is the measurement )which is about 5 times the size of a normal prostate and considered huge.

So I asked what he could tell me at that point. He was hesitant but said that I had no palpable tumors that he could feel nor was my prostate oddly shaped ( though it was huge ). Based on that he said that in his opinion it was more likely I had BPH than PC. But there were absolutely no certainties till the lab results came back. He even explained likely treatment scenarios if it were either. He said he would call me with the lab results.

So I went home to wait. I would say that me my cancer anxiety was lessened but certainly still there. Well today he called. He said he had good news and that the biopsy was clear. What a relief! He said that he would prescribe Finasteride 5mg and that would help relieve my huge prostate and lower my PSA. He also offered me Tamulosin to help urinary function but I declined till I think I need it. I thanked him and will pick up the Rx tomorrow.

Moral of the story? ( overlong perhaps and I'm sorry ) It is that the Cancer Anxiety is worse than the biopsy if you have a high PSA which was 10.9 in my case. I guess I was very lucky and the biopsy came back clean but I think many here have experienced pre-biopsy result cancer anxiety. I don't know if there is anything that can be done for it but I hope someone is doing a Google search and is directed here.

What I mean is that someone may have a high PSA per their blood test results. And their Dr is telling them that nothing is certain till they have biopsy results. But I am almost certain that they will have cancer anxiety until they get those results. I hope all are lucky like me but as we know, nothing is certain till those biopsy results come in. So hang in there and try not to worry as much as you would have before finding this forum.

I'm done finally. What are the experience of some of you others?

Post Edited (rnoldh) : 5/15/2014 7:06:21 PM (GMT-6)

I was almost positive I didn't have cancer. I seem to recall being calm up until the call. The urologist told my dad that it all looked good after my biopsy. I went home from the biopsy with that news. I seem to recall that my anxiety was consumed by my efforts to avoid the biopsy.

The PSA came back high and the doc called me the next morning to tell me he wanted another one to rule out an anomalous result. In retrospect, past PSAs showed a slow increase, but less than 4, which was the accepted norm a few years ago. When the repeat came back high, I resigned myself to a visit to the uro for the consult and the inevitable biopsy. Normal DRE, but free PSA was not good and PSA density was ominous. No focal lesions seen on the US during bx.

I pretty much figured I had Ca before the results came back; the results just confirmed it and set my plans in motion. My initial reaction was, "darnit (I used a stronger word the censor doesn't like), now we need to take care of this." I dealt with it and here I am today.

I agree with John; it was much easier once I had a clear picture of the situation.

rnold,

When does your urologist want to see you again? Usually when a man comes in with BPH the urologist likes to treat him and watch the PSA come down, even after a negative biopsy, just to be safe.

That sounds sensible. We'll be here if you need us.

I am very happy for you. My PSA was not high (2.0). It was by a DRE that the uro felt something unusual. A biopsy came back 5 of 12 cores with a Gleason of 7. Two years later it had mataticized to my bones with many mets.
I am glad I have little pain but the anxiety I feel each day causes me to feel depressed in spite of the fact I have been on medication for years for Bipolar.

Cancer was not on my radar screen until that fateful phone call from the Uro saying biopsy results showed I had cancer. I had been a good soldier about getting regular PSA checks and the numbers until then had been favorable. There had been several DRE's including one prior to biopsy that were all clear. My father in law had a PSA higher than mine which was a result of an enlarged prostate. So I was convinced my elevated PSA was the result of that or maybe an infection. My cancer anxiety kicked in a couple minutes after that phone call. I had to get over the initial shock first. And the anxiety continues to this day every time I think about it....so I try not to think about it.