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Posted 4/12/2015 5:29 PM (GMT 0)
I have an MRI that will be done on my prostate next Friday April 17. At present my PSA is 15.0 which has been going up and up over the years, I started checking it back in 2005.

I have had two biopsy's done and the first one they took 16 cores and nothing was found yet the PSA was going up slowly but up.

I had another biopsy done in Oct. 2015 and 25 cores were taken and 10 of those showed cancer but at a very low grade that the doctor wanted to do a wait and see checking me every 6 months. My G score is at 3+3=6 which he said was low. But, he did say that he felt that we shouldn't wait another 6 months for a follow up and to do the MRI.

I guess my question is what will the MRI do and is it worth it to do it.
Posted 4/12/2015 6:14 PM (GMT 0)
I have an older pacemaker with old leads. Not suppose to get a MRI, but even with the added ricks the cardiologist and my surgeon thought the risks were worth taking. The MRI showed exactly where the cancer was located, and also spots that needed to be explored during the robotic surgery. I'm now post surgery 12 days. The doctor thinks he got everything, we'll get the pathology report in two days. I went into surgery with a better frame of mind knowing they knew exactly were the cancer was located I was G8 and PSA 2.4. Good luck, Art
Posted 4/12/2015 6:28 PM (GMT 0)
Thanks Duke! I sure hope that I can get some good news, I have been trying to be the tough guy and say I am not worried but it looks like I am not winning the game.

I will post something after the MRI. By the way I am doing this and have been going to the MAYO Clinic because our local Doctors here I am not that happy about what I hear about them.

Art
Posted 4/12/2015 6:47 PM (GMT 0)
There are many different kinds of MRI. I hope the kind they are talking about is a 3T multiparametric MRI, and there is an excellent radiologist onboard to read it (which is likely at Mayo). It is very good at finding higher grade cancer, not so good at finding GS6s - which is what you want. Then they might follow that up with a fused-image ultrasound-guided biopsy, so they take cores from the places that looked suspicious on the MRI.

A multiparametric MRI can take about an hour - each "parameter" requires a separate scan. And they have to inject you with an indicator for one of them. Not a problem unless you're claustrophobic.

Be sure and have your biopsy slides read for a second opinion by Bostwick or Epstein.

duke48 - How did they do the MRI with your pacemaker in? Isn't it made of steel? How did they shield it?

- Allen
Posted 4/12/2015 7:38 PM (GMT 0)
Allen. There are 8 people that have taken the test, that certifies them as qualified, to do a MRI on a pacemaker. One of the 8 was Dr. Rozner at MD Anderson in Houston. In 28 years I've never seen anyone that could look at the EKG/pacemaker machine and tell me as much as Dr. Rozner. He told me the risks, but told me he would sign sign off on the MRI. I'm happy to see that Art is going to the Mayo Clinic. You need a great doctor and a great hospital. That's why I went to MD Anderson instead of getting my surgery in Dallas.
Posted 4/12/2015 9:14 PM (GMT 0)
What did he do? How did he shield it?
Posted 4/12/2015 10:53 PM (GMT 0)
He couldn't shield it. He has done a MRI on lots of pacemakers before me. My risks were greater due to 4 leads into my heart. But since he thought I could get through the MRI, I agreed. And it worked out.
Posted 4/13/2015 1:37 PM (GMT 0)
Well, Allen I must say I not sure what type of MRI that I am going to have but, I do know that the doctor told me that it would be an MRI that would give us a very good picture of the prostate and that some sort of probe would be used to get those pictures.

I should be getting the paper work in the mail some time this week so I will see if that put in all of that information.

I have seen 3 doctors since all of this happen years ago. The first doctor back in 2005 wanted to remove the prostate just on the mere facts of what the PSA showed (6.0) as well as my first biopsy that was done by his office and the biopsy didn't show a thing. A few friends told me that they felt that he was to quick with the knife so my wife and I felt that we should look around and get another doctor to take a look. So far I have been very happy with the Mayo clinic.

Just want to thank you guys for providing me with some very good information.

Art
Posted 4/20/2015 5:09 PM (GMT 0)
Well, did the MRI last Friday at the Mayo clinic in Jacksonville, FL. took just about 2 hours. As per the doctor the MRI took pictures of the prostate, my hips and stomach.

Only real problem with when they put in the probe and when they took it out, those two little pills that they gave me to relax weren't that great, I would have been better off with a few jack's and coke.

Now I am waiting to see what the MRI will tell us, at this point I have no clue what they will find and if they do find something how bad will it be. So I guess it's just hurry up and wait.

I am glad that I found this site there is sure a lot of information from a bunch of Joe's who are willing to provide some real life experience, a million thanks to you guys.

Art
Posted 4/20/2015 10:05 PM (GMT 0)
My brother is a pacemaker tech and he said that older pacemakers can be a problem, but usually as long as a pacing specialist or doctor is present and the patient isn't pacemaker dependent MRIs are possible.
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